The Kings Arms Hotel

What a disaster. The bar staff were rushed off their feet with a big party of men dressed in morning suits, they looked like undertakers all having a great booze up. But the worst bit was the food. The meal was spoilt by excessive noise coming from the kitchen. When the burgers came, in spite of being cooked right through, there was just no flavour. They had obviously just been microwaved so there was no red inside but no attempt to add flavour by frying or grilling the outside. The "chef" had obviously seen the real chefs doing caramelised onions so the red stuff he put in the buns only made the buns more soggy. Along with so many other places, they just cannot cook chips. How can you spoil chips!!It's no wonder the place has been sold & is going to closed for a year. I hope that is enough time for the terrible reputation for cooking has died down.The rowdy lot in the kitchen were even calling out "Yes Chef" as though they were in a real professional kitchen. Very expensive for a meal my 13 year old grandson can cook with more flavour. You should be ashamed that you are serving up this kind of stuff to the unsuspecting public.

We had a room booked for the weekend at the end of the month for my sisters wedding. Our room has been cancelled less than 3 weeks to go with no apology and no reason. When you ring no one answers the phone, if you want guaranteed accommodation I’d book somewhere else.

Our arrival and check in was disappointing the young man on the bar had no idea about check ins and we were told the room wasn’t ready until 4 by a young girl. When we returned the same lad with no idea took us to the room. Minimal info given. One major point missed was that the pub locks it’s door after it’s closed so residents have to use a back door. We didn’t know this and it was quite a shock to be locked out at 10.30. The back entrance is extremely tatty you have to pass through service areas inside which quite frankly are a mess and not really suitable for guests to use. There were also a group of staff smoking **** there too which wasn’t very pleasant. There is a general unkempt feel to the place although our room was clean and pleasant. I think the management have a bit of work to do to get the place up to speed. They seemed very friendly and nice but some aspects need improvement. The food in the evening was slow but nice and the service also at breakfast very good. The poached eggs were awful. The chef needs to learn how to cook them I’m afraid. Dog friendly is a bonus and they seemed welcoming too. No charge either which was great.

I hate to post bad reviews so instead I’ll make a couple of recommendations: 1. Charge less for beer, you’ll sell more and the locals should come back. 2. Sort your window boxes out. The pub needs to be appealing from the outside. Dead plants are unsightly. 3. Make the inside look clean. 4. Smile Best of luck.

Great stay - Pete is a brilliant host and would assist in anything we needed. We needed a late booking and he was kind enough to accommodate us. Breakfast was ready for us in the morning and was delicious. Even a few sausages for our dog! Thanks Pete and family for a great one night stay, will be recommending to others who visit the very picturesque Hawkshead village Phil & Dishna

My husband and I just finished a long stay at Kings Arms Inn and could not be happier. The room was clean, the bathroom was spotless. Checkin was at the bar, quick and easy, the manager carried our bags to the room and gave us an overview of the hotel and surrounding area. During our stay, England had a heat wave but a nice fan was automatically provided. Breakfast was included in the morning and the choices were extensive. The pub provides lunch and dinner - attracting both tourists and locals. Dogs are welcome at the hotel so expect to see many furry friends running around. There is no lift so the hotel would not be ideal for someone with limited mobility. The staff was very friendly and we quickly felt at home. The day before our departure, our train was cancelled so the manager stepped in to help find a solution. He quickly offered to drive us to another rail line when it appeared there was no simple solution. Unfortunately for him, this other train was also cancelled so he ended us driving a long distance to catch a third train. This is the extent both the manager and his staff went through to make our stay a memorable one. On a note not related to the hotel, I much prefer Hawkshead over Ambleside. It is quieter and no crowds but has a variety of inns and pubs. There are plenty of walking paths that allow you to enjoy the countryside. I will definitely stay here again if we are ever in the Lake District.

As you will see from others below - these people can cancel your booking made months previous last minute - giving you no time to book anywhere else for an important event. Do not use or risk Being Let Down! They never return your calls or emails

I can honestly say that you could not get a better place to stay fantastic value food great landlord could not be any mors help full I would recommend this place to any body looking forward going back again

We booked a night at this hotel on the 3rd April for a stay on the evening of Saturday 18th June as part of our 35th wedding anniversary celebrations. This was booked through the hotels own website and we received a confirmation email at the time. Then, on Wednesday 8th June we received an email from the hotel advising our booking had been cancelled, no explanation, just a brief one line email. We’ve tried ringing and emailing for an explanation but not even had the courtesy of a response. Have come to the conclusion that after accepting our booking, they obviously received a better offer. An explanation would have gone a long way to helping. Have now managed to find an alternative but if this is the way they treat potential customers, then I suspect we may have had a lucky escape