Westbury House

An Excellent Stay—My Wife and I Loved It! My wife and I recently stayed at Westbury House, and the entire experience was absolutely excellent. From the moment we arrived, our hostess, Jo, went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. Her incredible warmth and hospitality truly made our trip special—she is a fantastic host! The Location is perfect. Tucked away on a quiet, peaceful side street, it’s just a 2-minute stroll into Windermere town centre and a quick 10-minute walk from the train station. It was incredibly convenient for us to walk down to the lake at Bowness or catch a bus to explore the nearby peaks. Our Room was immaculate and incredibly cozy. The entire house is spotlessly clean and offers a true "home away from home" feel. A massive bonus was that the rooms are cleaned every single day, keeping everything fresh and pristine throughout our stay. After a long day of hiking, returning to such a peaceful space and an exceptionally comfortable bed was exactly what we needed. The Breakfast cooked by Jo was a massive highlight for us each morning. Her traditional English breakfast (complete with brilliant vegetarian options) was absolutely delicious, and her fresh, beautifully made bread was the perfect touch to set us up for a day of exploring. Exceptional value, pristine cleanliness, and a fantastic location. My wife and I had an amazing stay thanks to Jo, and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area!

a month ago · via Google

Welcome to your home away from home, perfectly located by all the shops and restaurants in Windermere and a short walk to Windermere Train Station which is two hours from Manchester International Airport. As soon as you walk in the front door you will be greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread which you will enjoy in the following day's breakfast. Speaking of which you will be treated to one of the finest English Breakfasts that you can find anywhere. Our room was overlooking the park in a quiet street. We loved the spacious and comfortable room with everything that we needed including TV, hairdryer, kettle, shower and a bed that was a perfect fit. With the curtains closed at night we had the perfect night's sleep.

2 months ago · via Google

I have travelled extensively across the world and have never experienced anything remotely like this. Before arriving, I contacted the property to ask whether there was any flexibility with the 8:00 pm check-in time after realising York deserved more time than I had originally planned. Before I had even finished explaining, Jo interrupted with, “I’m going to stop you there…” and told there was no flexibility as it “affected other guests”. When I asked how, rather than answering my question, I was repeatedly told, “To be fair, it’s on the website.” The check-in time appeared as a single line amongst numerous booking details. I had no objection whatsoever to a strict policy. My concern was the abrupt, dismissive and unnecessarily confrontational way a perfectly reasonable enquiry was handled. Unfortunately, things became far worse. My train, involving multiple changes, was delayed by around an hour and was standing room only. I phoned the property immediately. After arriving in Windermere, a bus driver drove past my stop despite knowing where I wanted to get off, leaving me to drag an extremely heavy suitcase across town. I called the property again to explain I had been dropped further away than expected and, because of the weight of my luggage, it might take another 20–30 minutes. The response was simply a loud, “Where did he drop you??” I explained I was unfamiliar with the area and couldn’t stop to determine my exact location. By the time I reached the property I was physically exhausted. The front door opened. There was no “Hello.” No “Welcome.” No acknowledgement of the difficult journey. The very first words spoken to me were: “That wasn’t 30 minutes???” Inappropriate, overfamiliar & poorly timed I replied: “I’m sorry I couldn’t exactly time the trip, but I’m really tired & I’ve been lugging heavy bags. Can I please go to my room?” I was aggressively cut off. Jo thrust her hand directly in front of my face and repeatedly told me: “Don’t talk to me like that.” “Don’t take your temper out on me.” Every time I calmly repeated exactly what I had said and asked what I had supposedly done wrong, I was interrupted & berated for my “attitude”. Alan then appeared and immediately joined the confrontation, scowling, berating. Rather than asking what had happened, he repeatedly interrupted me with: “Do you want to stay here or not? Do you want to stay here or not?” Whenever I tried to answer, he cut me off and repeated the question. I was then falsely accused by Jo to Alan “I just answered the door and she started screaming and yelling.” If she had to lie, she knew she was in the wrong! When I reminded them I had been confronted by her and had not screamed at all, and begun by saying, “I’m sorry…”, the owner falsely claimed I had never said “I am sorry” & when I said those were my exact words, Alan menaced me with “do you want to stay or not?”. In other words - submit to being lied about & be silent. They also kept saying “this is our house”. So it isn’t a proper accomodation but a room they rent out in their home. When I objected to having a hand held in front of my face by Jo the whole time and being confronted the moment I arrived, I was told it had all been “just joking.” The entire interaction was a power abuse. I was repeatedly interrupted, falsely accused, denied any meaningful opportunity to respond, confronted by two people at once, repeatedly asked “Do you want to stay here or not?” whenever I attempted to defend myself, and ultimately had the door closed in my face. I said then I would seek police to help me. They are also after closing the door in my face keeping all my money, AU$600 so there’s a lot of greed there as well. I have stayed in countless hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs over many years of travel. I have never experienced such hostility, such a complete lack of empathy, or such an extraordinary escalation over what should have been a routine check-in. I cannot recommend this property to anyone who expects to be treated with courtesy, respect or basic human decency.

a week ago · via Google

I don't stay in Bed and Breakfasts and now I wonder why. This place is brilliant. From the lovely warm welcome, my small but brilliant room on the top floor to a great breakfast. If you are in Windermere and need a place to stay make sure you look to see if there is space here first, you won't regret it. Jo made me feel so comfortable and welcome. It was a pleasure to stay here and I really do hope I can find an excuse to come back. Thanks Jo and Allan.

3 months ago · via Google