The Riverside

Hotels
8 (2319 reviews)
Stramongate Bridge , Kendal , gb

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

Fitness facilities
WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Fitness center
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room service
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Excellent location by the river / central
Very friendly and helpful staff
Good restaurant / food
Lovely views from rooms
Underground parking available for some guests
Cons:
No air conditioning in rooms — very hot for some stays
Room cleanliness issues (dust, mould, unclean sheets, spiders)
Hotel and rooms feel tired / in need of refurbishment
Parking limited or unreliable for a hotel of this size
Value for money concerns relative to room condition
Small beds and some maintenance issues (noisy doors, broken fans)

Categories

Cleanliness
6
Multiple guests reported poor cleanliness: dust, mouldy silicone around baths, paint peeling, sheets not fully clean and spiders in rooms. Cleanliness is a clear weak point.
Service
10
Staff repeatedly described as very friendly, helpful and attentive (help removing spiders, upgrades provided, warm welcomes) — service is a major strength.
Location
10
Consistently praised: central, next to the river, close to the train station and town — location is an outstanding asset.
Room Quality
6.5
Mixed to negative: several reports of tired, dated rooms, noisy doors, funny smells, small beds and maintenance issues (bath fan not working, spray beyond shower screen). Some rooms were spacious or upgraded, but inconsistencies lower this score.
Amenities
6.5
Amenities are mixed: gym and (unused) pool were acceptable, but recurrent lack of air conditioning, limited/frustrating parking and absence of refrigerators in some rooms reduce the score.
Value for Money
6.5
Guests were divided: some called it good value, others felt it was poor value given dated rooms and extra issues — overall value leans below target.
Food and Beverage
9
Food and restaurant received many positive mentions (excellent restaurant, delicious meals); breakfast opinions were mixed (adequate to good, with a few complaints about tinned fruit).
Overall Experience
9.5
Overall sentiment is positive due to excellent location, strong service and good food; several guests said they'd stay again despite some room/cleanliness issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-08-12 22:17

Property Description

Riverside Hotel in Kendal town centre
Most of the rooms offer stunning views of the River Kent, equipped with satellite TV, tea/coffee facilities, and free Wi-Fi. Guests can enjoy local produce at the Riverview Restaurant sourced from the hotel's Victorian kitchen garden.

State-of-the-art Leisure Club
The hotel boasts a leisure club with a heated swimming pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub, gym, and exercise studio for guests to unwind and stay active during their stay.

Convenient Location
Located just 250 metres from Kendal Railway Station and a 10-minute drive from the M6 motorway, the Riverside Hotel offers easy access to explore Windermere, the Yorkshire Dales, and other nearby attractions.

Ready to experience a blend of historic charm and modern amenities? Book your stay at Riverside Hotel now!

Important information:

Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: MAN

Location

Guest Reviews

8
Based on 2319 reviews
Cleanliness: 6
Service: 10
Location: 10
Room Quality: 6.5
Amenities: 6.5
Value for Money: 6.5
Food and Beverage: 9
Overall Experience: 9.5
S
Sophie • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

Lovely staff very friendly, very accommodating and very good location

Cons:

Parking wasnt sign posted well, hotel room could do with a revamp nice room but lots of tired walls and furniture plus some build up on shower head.

2026-08-29 • via Nuitee
B
B • couple • nz
5
Disappointing!
Pros:

Great location with free parking.

Cons:

A very ‘tired’ hotel in need of a massive upgrade.
Tiny room, tiny bathroom, paint peeling off the walls in the bathroom. Rooms not overly clean.

2026-08-29 • via Nuitee
J
James • solo_traveller • gb
7
Great location, traditional building and good facilities
Pros:

Location near the town centre was excellent. The staff were helpful and the facilities worked well including spa and pool.

Cons:

It is a little tired.

2026-08-28 • via Nuitee
J
Joanna • couple • gb
7
Good location with swimming pool.
Pros:

I loved looking straight out onto the river with ducks.

Cons:

Parking was limited but there was an overflow car park not too far away.

2026-08-27 • via Nuitee
P
Paul • family_with_children • au
8
Fine for a ligh travelling short stay
Pros:

Clean and central to town

Cons:

Bed - pillars - stairs -

2026-08-27 • via Nuitee
S
Sharon • solo_traveller • gb
7
Riverside rest
Pros:

The location was great, especially the terrace overlooking the River. Breakfast was good, and access to an electric charger for our car was really handy.

Cons:

The room was quite hot but that was more about the weather. We were able to open the windows which helped.

2026-08-26 • via Nuitee
J
Jocelynn H • solo_traveller • gb
8
A Stay In The Lake District
Pros:

The room was large and the proximity of the hotel central. The view over the river was lovely too.

Cons:

The parking is a nightmare. People who use the gym facility take parking spaces without signing in at reception. You have no idea of available parking spaces.
The off site parking is 5 minutes away from the hotel.
There is not guarantee that your car will be safe.

2026-08-26 • via Nuitee
L
Lucia • solo_traveller • it
7
Pros:

La vista dalla camera è spettacolare.... sul fiume

Cons:

Stanza poco pulita

2026-08-25 • via Nuitee
S
Simon • solo_traveller • gb
9
2026-08-25 • via Nuitee
S
Susan • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

Great location

Cons:

Breakfast basic and all self service

2026-08-25 • via Nuitee
S
Shakeela • couple • gb
8
Pros:

Stayed for my birthday for 4 nights.. lovely hotel used as a base in kendal to explore the lakes..young lady working in the bar was extremely attentive and polite an asset to the hotel!

2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
A
Adam • solo_traveller • gb
7
2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
G
Gerald • couple • gb
9
Nice hotel great breakfast good friendly helpful staff
Pros:

Great View over the river nice location

Cons:

Nothing

2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
V
Vikki • couple • gb
7
Amazing location and facilities were good.
Pros:

We loved the location (5 minutes to walk to Kendal and not far from the lakes), the pool and gym facilities and the lady at check in was so friendly and welcoming. Breakfast at 7:25 am was warm and a basic nice breakfast.

Cons:

The rooms were very tired. It just needed more attention to cleaning too. For example, cob webs all over the ceiling/lights/lampshades. Behind furniture was just dust, sweet wrappers left next to bed, dust all in the extractor fan in the bathroom and carpets were torn in places. No towels to use pool facilities as man said they had none available.

2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
J
Janet • solo_traveller • gb
8
Overnight visit
Pros:

Central position, parking, spa. Walking loop to castle and back along the river.

Cons:

Not easy to transport luggage from car park to entrance and to the room.

2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
G
Gordon • solo_traveller • gb
10
Comfort in Kendal.
Pros:

Refurbishment of lounge complete and brilliant! Rest still ongoing, but still very comfortable. Excellent pool, jacuzzi, steam room & sauna. Decent gym too. Bedrooms clean, cosy and super view of the river. Third visit, always enjoyable. Free car park a bonus.

Cons:

Disappointed not to have the upstairs dining room for evening meals, but open for breakfast and planned for next stage of refurbishment.

2026-08-24 • via Nuitee
N
Najeeb • couple • kw
7
Pros:

الموقع على النهر وقريب من محطة القطار ومركز المدينة وكذلك الإفطار ممتاز

Cons:

الإزعاج وأعني خلو الغرف من عازل الصوت وصرير الأبواب مزعج للغاية وكل أبواب الفندق مزعجة عند فتحها وغلقها حتى باب الغرفة ثقيل جداً ويصدر صوتاً عالياً عند غلقه

2026-08-23 • via Nuitee
T
Tomcat40 • couple • gb
10
Pros:

Comfortable hotel in the town centre with a good breakfast

Cons:

Give it a good clean and a lick of paint here and there and it would be perfect

2026-08-23 • via Nuitee
C
Carolyne • family_with_children • gb
4
Disappointing
Pros:

Pool area was ok, a couple of broken tiles around the seating area and floor looked like it could do with a good scrub.

Cons:

I booked this hotel based on recent reviews but we were very disappointed. The hotel is very tired and dated looking overall, yellowing and chipped paint in hallways. We booked a family room, which was a good size but ridiculously hot and other than a desk fan provided in the room there was no way to turn down the heating. We opened the windows but there was a lot of late night noise. Carpet was ripped in places and it was quite grubby I thought for what we paid. There were 3 of us staying but the room was set up for 2 people, extra towels and cup we asked for never arrived.

2026-08-22 • via Nuitee
S
Saye • couple • gb
8
Very attractive site.
Pros:

We had a small dog so couldn't use the restaurant. We were served by a member of the bar staff who collected the food that we selected from his memory of what was available

Cons:

It would have been nice to see the food in the buffet

2026-08-22 • via Nuitee