Location. Step out of the door and you are in the heart of Bowness. Free parking. Amazing Breakfast. Great team.

Nothing.

I’ve stayed at the Royal Oak a number of times over the years. It’s my first choice due to its central location, parking on site, excellent friendly staff and fabulous food. I stayed in room 2 this time and it was a fabulous room with a huge bed and great sized bathroom, with a bath. The photo is the view from my window. It also makes sense to me to stay somewhere that I can just head downstairs to have great food and a cheeky glass of wine if the weather isn’t great outdoors. I’d definitely recommend and I’ll certainly be back.

I can’t comment on breakfast as I’m not an early riser and the bed in room 2 was just too comfortable

The location of the Royal Oak in Bowness is superb! Our room was cosy and warm - just perfect after a days walking. However there are two things that make this place really special - the first is the service from every single member of the team. They were all so friendly and helpful even when they were super busy! The second thing is the food - just wow! Breakfast is great but the star of the show has to be their evening menu! We ate there all three nights and enjoyed lasagne, three bean chilli, scampi and chicken curry. We never had room for dessert!

There was nothing not to like!

The accommodation is in an excellent location in the middle of bowness, just a short walk from everything. On arrival the staff were very welcoming, checked in very efficiently at the very well stocked bar which had a good selection of local ales. I stayed in the single ensuite which to my pleasant surprise did not have a single bed, but a very comfortable double. Tea and coffee making facilities were provided, with extra available if needed. The room had a fixed radiator plus an extra plugged in radiator and extra blankets, just in case. The size of the ensuite bathroom was fine, and the electric shower worked well. The breakfast was excellent, with cereal, yogurts, juices, etc available and a full English with superb sausages and bacon, and a seemingly endless supply of tea or coffee if desired. Check out was seamless. This was I believe the cheapest room I could get in bowness at the time and therefore excellent value for money.

The accommodation is up a slight steep hill. This made the walk semi treacherous as there had been some snow. Something to consider if you are unsteady on your feet. The rooms numbers are in a strange order. I think the first three rooms you see are 10, 5 and 6. I found my room eventually. The single ensuite is a small room, enough room for a bed, chest of drawers, and bedside table but that is it, there is though a small built in wardrobe if needed. The window was a problem - it is an old window that does not shut properly and because it rained all of the first night the sound of heavy dripping water from a nearby leaky gutter was constant. The ensuite is a little tired in places and could do with a spruce up.

Staff are so lovely. Meals there are superb. Breakfast is a joy and absolutely delicious. Lovely cosy atmosphere with log fire, little candles lit all day. Amazing view from room. Perfect location. Bed was so incredibly comfortable. Bedding superior quality. Slept brilliantly. Lots of storage. Huge wardrobe. Lots of hangers. Toiletries provided. Extremely clean. Lovely and warm and cosy in rooms.

Lighting in room very dim and was hard to see at night when getting ready to go out. From a ladies perspective drying my long hair was difficult as there is no designated dressing table with a mirror, just a chest of drawers below a mirror on the wall. I had to stand up as to sit down, I was too low for the mirror on the wall and the one chair provided in the room won't, won't fit comfortably in front of the drawers. Lighting to do makeup not good. Fan in bathroom wasn't working. No full length mirror. One bedside lamp not working properly. Noise from other guests bathrooms plumbing but it's a very old building so that's fine. These are not complaints and did not take away how much we love staying here.

Location amazing, very central everything, was perfect for having walks about and exploring. Very good night life. Breakfast was very tasty and the team went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. Beautiful building and amenities.

Our bathroom was very cramped. The toilet was fitted between the shower cubical and the wall. Very uncomfortable to go to the toilet. Parking- although parking was advised to be very tight, it was even tighter than we expected and not very well laid out. 2 spaces at the front of the building on a very steep hill leading up to the guest house, and the road surface had big holes all over it.

As a newcomer to the Lake District the Royal Oak proved to be an ideal first place to stay. It gave us the perfect base from which to explore Lake Windermere and the surrounding area. It is a couple of minutes walk down to the lake side pier from where you can gets cruises in all directions. A minute or two walking in the other direction and you are in the middle of Bowness and all the shops, galleries, cafes etc. From the room you could catch a glimpse of the lake in the distance and the fells rising above it. The room looks out directly onto the streets of Bowness, but despite this and it being above the main bar, it was always quiet by 10pm when you want to settle down for the night. The staff were particularly lovely and the food was delicious (breakfast provided with the room and we used them for our evening meals too). The Royal Oak is a really cosy, traditional inn which offers a warm welcome.

Nothing to not like. The ensuite bathroom was a little snug but this is dictated by the structure of such an old building. Similarly the parking was a little tight but space is limited and we were grateful to have on site parking!

The Royal Oak could barely be better located, right in the crntre of Bowness. Free parking was a real boon. The staff were all friendly and attentive, and the (Polish) man at breakfast was especially so! The room was bright and airy, and nicely decorated. The electric shower was good. The breakfast was good. The tray of extra tea/coffee/milk/biscuits on a table on the landing, together with a sign inviting you to "help yourself" was a first for me - a great idea! - saves the awkwardness of having to ask!

Only a few MINOR issues with the room (no. 10) and I only include them to genuinely help the proprietors:: The door into the bathroom is very difficult to negotiate. It opens inwards, very close to the sink, so it takes a double movement to get in! A folding door would be a better option. My fault for not asking, but I only found the ceiling switch for the towel rail right at the end of our one- night stay. A small sign on the bathroom wall would have been helpful. The single glazed bay windows was a bit draughty in February, but to be fair the room was warm enough.

The staff were incredibly nice and helpful and the location was amazing for hiking and visiting the lake. There were a lot of restaurants and shops nearby and the bus stop is only a minute away. I really liked my room, it was very cozy and clean, though quite small, which wasn't a problem. In the room you had tea and biscuits. The bed was probably the most comfortable bed I had ever slept in. The breakfast was very good and I loved that you could choose a vegetarian full English breakfast! I would definitely stay here again and can't recommend the Royal Oak Inn enough!!

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I stayed three nights in the en-suite single room which was absolutely spotless and cozy even when the night got chilly. The breakfast was exceptional and the staff went out of their way to be helpful and accommodating. I would return without a moments hesitation. The location is in the centre of Bowness which is perfect if you want everything on your doorstep. Also the pinot grigio blush was amazing.

There really wasn't anything wrong with it. If I had to struggle to say something then it wasn't the most glamourous room I've stayed in but I didn't need or want it to be. It was perfectly sized for one or two people and had plenty of storage.