My mom found this lodge after reading some reviews online from previous guests and booked a room…read morefor four people. Located down a small winding road, Holly Lodge Guest House is snugly situated near a few other guest houses and looked very quaint when we stepped through the gate. When we rung the doorbell, a cheery woman cam bustling out and gave us our keys and asked us to fill out a breakfast survey of what we wanted to eat the next morning. She was very giggly and very friendly and made us feel very welcomed!
We had to lug our suitcases up the stairs because the place was not equipped with any elevators, but what can you expect from a place that's been renovated from a normal house to a guest lodge (the owners still live downstairs in the house though). However, when we got opened the door, we were pleasantly surprised because the room consisted of two separate rooms connected together by an open door. Each room had a tv and queen-sized bed and one room was connected to the bathroom. Everything was so organized and clean it looked like a hotel suite!
Since we stayed here for two nights, we got to experience what their tidying service was like, and it did not disappoint. Every time we came back from a long day of exploring Windermere and the Lake District, all our beds had been tidied, our bathrooms cleaned, and even our strewn papers, books, and bottles of shampoo and makeup neatly lined up in order. Definitely great service!
For breakfast, there were four options for hot food: bacon sandwich, traditional British (sausage, poached egg, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, and black pudding), smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and toasted muffins, vegetarian, and toasted crumpets. For the first breakfast there, my sister, my mom and I all chose the smoked salmon and my dad the traditional British.
In the morning, we went downstairs to eat (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/holly-lodge-guest-house-windermere?select=sEiXTcndEAhmxbnwqysy4g#sEiXTcndEAhmxbnwqysy4g) and conveniently found our designated dining table labeled with our room number, 7. There was a breakfast yogurt, fruit, and cereal bar against one wall (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/holly-lodge-guest-house-windermere?select=sEiXTcndEAhmxbnwqysy4g#npIs6K7TcLbayt2MQ4Ar6w). I loved how they provided fresh fruit (blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, apples) instead of canned, which I find is often the case for small motels and lodges. The owner came out to ask us whether we wanted coffee or tea. I had their coffee (a whole French press), which was smooth and strong (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/holly-lodge-guest-house-windermere?select=sEiXTcndEAhmxbnwqysy4g#LNxpxJ-bBsNmgIGDvGmQeQ). Then, they gave us a basketful of complimentary bread with butter, which was very nice considering how we had more food coming.
Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs and Toasted Muffins (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/holly-lodge-guest-house-windermere?select=sEiXTcndEAhmxbnwqysy4g#0zPr_I8xR_nW2Uszc8Gwig) - I was expecting a little more smoked salmon (there were only 2 pieces) and the scrambled eggs turned out to be made from powdered eggs and not real eggs, which was kind of a bummer. However, the toasted muffins were hot, buttery, and soft, which was quite tasty. Even though the portions don't look like much, that plus my bowl of yogurt made me feel bloated.
Traditional British (I had all the items minus the black pudding) (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/holly-lodge-guest-house-windermere?select=sEiXTcndEAhmxbnwqysy4g#4WQVyKTGiEoI_P7Ypht2UA) - I ordered this the next morning and it was all right. Nothing much could go wrong with all the items on this dish and the mushrooms were quite tasty. The poached egg was obviously made fresh and the meat portion was a lot! However, I'm not a big fan of beans so this wasn't my favorite.
Holly Lodge also gives tenants the option of asking them to prepare take-away sandwich meals (£5 each), and we decided to do that for next day's lunch as we had to leave for the train station early and did not have time to buy lunch after breakfast. I placed our order to the owners at the back of the house, and the owner was very willing to adapt to our request (she only had ham and cheese in the house but the flier had indicated beef, chicken, and tuna were also options and we wanted one beef and one chicken). The next day, she gave us our orders on time in giant paper bags. When we peered in, we were surprised to see not only sandwiches in each bag, but granola bars, bottled waters, potato crisps, and fresh fruit inside! Definitely worth our money!
Holly Lodge, you were one of the better places we stayed at during our trip to the UK. I will never forget your warm hospitality!
