Dalston Hall

My nephew had his wedding here and after all the planning they went through they still managed to overcharge and get everything wrong. 2 days before the wedding they were told they couldn't have the marque they had paid for and received zero compensation and instead offered a free glass of prosecco to each guest as if it was remotely acceptable, they then squeezed 80 people into a small room with not enough tables. I had assumed someone had drop a coaster on the floor, turned out it was supposed to be a dance floor, you'd be lucky if 20 people could dance on it. The staff were arrogant, unprofessional with manners that were only beaten by their charisma which was abissmal. The buffet was horrendous, my works canteen would have been better. A few butties and frozen chips. The only thing this place has going for it is the building and grounds. 1 star hotel, 5 star prices.

For the first time in almost two decades we found ourselves kid free for a few nights away together. Our first night was here at Dalston Hall. We are a high tier member of an international hotel chain, so whenever I book anything away from that chain, my Wife always complains. And sometimes my hotel bookings have caused me a lot of marital headaches :o) We booked this stay with a third party company, and I have to say I was a little apprehensive as to what kind of room we’d end up with. I needn’t have worried, as we had a fantastic stay from start to finish. The chap who checked us in, was incredibly busy meeting the needs of guests from check in, to manning the bar, to providing an attentive waiter service in the restaurant. I’m not aware of his name, but he really looked after us during our time at the hotel, so a big thank you to him. Parking was plentiful. Walking down the few steps to the rear of the hall, it looked a beautiful building. Once checked in, we were given a key to the room. Opening the room door, we found ourselves in a very large room. There were tea/coffee facilities, a TV, and seating too. It had an exposed stone wall behind the comfy bed, and the well-made furniture suited the period look of the room. We were really happy with the room, and I myself was relieved that my Wife was happy! We’d had a very long drive from home, and it was our intention to find somewhere to eat in nearby Carlisle. Our experiences of hotel food over the years has been one of overpriced mediocrity. But I was so exhausted from all of the driving that I decided to eat at the hotels restaurant, and boy were we glad we did. We opted for a main course t, and a dessert for just shy of £20. We both got roast beef, with vegetables, and Yorkshire puddings. The food was without any doubt, some of the best we’ve had in years. The beef melted in your mouth, the veg was cooked to perfection, and every morsel piping hot! The dessert didn’t disappoint either, with the hotel made sticky toffee pudding being absolutely delicious! You really couldn’t fault the quality for the money, it was perfect in every way. What a chef the hotel employs! We had a pleasant walk around the gardens, before retiring for the evening. We both had a restful nights sleep. Again breakfast was very good, and we left the hotel feeling incredibly fortunate to have found it. Our next stop was going to be one of the worlds greatest hotels, and I’m not exaggerating in saying that I really did wonder whether it would match our stay at Dalston Hall. I appreciate that the hotels main business will be that of a wedding venue, but if you’re looking for a great hotel close to Carlisle, then I highly recommend Dalston Hall. It's a great place to stay, the hall being tastefully decorated throughout, and providing a level of comfort that was amazing for the price we paid. Thanks for reading.

Arrived for one night on Monday 20/01/2025. On arrival we were told that there was no food available that evening and we would need to either order a take-away or us one of the local pubs. On checking all the pubs locally were closed on Monday and Tuesday so we had to drive into Carlisle to find a restaurant. The room was clean and tidy with a nice bed - however the hot water was lukewarm only in the morning which meant a cool shower and an uncomfortable shave. I passed this information onto the receptionist on checking out and was told he would “ Pass this on to the marketing team”. For a hotel supposedly being 4* , to not have food available in the evening is unacceptable and we should have been told this prior to our stay, no proper hot water in January is also unacceptable, this is NOT a 4 Star hotel - dont waste your money. There are a number of other hotels in Carlisle that will offer a better experience.

Really poor.. room was filthy.. rhe carpet was all stained with sick or something orange and the bed was full of dust. Really thick stuck in rhe wooden ornate bits. No atmosphere at all. Not enough seats in the bar area. With 2 settees facing each other and that was all! I think tou should makw use of the other rooms like the big room where the chairs are ready for a weddibg should be utilises with nice swttees and uses to sit in also .Breakfast sausages weren't cooked and left them. The breakfast room was awful too.. no atmosphere and strange in a place like that ..mis matched room.

Booked breakfast with Santa to take my little one and mums Arrived seemed very chaotic Show to table which was crammed into hall No lit fire as described on advert Tea coffee and juice available but back at front door so bottle neck trying to get amongst others arriving Would of been better a pot of tea coffee and juice per table ! Had to wait to be called up to get food but other tables jumped in front so when we got up there was nothing left so had to wait for replenished Food wasn’t good All cold No tomato or black pudding as advertised Waffles as thin as paper Hash browns not even cooked Then had to wait to be called to go see Santa which I thought was bizarre and would of been better if Santa came to each table Present our little one got was a joke A small colouring book 4 crayons a balloon and a snap wrist thing. Not suitable at all for a 2 year old. Probably didn’t even cost a £1 to put together People left before even seeing Santa For £15 pp costing £75 it was a total embarrassment and my mother in law has emailed asking for the money back Dalston hall I think you need to stick to weddings instead of cashing in on Christmas trying to do some thing that just isn’t right I can’t say we are the only ones that have the same opinion as after speaking with some friends they experienced the same on the Saturday sitting Will not visit again

We arrived after what seemed to have been a busy wedding weekend. Very short staffed with nobody on reception and a rather chaotic check-in when we did eventually find someone to check us in. Proudly introduced us to chess and pool options..... comfortable and well equipped rooms and an excellent freshly cooked breakfast in the morning. Is it a wedding venue or a hotel? Need to decide and resource accordingly