Dalescountryhouse Reviews 2

We so enjoyed our stay at this lovely hotel. The staff (in the hotel and the groundsman) were really friendly and went out of their way to be helpful.
Our room was spacious, clean and beautifully furnished. The grounds and gardens are lovely with lots of seating. The breakfast (that my partner enjoyed) was substantial and with lots of choice. We would certainly like to stay again!

The hotel has the most beautiful grounds which include lovely private gazebos with fairy lights and heaters. Such a pretty place to sit and unwind. Seating outside ok but not particularly generously sized chairs unless using the sofas which were very low and not under the gazebos.
The bedroom and hotel had dated décor but it was reasonable quality. The bed was king-size but really was too large for the bedroom. I needed to use the plugs beside the bed but couldnt access these easily as the bedframe was covering them. It was hard work moving the heavy wooden framed bed and when we did so we discovered that every time you moved the bed frame the lights went out. We finally figured out that the headboard was resting against a light switch so every time the bed moved the lights came on or off. To solve the problem we had to pad the space behind the headboard with our clothing. The bathroom was modern and well equipped. The room had a nice little turret area with chairs, TV and tea/coffee facilities along with still and sparkling water. A fan was supplied which was not really sufficient for the warmth of the room in summer but better than nothing for sure.
I am a large lady and had trouble moving around the room because of the amount of furniture and small gaps between the wall and end of the bed.
The bed was comfortable and clean with an overall stay that was at best pleasant. The hotel has a small lift but this is turned off at 9pm and not back on until after 7am so for those of us that want to go to bed late or rise early and our disabled it only let the stairs.
Sadly what really let the place down was the food and staff. Only one member of staff Carole made any effort to engage us in conversation. All the staff were polite but non seemed happy or genuinely interested in us other than Carole.
The food was bland and over priced. The afternoon tea had dry bread, the evening meal had stale rolls and my lobster did not taste fresh from the sea but more like a packaged one I might buy from a large supermarket. My husband had sea bass which was nothing special and which we cook better ourselves at home. Although the waiting staff did try to offer a decent service one lady couldnt speak enough English to understand me and when I asked another for toast it didn't arrive.
My verdict is that the only thing this hotel really has going for it, is the beautiful gardens but they are not worth the room fee in my opinion and the food was a serious let down. Had we not met Carole we would have rated this as a two star, so I hope the hotel values you Carole.