The Coniston Hotel Country Estate & Spa

tl:dr, come for a spa day, skip the evening food. The hotel was welcoming on arrival, and clean throughout, with a nice spa, especially the view from the outdoor area. It is rare to see ground level hot tubs, but it was a really nice way to be immersed in the surrounding beautiful countryside. The room we had was spacious, but dated, with a tiny TV for the distance it was away from the bed, and the second sitting room for the suite was very basic, there should have been more thought to the decor and some updates in this price bracket. Breakfast was well served and staff were exceedingly pleasant and helpful. The food and service at dinner though was really not good, initially a staff member refused us a window seat (as they were set for 4 people), though having just prior seated a couple in one of those tables, and immediately after seating us at another table someone else was seated as a couple at the table we'd requested. Most of the staff then mostly ignored us despite efforts to get their attention, the bar staff were just chatting and didn't come over, and wait staff who walked past the table left the finished starter plates and didn't see if we needed anything during the meal. The food itself was very basic as well, and for the price, was very poor value for money, a pea and mint risotto seemed to use nothing fresh to make it, and was watery and bland, and the gnocchi was salty and chewy with some long strips of broccoli and spring greens counting as the "summer vegetables". It is also very uncomfortable seeing the animals they are raising to kill for the food served on site right in front of you while staying, and them touting this as a positive.

a month ago · via Google

This was a birthday treat that I used to celebrate my retirement. Though it wasn't mentioned on check in we really appreciated the room upgrade on arrival with the treats in the room. There was not much time to take in the room as it was a quick change and over to the spa. It might seem strange to change in your room and walk over but it's only a short walk and the weather was fine. Timed spa access was confirmed ahead of time and this works well as the spa was just the right occupancy both days to allow us to enjoy the steam room, saunas and pool. The outdoor pools are rightly very popular, the view is amazing and the temperature perfect, but we managed to enjoy a soak outdoors on both days. I had a super relaxing massage and facial with Georgie who hit the brief and I floated back to my room. The dining room is quite large but the focus is on the view which is stunning and we were lucky enough to get a window table once during our 2 night stay. The food was very good, though the menu was the same both nights. There were 2 sides so I managed to find another vegetarian option for my main course the second evening. Breakfast was also a delight with local produce on show. We certainly didn't leave hungry! There are so many lovely walks nearby and a short walk through the beautiful grounds. Staff were all friendly and welcoming and, even though there was a wedding on the weekend we were there, the hotel itself was peaceful and relaxing. We would love to return one day!

3 months ago · via Google

Came away for my husbands 50th birthday gift from our daughter. She did good !! The hotel was faultless from the moment we arrived the staff were warm and welcoming and very informative. The room was beautiful and clean to a fault. The food was amazing and you could definitely tell it was all very fresh. Had a cheeky glass of fizz courtesy of the manger (Ryan) who took the time to sit with us and have a chat. All in all the most amazing few days away. We will be back.

4 months ago · via Google

I sent this feedback to the Hotel a few weeks ago, and I have not heard back, so I assume they are ok with me posting it. My partner and I stayed last month, and did the spa, stay, dinner and breakfast package. This totalled to £424, for one night. I recently checked my card statement and was reminded how much I paid - quite frankly, this felt extremely overpriced. Obviously, no hotel is perfect, but we expected to have a great experience, given the price. As soon as we pulled into the turning, we were questioning if we were at the right place - it certainly did not look quite as prestigious as the online photos suggest. The staff to greet us were pleasant, and the check-in was easy. The room however, one of the “superior” rooms, was extremely underwhelming. We had stayed in a cheap hotel the previous night, and the room at the Coniston was no better; the outside space looked upon the car park, where there were constantly people driving past and unloading! The room looked nothing like the photos, it was missing any decoration, and looked tired. The spa facilities were good, but there were a lot of other people in there at the same time, so it was somewhat difficult to relax. This was a random Wednesday afternoon, so I dread to think how busy it would be at peak time! Following that, my partner’s spa treatment was incorrectly booked over the phone, which was also not particularly relaxing to sort out. Dinner was ok, but nothing special, especially for the price. Breakfast was much the same. Unfortunately we were both left underwhelmed. Overall, the location itself was good, but the room definitely let the entire place down, and it really overshadowed the whole stay.

2 months ago · via Google