Search Hotels by Independent in Smardale from £92

"The staff were wonderfully friendly but especially the lovely cleaning lady who went all the way back to her home to get me a razor. I’d left mine behind and had to go to a wedding."

"Comfortable room friendly staff and good food. Breakfast was excellent "

"This stay is hard to evaluate, because it was uneven. It is an experience staying in a medieval castle. We wandered around the interior to see the rooms, with old paintings, suits of armour, etc., which was interesting. The staff upgraded us from servants quarters to a cottage. The cottage was modernized with a living room and wide screen tv, a bedroom, and bathroom with a tub and walk-in shower. This was all good except for the mouse we saw in the bedroom. We had dinner in the dining room, which was kind of worn down, definitely in need of an upgrade. The food was good but not great, and it was expensive. Service was passable, but simple things like providing a bread plate and a functional candelabra were not done. The meal was fair but this was not as good as it could have been. The staff did upgrade us and helped with the internet and tv, but he was not to be found after our check-in. We never got a tour or got to climb to the top of the tower. I made a mistake in booking by one day, but I recognized and corrected that error on the internet. I asked more than once if they would waive the penalty fee for having to cancel the original registration date and rebook the correct dates, and staff replied to my emails but never responded to my request to waive the fee. In the end we were charged a fairly hefty cancellation fee, which is pretty shabby treatment. It was interesting staying in a castle and the upgrade was great, but the place was just a bit “off.”"

"We loved the way the property- an old tannery- had been converted into a hotel with a lot of unique properties. Unfortunately, it had some challenges for disabled people: going up and down stairs, for example. They had a little chair lift in two places, but the wheelchair had to be carried manually up and down stairs. There was great difficulty for going from our ground floor room to breakfast on 2nd floor. They offered to accommodate by bringing breakfast down to us in the bar area of ground floor, and helping us with the stairs in several ways, but it was still challenging. The rooms were nice and clean and comfortably large, but there was no A/C, and no microwave or fridge, and little space for unpacking clothes. We had a wonderful view out over the river from our room. The bar or dining room, "The Tannery", had a nice selection of options for evening meals, which we used a couple of times, but they seemed to be out of the things that we would have enjoyed most. We loved the ancient feeling of the city, including a beautiful cathedral and an enchanting old castle."

"This Hotel building has soooo much character! It was a true delight and the staff were all so friendly and upbeat! Beth from the bar/dining room was especially fun with a great sense of humor! She made our stay even more enjoyable! Shebby (sp?), Waffi (sp?)) and Nevin (sp?)were also very fun and pleasant! We will never forget the wonderful three days that we spent here and can’t recommend this place enough! "

"This is a beautiful hotel just a few miles off the motorway but on the other she of Kendal. The Rooms are tastefully decorated, clean and comfortable. We will come again for a longer stay. Just beautiful"

"Stayed here for one night in a multiple beds room. Room was spacious and had all we needed. I would definitely recommend opting for the lake view rooms as the view is great! Both members of staff we interacted with were pleasant and helpful. Would definitely stay again."

"Very Scottish decor’ for some reason. Staff were over worked and doing multiple jobs as best as they could and as quickly as they good. Tending bar, taking orders, waiting on tables - just one person! They really struggled at breakfast with a coach party all coming down to eat at the same time and only two waitresses and one chef to handle everything. I could see how frustrated the staff and the customers were getting with the whole situation. The room was clean and tidy with good tea and coffee amenities. TV was working well. Bathroom looked recently refurbished. Staff were friendly and helpful throughout. I really liked their “free drink instead of housekeeping” option, which I absolutely decided to go for. Hotel is conveniently located to train station and a short walk into Kendal town centre. "

"Wonderful hotel for a decent price and wonderful facilities especially the pulse fitness centre with its lovely host"