Macdonald Swan Hotel

Absolutely fabulous stay

My wife and I have stayed at the Swan hotel many times. Our recent visit was very enjoyable, the only downside is the high food prices in the walkers bar. But that apart, this is a very nice place to stay, which is why we return every spring. The hotel is clean and comfortable and the breakfast is very good. The management and staff are friendly and helpful, we hope to return next March.

How this hotel can boast 4 stars, I just do not know. It is far from the hotel that I knew 40 years ago. At check in, we had to complain that the room allocated was a double and not a twin as requested and so we had to wait whilst the room was 'converted'. This left us with even less room than the minute room afforded. The room had been well decorated but much was tired and in need of renovation. The carpet needed a good clean. There was a crack on the toilet bowl rim, a broken seat mounting, cracked tiles, cracked basin and the chrome plating was gone from the plug hole surround. The mattress on the bed left much to be desired as it sagged badly and the pillows were awful. This historic inn has a quiet and pleasant atmosphere and one can curl up in front of a log fire with a glass of real ale - it is just a pity that cellar skills seem to be lacking because the drink served was not as I would have expected. We chose to dine elsewhere, where we found a more agreeable menu and so we cannot comment on that.

It is nearly seven years since we stayed at The Swan, but it still as good as ever. Love the ambience and the "homely" nature of this hotel, and staff are always immaculate and obliging ( even though it was slightly difficult to understand couple of them with accents -a minor point ). Bar is fabulous on a cold night with the fire going and there are plenty of communal areas to sit and chill. Only minor issues relate to a very limited bar menu choice ( we wanted to order from the evening menu which I attempted to do at 5.45 only to be told they could not accept my order until 18.00 which was a bit bizzare ). Our room directly over the entrance was lovely and spacious although possibly in need of a paint touch up - the bed though was huge and probably the most comfortable we have ever had. Bathroom though was immaculate and again huge. Breakfast was ample and good quality although amusingly on both mornings our cooked breakfast was slightly cold on one side of the plate but warm on the other. Would certainly recommend this hotel and would have no qualms about going back especially given its super locale and ambience.

Nice warm friendly hotel ideal to relax in after a long walk in the lakes.