Bearslake Inn

We had lunch from the a la carte menu - the food was outstanding and the service very good. All the food was absolutely delicious - our mains were rump steak, cooked rare and to perfection, steak burgers with fries and the wild mushroom ravioli, plus interesting and scrumptious side orders. Fabulous desserts and decent coffee to finish.

See associated google review for general overview. We stayed here for one night and booked 4 rooms at a total cost of almost £800. No toiletries were provided in any of the rooms so I raised this with the manager on our way out for the evening. When we returned, toiletries had only be placed in my room and not the others. The refreshments had not been fully replenished in my Mum's room (a bottle of water was open and half finished). My youngest daughter could not sleep in our room because it was populated by so many spiders and cobwebs; she had to sleep on the floor of my Mums rooms. I raised this with the Manager on our way out for the evening and he assured me he would deal with it. I had to remove another 8 spiders just from the alcove where my other daughter's bed was when we returned. I appreciate this is an old historic building, but that many spiders can only take residence if the space hasn't been cleaned for at least several days. Certainly not just before new customers. The caulking in our bathroom had mould on it and the shower controls came off in my hand and I couldn't control the temperature of the shower. The toilet sounded like it was dying when flushed. My sister also has a bad experience in her room. The bed was so damp she had to sleep in it fully clothed. Her room smelt of mould and her curtains were mouldy. We raised all these issues calmly and politely with the owner the following morning. As expected (from reading negative google reviews) she was defensive and combative, and although saying sorry was clearly unapologetic. She repeatedly referred to their many positive reviews and the historic nature of the building, but did nothing to make us feel better about our experience. She questioned our account of the rooms, and when we invited her to go and inspect them together right then, she refused. When we left in disgust the owner locked the door behind us and left my kids and their grandma in the car park in the rain with their luggage (while I went to pick up my car). Overall, the building is tired and poorly maintained, the rooms we stayed in were dirty, mouldy and a health risk, and the owner has very little customer service skills and should probably not be front of house. Clearly many customers have a positive experience, but I suspect in low season in particular, experience is not consistent, and when it falls short, feedback is not received and acted on appropriately. Will not be returning!

Once again a wonderful stay in this beautiful thatched Inn. Our room overlooked the stunning gardens. We were met by a warm and welcoming reception by the staff. As it was our anniversary the owners left us a lovely drink of prosecco and a card. Delightful touch. Room was so cosy comfy chesterfield and cosy bed. Lovely meal and friendly staff in the restaurant.. Thanks for a memorable stay. Hope to see you again soon.