Terrace/patio

Reviews of YHA Ambleside - Hostel

4 out of 5
YHA Ambleside - Hostel
Waterhead, Ambleside, England

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 90 out of 156 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 50 out of 156 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 12 out of 156 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 156 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 156 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Zara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Charlotte on Feb 26, 2024
Thanks, Zara for taking the time to rate us.

8/10 Good

Jun Kyeoung

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Good location close to the lake
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Hostel Manager on Dec 31, 2023
Thank you. Hope to see you again :)

8/10 Good

MARK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Hostel Manager on Dec 31, 2023
Thank you, Mark :)

4/10 Poor

Venkateshwarlu

Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Parking is terrible and staff is not friendly. Shared bathrooms are not clean and no one to take care of…
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Reception on Dec 3, 2023
Thanks for taking the time to review and I'm sorry if you felt our service was not satisfactory

10/10 Excellent

Maura

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome
Absolutely bloody fantastic. I will stay YHA every time from now on. I loved it. Freedom to explore when you want and how you want. The comfiest single bed ever and a gorgeous hot shower too. Excellent location. Staff so helpful. I don't want to give this place the rating it deserves cos I want to keep it for myself, but yeah, Amazing.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from reception on Nov 5, 2023
Wow, that's quite the review Maura!Thank you very much, we're glad you had such a great stay and we'll hopefully see you again in the future.

8/10 Good

Ben

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Reception on Oct 24, 2023
Thanks Ben

10/10 Excellent

Young

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent location and staff services
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Reception on Oct 14, 2023
Thanks you!

10/10 Excellent

Findlay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Reception on Sep 23, 2023
Thanks for the 5/5 Findlay

8/10 Good

Chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Reception on Sep 23, 2023
Thanks Chris

8/10 Good

HOWARD

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Basic digs great staff
The room was adequate but hot. Staff were great It sufficed for our needs
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Reception on Sep 9, 2023
Thanks Howard

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would gladly stay again
I had a great stay; my long weekend at YHA Ambleside was above my expectations. The hostel could use a little basic TLC (little things like chipping paint or torn furniture in the lounges) however the view and location are amazing and outweigh any minor faults. For rooms without en-suite, showers and toilets were always available when needed and there was a sink in the room. Shared kitchen was always clean and staff were friendly and helpful. Cooked breakfast in the morning was great. Guests ranged from families with young children to groups of friends, solo travellers and older adults. Everyone was respectful. Really nice, relaxed atmosphere.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Reception on Aug 28, 2023
Thanks for the detailed and positive review. You are correct regarding the TLC, and we have a plan for giving the old place a bit of spruce up over the quieter winter months.

10/10 Excellent

Jessica F

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Reception on Aug 28, 2023
Thanks for the full marks Jessica!

10/10 Excellent

Leonardo

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My go to place whenever I visit Ambleside. Best view and best prices for a young explorer. Mustn’t forget the great staff and lovely food, great location right by the lake for some peace and quiet and close enough to town for any shopping:) Lovely place.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Reception on Aug 15, 2023
Awesome, thanks Leonardo!See you again soon

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing location and excellent facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Reception on Jul 8, 2023
Thanks!

10/10 Excellent

Leonardo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The most Stunning View.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from Reception on May 16, 2023
Thanks Leonardo

8/10 Good

Gary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Solo adventure
A spur of the moment solo break and it was fantastic loved it
Stayed 1 night in May 2023
Response from Reception on May 13, 2023
Thanks Gary

8/10 Good

So Ping

Stayed 4 nights in May 2023
Response from Reception on May 13, 2023
Thanks So Ping

10/10 Excellent

r

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Response from Reception on May 1, 2023
Thanks r

10/10 Excellent

Roy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Reception on May 1, 2023
Thanks Roy

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Response from Reception on May 1, 2023
Thanks Daniel

10/10 Excellent

Tony

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from Reception on Mar 28, 2023
Thanks for the 10/10 Tony!

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Flo - Team member on Mar 18, 2023
Thanks for the great review, please come again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Swathi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Set in a beautiful location and just 20 min from the town centre by foot, this property was ideally located to explore the area. It was very clean and the staff were friendly.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Reception on Oct 26, 2022
Thanks for the great review Swathi

10/10 Excellent

Najmunnisa

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The location was fantastic. The staff were friendly and helpful. The room was clean and the bedding was spotless. The only annoying thing was how loud the doors banged in the corridor all night, but they are all fire doors. I would definitely recommend a stay here.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022
Response from Reception on Aug 13, 2022
Thanks for the recommendation Najmunnisa

8/10 Good

Mini

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from Reception on Aug 2, 2022
Thanks Mini

10/10 Excellent

Ged

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It was very good ill go there again 10 out of 10 thank you
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from Reception on Aug 2, 2022
Thanks Ged, that's great to hear. See you again soon

10/10 Excellent

Vishesh

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location and great value
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from Reception on Jul 5, 2022
Thanks for the 5/5 Vishesh

8/10 Good

glyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
lakeside retreat
idea location for anyone
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from Reception on Jul 5, 2022
Thanks you Glyn

8/10 Good

Jen

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from Reception on Jul 5, 2022
Thanks Jen

8/10 Good

Sharon

Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from Reception on May 3, 2022
Thanks Sharon

10/10 Excellent

SAMUEL

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
All around great experience, lovely staff, rooms and location. Booked 10 mins before arrival and had no issues. We arrived late so had to pay for parking off site because the car park was a bit on the wee side - thats probably my fault but would try to arrive early to make sure you get the free onsite parking.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Response from Reception on Jun 6, 2022
Thanks for the great review and top marks!

10/10 Excellent

Jim

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing location and really helpful staff
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Reception on Apr 13, 2022
Brilliant, thanks for your kind comments Jim

2/10 Terrible

Samuel

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Dingy, not what it looks like on the photos. Limited parking available. Toilets and bathrooms disgusting
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Response from Reception on Apr 12, 2022
Hi Samuel. Thank you for taking the time to review and I'm very sorry your stay wasn't up to the standards both you and we would expect. Our parking is very limited. And unfortunately it always will be so we do mention this, including in your pre stay email to help any future guests when booking. And, if our car park is full there are multiple options close by. Our showers and toilets are cleaned multiple times per day but outside of that, are only as clean as the last user left them. If you ever find a problem then please let us know so we can resolve it

6/10 Okay

Christopher

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022

6/10 Okay

Jesin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
As YHAs go this one was no different. Exceptional views and really friendly staff. However there was a major drawback. The lighting in the rooms are exceptionally dim and the rooms are so dark! The staff are aware of this as they warned us. At night the rooms seem really depressing and it actually can make you feel really gloomy. There are no other sources of light or lamps. But in the day time the views are absolutely exceptional.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021
Response from Reception on Jan 2, 2022
Thanks for the positive comments about, especially about our staff. The lighting in the rooms is muted (no one wants super bright lights in a bedroom) but they all have an overhead light and bed lights.

8/10 Good

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Great location, uncomfortable beds
Brilliant location, right by the lake. Friendly staff, but super uncomfortable beds - really hard to sleep
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2021
Response from Julie on Dec 23, 2021
Thanks for your review and nice comments about our staff. Sorry to hear you found the bed to be uncomfortable - they're a bit like marmite some people love them, some people hate them.

10/10 Excellent

Lizzy

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location to explore
You can't fault the location of this YHA, it is right beside Windermere lake and my room looked out over it. It is a great starting point for exploring some of the lakes and fells. The room itself is pretty basic, bed and cupboard in a room, but that is the proposition so it was fine. I did find the bed a bit hard. My room was private and had its own toilet and shower, it was all clean and functional. The shared versions looked fine too. Otherwise, the place had a bar/restaurant for food and kitchens available for self catering too. I used buses to get around as I had no car (stop very nearby). There are buses to most of the nearby popular places, but most of the services are only hourly, so not the easiest to move around fast. Half hourly to Windermere. Overall, with an understanding of what to expect, I think the place represents good value and the location is great.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021
Response from Reception on Nov 27, 2021
Thanks for the detailed review Andrew

10/10 Excellent

Stephen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We just relaxed and took things easy. Good Service, friendly staff, very courteous and professional.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021
Response from Reception on Nov 10, 2021
Thanks Stephen, glad you had such a lovely time with us

10/10 Excellent

Noel C

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021
Response from Reception on Oct 12, 2021
Thanks for the 10/10

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
A good place with value for money for solo travellers
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021
Response from Reception on Oct 11, 2021
Thank you

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great location
Fantastic setting . Room very hot with ltd ventilation possible due to restrictions for child safety. Fans provided though
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Reception on Sep 11, 2021
Thanks for the 10/10!

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Possibly the best yh in thr world
Possibly the best yh in thr world! Well, my experience is limited, but I was astounded at the facilities.
Gateshead front w AYHA from Borrans Pk.
W across Windermere from AYHA
NW from Lakelands jetty
On the 15-20 walk N to Ambleside
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021
Response from Reception on Aug 21, 2021
Wow, what can I say but thanks Thomas. After a busy (and at times, very hard) season, that's a lovely thing to read

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very good experience
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021
Response from Rception on Jul 31, 2021
Thanks!

8/10 Good

Allan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Grasmere yha
Great stay, brilliant location, but a bit pricey for a youth hostel ( I guess Grasmere was busy that evening)
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021
Response from Reception on Jul 31, 2021
Thanks for the review Allan

8/10 Good

Don

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
ONE NIGHT STOPOVER
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021
Response from Reception on Jul 17, 2021
Thanks!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good value for money
Stayed 1 night in May 2021
Response from James on Jun 1, 2021
Thanks for the great review.

10/10 Excellent

Ellen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really good hostel right on the lake. Parking is very limited but the staff was so friendly and helpful. Toilets had cleaning spray to allow you to wipe down shared facilities before and after use. Unfortunately due to COVID, kitchen facility were not open so there was no place to get hot water for coffee/tea.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021
Response from James on Jun 1, 2021
Hi there, Thanks for your great review. If you need hot water and have brought your own flasks, the bar team can fill them up for you if they're not too busy. Hope to see you again soon. Kind regards, James

6/10 Okay

Ryan

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in May 2021
Response from Reception on May 31, 2021
Thanks for taking the time to score us Ryan. It seems this time we haven't hit the mark, for which I'd like to apologise

8/10 Good

Sandra

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Covid
Good but was confusion about showers so not cleaned.
Stayed 1 night in May 2021
Response from Reception on May 29, 2021
Apologies for the shower mix up Sandra. I hope you mentioned it so we could get it cleaned for your use