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Reviews of The Izaak Walton Hotel

3 out of 5
The Izaak Walton Hotel
Ilam, Dovedale, Ashbourne, England

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 119 out of 233 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 84 out of 233 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 22 out of 233 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 233 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 233 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Susan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location is wonderful. The staff are pleasant. Breakfast was fine afternoon tea scones were delicious.Evening meals were disappointing.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

8/10 Good

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location was lovely and so was the hotel itself beautiful view from our room and food was very good. Just a couple of niggles which was a shame and let it down, we felt the staff were quite arrogant, we specifically booked a table early to sit in a window seat. However a booking for 10 took priority and they totally changed the layout of the room, this after we had already spent over £50 on drinks.No apology no alternative just it is what it is. The prices of the drinks changed we were charged 3 different prices for the same drinks whicy was disappointing. Finally, we arrived Saturday afternoon and sat next to a couple who had food, our glasses and their plates of leftover food were still outside this morning! when I did take our empty glasses back to the bar there wasn't even a thankyou. I think that training on politeness and cleanliness needs to be given to certain staff members!
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

8/10 Good

Hazel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
We stayed at the hotel as we were attending a friends party the staff were all most helpful it was clean and the food was excellent no complaints
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

8/10 Good

pauline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely place to stay. Only criticism was that the coffee was awful. Surely could do better than instant after a meal!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Nigel

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A lovely country house hotel in the most beautiful setting. Comfortable beds, and an excellent restaurant.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

2/10 Terrible

Ian

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Malcolm

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property is 1st class, staff are so friendly and the food is amazing. Rooms are spotless and we enjoyed the wonderful hill views. We'll be visiting again next time we're in the Peaks
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Janet

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff, food and service were excellent. The hotel is a little tired in places, our room was comfortable and clean, the shower and taps useless.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
excellent as usual, we have stayed at The Izaak on a few occasions and has all way been good.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Martin

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

john

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Friendly,welcoming facility and staff. We will return
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Nick

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
The Food and the service at this hotel are definitely it’s plus points and I would rate both the food and staff service 9/10. However it is clear that a revamp of the hotel is required, it’s decor is somewhat dated and with a more contemporary but still in keeping with the age of the building would make this a 9/10 hotel overall. The room had a brilliant view and definitely the main highlight. The shower which, lacked any oomph at all was disappointing after a hard days walking a good strong shower would have been great. Overall though our stay was pleasant and I would still recommend to others. Didn’t think the room price gave the best value . £120-130 would have been a fairer price range.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Stephen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Well worth a visit
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Tracey

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Perfect setting, the scenery was amazing. A beautiful hotel with its on little quirks. Staff were very helpful. Hotel was very clean and the food was good. Breakfast was lovely as was the lovely lady who served us, thank you 😊 Room was really nice, lovely size, comfortable bed and nice little touches such as coffee, biscuits and toiletries. If i had to pick a fault the only thing i could say was the shower was very weak other than that it was a lovely place for a relaxing break.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

KEVIN

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great Location good food comfortable bed .needs a fride in room and aircon was very warm yet cool outside .coooked breakfast was good but no muesli with cereals and only little boxes of cereals.good to have real ale in bar.overall we did enjoy our stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Keith

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely stay
Excellent
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

M

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Superb location
Lovely location. Surrounded by fields, hills, cows and sheep. Very quiet. Room was quite comfortable, but TV was very small and too far from the beds to be able to watch properly. Breakfast was good, and they provided plain yogurt when we asked (there was none on the cold buffet). The poached eggs were excellent! Overall it was a bit expensive, but worth paying the extra for the superb location.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

John

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

6/10 Okay

RICHARD

Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

4/10 Poor

Charles

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Jo

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Though in need of some updating the hotel was very clean and we were greeted by extremely polite, friendly and helpful staff. The location of the hotel and surrounding area is absolutely stunning. I feel bad but unfortunately I can’t give top marks because the spa bath in our bathroom was not working which was very disappointing as I was so looking forward to using it, so had to settle for a regular bath instead. My husband and I decided to booked the restaurant for our evening meal. I couldn’t fault my meal, from start to finish it was delicious however my husband didn’t share the same opinion which is such a shame. The view from our room was spectacular, looking out onto huge hills, cows and sheep. Simply breathtaking!
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

8/10 Good

Frances

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We stayed at the hotel for 2 nights. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable. The decor in the hotel is slightly dated. The location is absolutely fantastic, it is set in such beautiful surroundings and we had great views from our room. It was wonderful to be able to walk to the Stepping Stones. We had breakfast and dinner at the hotel, there was plenty of choice in the menu and my food was tasty, but my partner said his dinner was slightly overcooked.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nicola

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely property in a fantastic location with friendly helpful staff.
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

8/10 Good

Jan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Gordon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Marian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A friendly hotel in an idyllic setting.
Room was clean and very comfortable. Excellent bed so slept well. Large bathroom with good shower but toilet flush was very noisy. Food was excellent and we ate in both restaurant and bar. Menu was perhaps a little limited if staying for a week. Views from hotel were amazing and grounds beautiful. Did get busy on sunny days with day trippers. Staff all friendly and polite. Would have liked assistance with carrying suitcases upstairs but maybe we needed to ask. There is no lift. Would highly recommend a stay here.
View from the window in our room
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Great place in a stunning location. Amazing staff. Traditional styling and very laid back
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Ronald

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property had character and is reasonably well maintained. The grounds are clean and nicely kept. The interior decor was sympathetic to the old-world charm and tastefully done. The restaurant and bar food were very good and well presented, the staff were friendly and eager to please. The hotel is well situated and within the Derbyshire Peak District, so very pretty surroundings with stunning scenery. We had an enjoyable stay over Valentine weekend which was very busy. Staffing level was low and we often had to wait for service at the bar or reception. Overall, a comfortable stay and would return in the future.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

MARK

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely Stay
Staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Food was nice and rooms properly cleaned every day. Views from hotel are amazing. It was so nice we stayed another two nights.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful service and food
Stayed for one night as a couple. Staff were all exemplary, polite courteous and helpful. Food was superb and well priced, drinks were also good with a well-kept good local ale on draught. The rooms show their age design-wise but the layouts are limited by the age of the building. The shower in room 9 made a horrendous mechanical noise which was reported on check out. The bed was a little firm and my wife found it a little uncomfortable. Great location and would recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Patricia

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Al

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A hotel retaining its character with good staff
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Christine

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel is in a brilliant location, near the Dovedale steps with lots of easy walks. Inside is fresh, clean and staff very attentive. Had a tasty evening bar meal and good choice for breakfast.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Maxine

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

8/10 Good

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel on Dovedale, staff very friendly and helpful. Food good room large.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

michael

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
great location many walks right on doorstep fantastic views very friendly and helpfull staff
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

William

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The main detriment is the food which is far from ‘fine dining’ but generally bland & lacking in taste. Would stay there again, but eat elsewhere
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

S

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Karen

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good for short stay
Very clean, excellent food. Front of house staff are doing their best but lack leadership. Dress code needs addressing. Beautiful setting with easy parking . Good value
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Stuart

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
A mixed experience
In a lovely setting, the hotel was clean and staff very firendly and polite. However, the room I had was disappointing with it's main window overlooking a plain wall only 1m away. Although it advertised wifi this was not available as "your room is too far away from the server". Breakfast was adequate only. Self service with only eggs freshly cooked, although the scrambled eggs I ordered more resembled a thick omlette. Decaff coffee was an instant sachet. Pity, as a pleasant place with nice staff should be better with a little more attention to detail
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Weather fantastic, amazing views
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Emma - Reception on 12 Aug 2022
Thank you for your recent review - we look forward to welcoming you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Janice

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from Emma - Reception on 12 Aug 2022
Thank you for your recent review - we look forward to welcoming you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Kevin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Izaak Walton Hotel
Superior kingsized room mountain view excellent enormous bed very clean and comfortable with two armchairs tea and coffee making facilities separate bathroom really clean the meals were first class plenty of seats in the gardens bars were comfortable and the service was excellent as were the waitresses in the dining rooms only a short walk to the stepping stones in Dovedale we had a really good stay and will definitely return
View from the room
View from the room
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from Emma - Reception on 12 Aug 2022
Thank you so much for your review - We look forward to welcoming you again soon

4/10 Poor

Lorraine

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
No staff, service terrible for our meal.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Izaak Walton on 16 Jul 2022
We are sorry you had a less and good stay with us. we are aware of are current staffing issues and are working to rectify this. this has impacted are service and we apologue greatly. we strive for guests excellence but it seems we fell short. If you give us chance in the future hopefully we can redeem are self's,

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022