Dalston Hall Reviews

Had a really lovely time at a wedding at Dalston Hall. They certainly know how to put on a good do!! From the rooms, to the food, wonderful. Staff fantastic, (a young Sophie Ellis Bexter, working there!) very hard working. Everything was seamless. If there is one thing I’d say - in the evening, it was very hot in the event hall, just open the door onto the grounds. I’m guessing the reason they didn’t is because it was very dark and no lights. There is 3 steps down to the garden from the event hall so pretty dangerous. Maybe some lights? Not suggesting full on floodlights, not in keeping, but just something? Other than this fantastic!!! Thank you

Visited Dalston Hall for a family gathering. Noone available at reception no staff presence throughout the hotel. Rang the bell in the bar - no response. Eventually found 2 staff members in the kitchen one of whom begrudgingly served us with drinks. The hostile attitude of this girl spoiled our experience and also that of another couple who commented on the poor service they had received. Suggest that experienced staff are on site to uphold good customer service. Won't be back . I didn't feel like a valued customer nor did my family.

This venue is frustratingly close to being really nice. The venue is beautiful and our room was spacious and comfy. However, it is let down by many little irritations, including a total lack of any refreshments of any kind on arrival and no food offering at all. We had to drive into Carlisle. The bar had eventually opened by our return but the hopes of sitting in the lovely garden with our drinks were frustrated by a lack of any seating. We eventually found some old chairs ticked at the side of the hotel and put them in the pergola, where was was a table but no chairs. The venue is clearly mainly a wedding venue, being set up as such. I would not recommend staying if not at a wedding as there was little attempt to operate as a full hotel. The reception staff in particular were poor, giving no assistance or even apology for the lack of food, no recommendations or other suggestions as to where we could eat. It’s a beautiful venue which could be really lovely as a hotel if it put its mind to it, but we wouldn’t return.

The staff here are terrible. One staff member in particular ruined our stay .I will not return here and urge anyone seeing this review to stay away. The girl serving behind the bar kept disappearing and really didn't want to be there..moody grumpy and really unhelpful. She kept hiding in tbe kitchen instead of doing her job.in a bar of paying customers the least you can do is stay behind the bar.awful terrible service and we won't be back.

We visited this venue for a wedding and the day turned out lovely. There were a few things that were picked up that disappointed a lot of the wedding party such as the evening food, which was very poor compared to the standard of food from the wedding breakfast. Due to the bride and groom not being able to have the marquee on such short notice they were due to have compensation added which a few of which were missed off the day. The price of the room for the standard was pretty shocking aswell, not proper showers working which was the case in most rooms, with little hot water and cold water constantly coming out. Stains on carpets and some chairs, with rooms not being cleaned properly as we and another room had half used left over shower gels, shampoos etc left in bathrooms. Apart from that staff were lovely and attentive just seemed a bit unorganised in the grand scheme of things for a wedding.

My nephew had his wedding here and after all the planning they went through they still managed to overcharge and get everything wrong. 2 days before the wedding they were told they couldn't have the marque they had paid for and received zero compensation and instead offered a free glass of prosecco to each guest as if it was remotely acceptable, they then squeezed 80 people into a small room with not enough tables. I had assumed someone had drop a coaster on the floor, turned out it was supposed to be a dance floor, you'd be lucky if 20 people could dance on it. The staff were arrogant, unprofessional with manners that were only beaten by their charisma which was abissmal. The buffet was horrendous, my works canteen would have been better. A few butties and frozen chips. The only thing this place has going for it is the building and grounds. 1 star hotel, 5 star prices.

For the first time in almost two decades we found ourselves kid free for a few nights away together. Our first night was here at Dalston Hall. We are a high tier member of an international hotel chain, so whenever I book anything away from that chain, my Wife always complains. And sometimes my hotel bookings have caused me a lot of marital headaches :o) We booked this stay with a third party company, and I have to say I was a little apprehensive as to what kind of room we’d end up with. I needn’t have worried, as we had a fantastic stay from start to finish. The chap who checked us in, was incredibly busy meeting the needs of guests from check in, to manning the bar, to providing an attentive waiter service in the restaurant. I’m not aware of his name, but he really looked after us during our time at the hotel, so a big thank you to him. Parking was plentiful. Walking down the few steps to the rear of the hall, it looked a beautiful building. Once checked in, we were given a key to the room. Opening the room door, we found ourselves in a very large room. There were tea/coffee facilities, a TV, and seating too. It had an exposed stone wall behind the comfy bed, and the well-made furniture suited the period look of the room. We were really happy with the room, and I myself was relieved that my Wife was happy! We’d had a very long drive from home, and it was our intention to find somewhere to eat in nearby Carlisle. Our experiences of hotel food over the years has been one of overpriced mediocrity. But I was so exhausted from all of the driving that I decided to eat at the hotels restaurant, and boy were we glad we did. We opted for a main course t, and a dessert for just shy of £20. We both got roast beef, with vegetables, and Yorkshire puddings. The food was without any doubt, some of the best we’ve had in years. The beef melted in your mouth, the veg was cooked to perfection, and every morsel piping hot! The dessert didn’t disappoint either, with the hotel made sticky toffee pudding being absolutely delicious! You really couldn’t fault the quality for the money, it was perfect in every way. What a chef the hotel employs! We had a pleasant walk around the gardens, before retiring for the evening. We both had a restful nights sleep. Again breakfast was very good, and we left the hotel feeling incredibly fortunate to have found it. Our next stop was going to be one of the worlds greatest hotels, and I’m not exaggerating in saying that I really did wonder whether it would match our stay at Dalston Hall. I appreciate that the hotels main business will be that of a wedding venue, but if you’re looking for a great hotel close to Carlisle, then I highly recommend Dalston Hall. It's a great place to stay, the hall being tastefully decorated throughout, and providing a level of comfort that was amazing for the price we paid. Thanks for reading.

Amazing venue, straight out of Bridgerton ! Arrived on a wet and cold afternoon but the venue certainly made up for it. The highlight was the birdcage structure outside, I know its in many pictures but actually walking up to it and seeing it is stunning. Wonderful opportunity for pics outside , benches to sit on and plenty of photo ops. The staff were welcoming and the inside areas are kept clean and cosy. I attended a wedding and liked the laid back atmosphere. Walking around and taking pics was never an issue. The inside area was decorated with Christmas lights and a tree which was very nostalgic and welcoming. Take a pic with the fireplaces in the background, one in the main hall area where the inside weddings take place and another in the room where the bridal party gets ready. Great venue, I would imagine that warmer weather will create more activity outside but it is worth a visit. I hired a car because it is in a remote area, there are trains to Carlisle but you would still need to get from Carlisle to Dalston Hall independently. If you want a wedding with stunning backdrops, this is your place.

Arrived for one night on Monday 20/01/2025. On arrival we were told that there was no food available that evening and we would need to either order a take-away or us one of the local pubs. On checking all the pubs locally were closed on Monday and Tuesday so we had to drive into Carlisle to find a restaurant. The room was clean and tidy with a nice bed - however the hot water was lukewarm only in the morning which meant a cool shower and an uncomfortable shave. I passed this information onto the receptionist on checking out and was told he would “ Pass this on to the marketing team”. For a hotel supposedly being 4* , to not have food available in the evening is unacceptable and we should have been told this prior to our stay, no proper hot water in January is also unacceptable, this is NOT a 4 Star hotel - dont waste your money. There are a number of other hotels in Carlisle that will offer a better experience.

Really poor.. room was filthy.. rhe carpet was all stained with sick or something orange and the bed was full of dust. Really thick stuck in rhe wooden ornate bits. No atmosphere at all. Not enough seats in the bar area. With 2 settees facing each other and that was all! I think tou should makw use of the other rooms like the big room where the chairs are ready for a weddibg should be utilises with nice swttees and uses to sit in also .Breakfast sausages weren't cooked and left them. The breakfast room was awful too.. no atmosphere and strange in a place like that ..mis matched room.

We were booked in from 5 to 8 January 2025. I received a call around 4pm on 2nd January to say my booking had been cancelled due to another major booking. I had originally been booked in in September , but due to a family bereavement had to cancel. The hotel was very good about it and we agreed on the January date. Really disappointed. Will not be recommending.

Booked breakfast with Santa to take my little one and mums Arrived seemed very chaotic Show to table which was crammed into hall No lit fire as described on advert Tea coffee and juice available but back at front door so bottle neck trying to get amongst others arriving Would of been better a pot of tea coffee and juice per table ! Had to wait to be called up to get food but other tables jumped in front so when we got up there was nothing left so had to wait for replenished Food wasn’t good All cold No tomato or black pudding as advertised Waffles as thin as paper Hash browns not even cooked Then had to wait to be called to go see Santa which I thought was bizarre and would of been better if Santa came to each table Present our little one got was a joke A small colouring book 4 crayons a balloon and a snap wrist thing. Not suitable at all for a 2 year old. Probably didn’t even cost a £1 to put together People left before even seeing Santa For £15 pp costing £75 it was a total embarrassment and my mother in law has emailed asking for the money back Dalston hall I think you need to stick to weddings instead of cashing in on Christmas trying to do some thing that just isn’t right I can’t say we are the only ones that have the same opinion as after speaking with some friends they experienced the same on the Saturday sitting Will not visit again

We arrived after what seemed to have been a busy wedding weekend. Very short staffed with nobody on reception and a rather chaotic check-in when we did eventually find someone to check us in. Proudly introduced us to chess and pool options..... comfortable and well equipped rooms and an excellent freshly cooked breakfast in the morning. Is it a wedding venue or a hotel? Need to decide and resource accordingly

What a lovely place. Fabulous food, room and friendly staff. The afternoon tea was gorgeous really worth trying. Nice walks and views. The hotel has a lot of history and a very grand feel to it. Highly recommend for getting away from it all. It is a popular wedding venue and I can see why.