The Ro Hotel

Just spent 4 nights at the Ro Hotel Bowness on Windermere. What wonderful hotel. Staff are so friendly professional and helpful. Special mention to Paul Fred and Persia who went beyond our expectations and are a credit to the hotel. Breakfast was excellent with hot and cold choices . Lovely ambience and feel to the hotel and so relaxing. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will definitely return. Paul and Christina

We stayed at The Ro Hotel on a work trip with colleagues and also made use of the boardroom, which was well set up and ideal for our meetings. Overall, we had a fantastic experience. The hotel is modern, clean, and very comfortable, making it a great place to relax after a busy day. The staff were professional, welcoming, and extremely helpful throughout our stay. The rooms were well equipped, and breakfast was excellent with a great selection. The location and views over Lake Windermere were an added bonus. I would highly recommend this hotel for both business and leisure stays.

We had a fantastic stay at this hotel. The rooms were spotless, and the staff were genuinely friendly and welcoming throughout our visit.

Making the reservation was straightforward thanks to the clear instructions, and after speaking with Marsha, the reservationist, everything became even easier. She took the time to explain all the booking options, and it was clear that booking directly was the best choice.

The hotel offers are excellent value for money. We also made use of the wellness club facilities and even treated ourselves to a cheeky spa treatment, which was absolutely worth it.

We have seen comments on various platforms regarding parking charge but the information was stated on our email confirmation, so I believe everyone receives the same emails therefore it was not a shock to us that parking was chargeable like everywhere else in The Lake District

Overall, a wonderful experience—we will definitely be back.

We stayed at the Ro from 29th Dec - 2nd Jan and have found it a really difficult hotel to review. It really isn’t a bad hotel but for a number of reasons, we wouldn’t return.

On the surface The Ro looks nice - it’s a lovely old building just up from Bowness with great views of lake Windermere and on site parking; sounds idyllic when you put it like that. Beyond reception though; the corridors are battered, the decor is a bit tatty and the lifts have seen better days, some very jittery and felt a bit precarious to use.

Our trip was last min so we ended up in a Snug room. It was very small but well appointed and had a modern en suite with hot, powerful shower. We’d have been happy with this room for the duration of our stay if the walls hadn’t been paper thin.

We were woken by the cleaning staff between 7-8am the first two mornings as they accessed storage in the hallway. As other reviews mention, we could hear neighbours on all sides and for us that meant being woken up by people returning late at night and overhearing a couple on our floor having sex morning and night for the first two nights - all things considered, we had no sleep for the first two nights of our trip.

We appreciate noisy guests aren’t the hotels fault and the night porters did try to help by coming up to speak to the neighbours. Sadly even in their attempts to be quiet, we could still overhear every noise coming from their room. We weren’t prepared for another two sleepless nights so asked for an alternative room - we were offered a tiny, tatty room which wouldn’t even fit our two suitcases (not exaggerating). We declined and were then upgraded to a suite; we were very thankful for the room as a solution to our noisy neighbour problem and it hugely improved the rest of our stay.

That doesn’t mean the room was without its problems and if we were paying full price for the Tower Suite we wouldn’t have felt it was worth the money. There was condensation dripping down every window in the room, pooling on the window sills. By evening the room (bathroom especially) was freezing - there is a portable heater in the room so we moved that around with us but it didn’t help a whole lot as it’s a tiny heater in a very big space. We couldn’t figure out how to turn my bedside light off - turns out the light switch is hidden behind the headboard? Only one of the switches on my side of the bed was accessible as the second one was also blocked by the headboard. The shower was really hot and powerful which we loved - but it flooded the floor and had to use almost all our towels to mop up water. The price for the Tower Suite is comparable to the prices at Low Wood Bay but the quality is miles apart.

The biggest drawback for us is the parking. On site parking was a major factor in our decision to book the Ro, but there just isn’t enough for the hotel. When we arrived all spaces were taken so I drove round Bowness twice to find somewhere safe to leave the car - to no avail. As I was about to drive back down for the third time the FOH kindly offered to move the no parking sign out front and allowed us to park there overnight. Some people made their own spaces, blocking the ramp between the upper and lower car park, or blocking eachother in at the narrow end of the car park. We weren’t able to access a designated space for the duration of our stay and had to squeeze in where we could. It’s residents parking or double yellows on the roads surrounding the hotel so if you can’t squeeze in like we did, you’re a bit stuck.

As some others mention, when booking we thought we were getting a good price but when you add the £7.50 per night parking on top it adds up- especially when we weren’t even parked in a safe designated space.

The “spa” fee also feels a bit cheeky - the £15pp “pass” only gets you two hours access to one swimming pool and hot tub. The gym is a chargeable facility as well - in all other hotels we’ve always had the gym included in room rate and spa charged as an extra.

Note also the website says Smart TVs in all rooms - they aren’t. No apps, the cast feature didn’t work in either of our rooms and the signal on the linear channels is very poor/intermittent so can’t watch a full programme without signal issues.

The breakfast was a highlight - very good value and quality; plentiful and quickly replenished. Also need to mention that the staff are all very friendly and they do try their best to help with the parking where they can. We love the little towel bears the cleaners left on our bed too, such a cute little touch.

Overall not a bad hotel, just not the hotel for us and wouldn’t say it was worth the price.

We got married in The Ro Hotel in July 2025 and we couldn’t imagine it to be any better than it was. Our suits were really spacious and clean. The staff was great! We would like to say thank you to Adam and all of the staff that served us, thanks to them everything went really smooth and with no stress. Our wedding coordinator Tilly was brilliant, she listened to every request that we had and worked very hard to make our day special. Big compliments to the chefs, as food served on our wedding breakfast was delicious. Definitely I would recommend this venue to anyone planning their wedding!

The Hotel is quite central to Bowness-on-Windermere where we stayed for 2 nights and is situated up a quite steep hill approximately 100 yards from the main road.
We were welcomed very warmly and found everything to be more than satisfactory. Everywhere was spotlessly clean, our room was very spacious with a 6' bed that was too comfortable to get out of and had a large ensuite which was very modern, the room which was an upgrade did have a view of the lake and surrounding countryside. The Breakfast was cooked to perfection and the serving was generously portioned too. The staff, without exception, were all very professional and had a warm friendly manner that made the stay very pleasant. We would stay here again without question and would recommend.

Excellent location in Bowness in Windermere(except for the steep hill not recommended if you have walking difficulties) the front is very modern as is the bar & dining area. Bedroom was nice & clean & a good size but the floor had very squeaky floor boards even though the room had carpet( would of felt sorry if anyone was below us) to get to some of the rooms is quite confusing as some of the lifts don’t go to the floor you want, my son his partner & young son had to get one lift up to one floor then another lift up to the floor they were on, they all couldn’t get in the one lift(with pram & suitcase) as the lift was so small, they had a lovely big family room but unfortunately the cot that was put in for my Grandson was too small for him to sleep in also my daughter & son-in-law were in a room that was extremely small it looked more like a single room with a small double bed & the view out of their window was awful a brick wall. Breakfast was ok but not very quick on replenishing the food, staff on front desk were pleasant. Now the two things that let the hotel down was you have to pay for the car park even though you are staying at the hotel(not good) & very disappointing that the hotel was not decorated for Christmas, no lights up no Christmas trees inside or out, surely for a hotel in the Lake District you should all decorated especially when the shops, restaurants & pubs are all decorated & other hotels were all decorated. Is there any reason why your hotel was not decorated at this time of year, surely it would make a lot of difference to your guests.

Lovely building from outside however this is about where it stops. When we arrived no parking spaces available so ended up
parking in a non parking space which really isn’t ideal. Lady on reception was helpful and pleasant but I was shocked at the £7.50 parking charge for all residents. Parking eye operate the carpark which again I was shocked at. Took £50 deposit from my card on arrival not quite sure why but ok. Then told to use the spa was £25, again shocked but ok so booked our 2 hour slot for later in the afternoon. Bar area is quite nice and modern but that’s where it ends. Our room was tired, dated and though not dirty as such there was marks on walls, carpet and lamps. The bed was comfortable though. Corridorsand rest of hotel other than the bar was very dated and battered in need of some investment to bring standards up. Spa is not a spa it has a freezing cold small pool and a small hot tub no sauna no or steam room etc and very minimal seating around the pool 2 beds 2 chairs so no where to sit. The relaxation area was cold and again only 3 beds. Absolutely not worth £25. Breakfast in the morning was poorly managed we were given a table then after got our self serve breakfast went to sit down and someone else had got our table we were told to go in to the bar area but the tables in there were unsuitable for eating at and every other table in there had dogs at it. I’m not a dog hater but I dont like eating around animals. When I booked it I thought we were getting a good price but by the time added on the extras it was equal in price to other hotels in the area that are of a much higher standard

Excellent place. Check in to room and all the rest of the usual bits you'd want were on point.

After our jaunt into the town and back we had a drink at the bar. Salvatore was bloody excellent at that point. Genuinely lovely with non sycophantic chat. A real cherry on the cake.

Oh, and they aren't just dog friendly, they're dog positive.

What a wonderful experience. We had an issue with a room simply because of access for my 93 year old mother and it was dealt with immediately with no fuss. Fred on reception was amazing. The meal in the evening was wonderful and Salvatore was delightful, an absolute trouper. Whatever they are paying his is simply not enough. Can’t wait until we can return

A large group of family and friends popped into The Ro again for a few evening drinks earlier this week. A big thank to you Salvatore. He went out of his way to look after us. Superb service from start to finish. Thank you.

For a hotel of this category, I genuinely expected better. The overall experience fell short in several key areas.

The room had a leak, which I reported to reception, but nothing was done about it during my stay. For a hotel of this standard, you would expect a basic issue like that to be dealt with promptly.
The receptionist appeared to be a trainee who didn’t seem to know much about what to do, which made even basic queries unnecessarily difficult. They were polite enough, but the lack of experience was obvious and didn’t inspire much confidence.

The leisure facilities were a bit disappointing. The pool water was noticeably cloudy (completely uninviting) and when I asked at reception, I was assured that the pool is tested every two hours and that everything was fine, yet no one could explain why it looked the way it did… and while offering plenty of samples to try (a nice touch), is small and not especially impressive, considering the expectations set by the hotel’s branding.

We also considered dining at the hotel’s restaurant, but after looking at the menu which seemed nothing special, and noticing there wasn’t a single person eating there, meaning absolutely no atmosphere, we decided it was better to head into town for food instead.

On a positive note, we stopped by the bar for a drink after returning from our meal, and the staff there were genuinely lovely, friendly and attentive, and by far the most welcoming part of the stay.

Amazing stay at The Ro hotel windermere, the views from the hotel are unreal, the staff are amazing and the bar downstairs also so good.
highly recommend

We stayed at The Ro Hotel for the weekend and, unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet our expectations. The room was nothing special for the price we paid, and overall the experience felt below what you’d expect from a 4-star hotel.

As the weather was gloomy, we decided to spend some time at the spa, only to find out the pool was closed due to a “chemical decalibration.” There was no manager on duty — probably enjoying the weekend — and the place was being run by a few youngsters in their early twenties. Needless to say, it all felt rather chaotic.

The girl at the spa reception looked completely overwhelmed and, after explaining the issue with the pool, said, “I’m trying my best to sort the problem out.” Bless her, she was doing her best, but what can a 20-year-old possibly do to fix a chemical imbalance in the pool? Clearly not her fault, but it highlighted a lack of proper management and professionalism.

We ended up going back to our room in our dressing gowns, feeling completely disappointed. Not the kind of experience you’d expect from a 4-star hotel, let alone one with a brand-new spa.

Very poor service no one around waited ages to get help regarding my very poor cooked meal
Microwave food not nice husbands food was fine .

Windermere was chosen as members of the party will be travelling from both Scotland and South Wales. Having booked the Ro Hotel, Windermere, New Year's Eve function for a party of eleven at a cost of around £1,000 (also to celebrate my husbands 70th birthday).

On 12th November after chasing the hotel regarding menus, we received an e.mail from the Ro Hotel blandly informing us they will no longer be holding Christmas and New Year events in 2025. No apology as such was contained in the e.mail. It was down to us to contact the hotel, and secure a refund.

No explanation or apology was provided by the member of staff we spoke to, neither was any alternative offered.

Where do a party of eleven find a nearby function at short notice ?

What point is there in our now travelling to Windermere the week after Christmas ?

Having to cancel the accomodation booked I will be out of pocket to the tune of £1200, I am not considering the small courts for a claim.

DISGUSTING TREATMENT, which has left us upset and wondering what to do for what was to be a special occasion.

Room was beautiful with a view of the lake… 🥰

The staff were super friendly and couldn’t do enough for us…. From start to finish

A beautiful hotel felt very grand.. with a very elegant feel with a twist of contemporary.

Lovely atmosphere very calming and relaxed.
Fantastic location.. right in the heart of bowness. With stunning views.

Myself and my husband choose a the Ro hotel to renew our vows with close family and friends.. and I can tell you we made the perfect place… from the the planning of everything, to the staff, the beautiful ball room and the food. The day was just perfect! A day we will cherish forever.

Fantastic stay as usual staff so friendly couldn’t do enough to
help especially Patty thank you so much Richard & Nichola 😃

We had our wedding and 2 night stay at The Ro Hotel, and it was absolutely perfect from start to finish. The whole experience was seamless and so special, and we truly couldn’t have asked for a better place to celebrate our day.

A huge shoutout to Tilly, who was absolutely amazing throughout the whole process. We honestly couldn’t have done it without her — her support, friendliness, and calm nature made us feel so comfortable and completely stress-free. She went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly, and we’re so grateful for all her help she is truly amazing 🫶🏼🩷

The venue itself is stunning, the atmosphere is warm and elegant, and our room was beautiful — the perfect place to relax after such a memorable day. The food was delicious, and so many of our guests commented on how wonderful everything was.

Thank you to Tilly and all the staff at The Ro Hotel for making our wedding day truly unforgettable. We can’t wait to return — highly recommended for anyone looking for a venue filled with care, charm, and amazing people! 🥰

Amazing hotel as always staff friendly rooms Amazing and staff especially salvatore the Barman so helpful always has a smile and can’t do enough for you