Macdonald Leeming House

Lovely setting, it’s a pity we felt rushed for our evening meal. Would recommend a stay.

We stopped here for lunch while driving around in the area, and had a really great time. The lounge is spacious with great views of Ullswater Lake...makes you feel really good. Service was prompt and attentive. Food was very nice as well. Loved the fish and chips, peas, and the icecream cone. :)

When we arrived we were unable connect to Wifi. When I asked for help at Reception I was told there was little or no signal anywhere in the hotel; I tried the conservatory and the ‘library’ as well as the room. It seemed that Apple iPhones or Apple Mac laptops were viewed as a problem! However, I found out that the conference would be taking place in the dining room; I wasn’t offered that as an option, but in fact there was a signal in there. As regards the signal in the room, it gradually became available over the following days after I had succeeded in ‘verifying my email’. But I shouldn’t have had to wait that long. There was limited hanging space in the wardrobe. The bathroom had an over-bath, not a walk-in shower, which I found difficult as I have slight mobility problems. No face flannels were provided. The toilet did not flush well and required a ‘knack’ to make it do so. The shower was fierce and somewhat unpredictable, but the water was hot. Fortunately we were on the ground floor, but no help with luggage was available for another guest on the first floor who requested it – no lift, because a listed building. Dinner: orders were taken promptly and food came out in good time. The waitress, Rosie, was capable and personable. I had the salmon gravadlax to start and my husband had the crayfish tails. Bread came in a hot terracotta pot was good. My chicken breast with ratatouille was average; the chicken was tough and the mange-tout stringy. However, an adjustment was made to the final bill to compensate for this. But at £50 per person for two courses I would have expected better. Breakfast was freshly cooked and piping hot. The McLeod & McLeod Stornoway black pudding was very good. However, anything other than the ‘full breakfast’ (or ‘full vegetarian’) attracted a £6 supplement – why, when you are already charging a substantial amount for b&b? There was also a £4 supplement for cappuccino etc. Anyway, no avocados were smashed on our account. Top marks to the hospitable older gentleman who is on duty on Sundays and Mondays.

Nice atmosphere, some people have said dated and tired, but it is a hotel of a certain age, and it has character. We found it charming. Staff very friendly. Lovely lady on reception when we arrived, and very friendly gentleman serving breakfast. Found it strange they charge £6 supplement for eggs benedict when you are already paying £26 for breakfast but at least staff were very quick to point this out to you, so no surprises. Our only criticism would be when we checked out, there was no one on reception and we had to wait a while before finally someone appeared from the back room, clearly still consuming their breakfast, which she continued to do while checking us out. Not ideal, she could learn a lot from the very professional lady who checked us in.

Just spent fabulous night at this hotel. It is very warm and welcoming, especially the staff. The rooms are beautifully decorated with lovely furniture. The evening meal was delicious, we sat by the window overlooking the lake. Staff were very attentive and nothing was too much trouble. I use wheelchair and was made to feel very comfortable not at all awkward. Definitely recommend this hotel.

My daughter and I, had an amazing time, hotel a bit tired but it is very old, breakfast excellent 👌, bar meals excellent 😋 The staff very helpful and friendly especially Doreen on reception who made us feel so welcome 🙏 🤗. The view from our room was breathtaking and we walked down to the lake in the morning for a cold water swim, 💧 😀. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Lovely old building and grounds, good views of lake and surrounding areas. Great hearty breakfast (we had the full English) and friendly and polite staff. Special mention to Bassel who remained calm and polite despite the IT failure. We didn’t use the restaurant so can’t comment on that. Macdonald Hotels corporate could do with spending a bit of money on tidying this old lady up, it’s a wee bit dated and the WiFi signal depends on your location in the hotel.

Lovely situation, nice view from our room. The hotel needs a bit of TLC and freshened up. Our room was lovely, very clean and spacious. The staff were pleasant and service was good. The person who stood out was the chap on the reception, Bassel. Possibly the most polite, pleasant, considerate and courteous receptionist that I have ever met in a hotel. He is a definite keeper for this place. We had breakfast in the hotel, which was very good. The dining room had a nice view and atmosphere. Seemed to be knowledgeable about Gluten Free food.

This is the perfect location for anyone want to explore Ullswater. The views from the hotel are as per the images, you will not be disappointed. The staff were not only friendly, polite and efficient, but very happy, this in turn made us feel welcome and relaxed. They couldnt do enough for us. We were made to feel like VIPs. Dinner was very tasty and great quality. I had pea panna cotta, which came with a crab and prawn mouse, I will definitely be having this again., followed by a fillet steak, again cooked to perfection. Our room was a good size with a double juliette balcony, large enough to stand on and enjoy the views. It was clean with a lovely large bed and Elemis toiletries. Someone mentioned no fridge, there isnt, but there is an ice bucket, which was sufficient for us to chill our drinks and again enjoy the views from the room with a nice glass of wine. Yes some parts of the hotel may need a little refurbishing, but I know some rooms have already been refurbished and in no way did a slightly warn carpet affect our stay (also remember the leisure industry had it hard during the pandemic). We came away feeling relaxed and happy and wanting to return asap!! Thank you to all the staff. Your happiness was catching! You are very much appreciated!