The Izaak Walton Hotel

Hotels
Independent
8.6 (130 reviews)
Ilam, Dovedale, Ashbourne, England, DE6 2AY , Ashbourne , GB

Facilities

Meeting rooms
Free WiFi
Garden
Luggage storage
Concierge service
Wheelchair accessible
Picnic area
Hiking/biking trails nearby
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Safe-deposit box at front desk
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Lovely location
Good bedroom
Stunning views
Pleasant staff
Cons:
Poor food quality
Slow service
Old-fashioned decor
Cleanliness issues

Categories

Cleanliness
8.28
Room cleanliness was below standard due to dirty cups and noise issues.
Service
9.25
Generally pleasant staff, but service was slow and overwhelmed.
Location
10
Beautiful location with fantastic views and easy parking.
Room Quality
8.74
Spacious rooms but old-fashioned and in need of refurbishment.
Amenities
8.27
Limited amenities; restaurant and bar choices were poor.
Value for Money
8.23
Disappointment regarding breakfast options and overall experience not justifying the cost.
Food and Beverage
7.28
Food quality was poor with bad menu choices and inadequate breakfast.
Overall Experience
8.77
Overall a pleasant stay but with significant issues affecting the experience.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-10 05:47

Property Description

Discover a serene getaway at The Izaak Walton Hotel, nestled in the heart of breathtaking landscapes and nature adventures.

Accommodations: Choose from 37 elegantly designed guestrooms, each equipped with flat-screen televisions and complimentary wireless internet, ensuring comfort and connectivity throughout your stay.

Dining Options: Indulge in British cuisine at the Haddon Restaurant or savor in-room dining with our extensive room service menu. Unwind at our inviting bar/lounge, perfect for relaxation after a full day of exploring.

Amenities: Enjoy a wealth of hotel amenities including complimentary newspapers, luggage storage, and a welcoming picnic area. Plus, with free self-parking and concierge services, we make your stay as comfortable as possible.

Immerse yourself in luxury and nature at The Izaak Walton Hotel—book your escape today!

Important information:

Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and concierge services. Additional features at this hotel include a picnic area, a ballroom, and bike storage.

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

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets not allowed

  • Pets

    Service animals are exempt from fees/restrictions

  • Guest type

    Essential workers only - NO

  • Accessibility

    No elevators

  • General

    Professional property host/manager

See all policies

Location

Guest Reviews

8.6
Based on 130 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.28
Service: 9.25
Location: 10
Room Quality: 8.74
Amenities: 8.27
Value for Money: 8.23
Food and Beverage: 7.28
Overall Experience: 8.77
J
Jonathon friends
8
Pros:

Good-sized room with lovely view. Good hot breakfast.

2025-10-05 via Nuitee
S
Sama
6
Pros:

Location was perfect & the hotel looks nice, although needs a bit of updating. Breakfast was very limited especially if a person doesn't like cooked breakfast, there wasn't anything else to eat apart from 2/3 types of cereals.

To take a shower was an absolute nightmare as the shower head & knob was very old. Water pressure was awful which meant I couldn't stand under the shower head so I had to do everything single-handed. A quick shower turned to a very long one!

Cleanliness was not great as spiders & spider webs were in many places of the room.

Heating would not come on when needed as they set it a timer for it

Reception never answer the phone whenever we rang, when we go to reception there were 2 people there!!

2025-10-05 via Nuitee
D
David
6
Old fashioned hotel in a spectacular setting
Pros:

Lovely location. Good bedroom. Poor bar with very poor choice and disappointing restaurant.

2025-09-21 via Nuitee
P
Peter partner
8
Pros:

The views of Dovedale were superb and the position of the hotel idyllic with easy parking.
Dinner and breakfast were not high standard and the only waitress was rushed off her feet.
Generally pleasant and helpful Staff.

2025-09-19 via Nuitee
P
Peter
4
Quirky
Pros:

Very quirky and dated needs a complete refurb. Great location

2025-09-10 via Nuitee
V
Verified traveler
8
Pleasant and relaxed stay
Pros:

Full Breakfast , location excellent for walking
Bedrooms big historic hotel

2025-09-07 via Nuitee
K
Keith
2
Disappointed
Pros:

Restaurant closed and no other in village. We were not told about this despite booking on the morning of our stay.
Breakfast very poor, poor sausages,lack of eggs, my wife did it get gluten free bread despite prior notice.
Room on ground floor no sound proofing, people upstairs sounded like they were in your own room.
We have had lovely stays here before so very disappointed.

2025-09-01 via Nuitee
J
John partner
8
Pros:

Great location in Dovedale. One bedside lamp was broken

2025-08-30 via Nuitee
N
nicola partner
6
Pros:

We stayed here last year and the staff were different and a pleasure to be around.
The food was much better last year and there was more choice.
The hotel needs a makeover in our opinion

2025-08-26 via Nuitee
V
Verified traveler
6
Running on a shoe string
Pros:

Awful menu choices,only in the bar area not the restaurant. One man running around doing everything,hence,the very slow service. Food was cold. Breakfast was worse,there was a permanent cry of "no eggs" staff were kind but not up to catering for a hotel full of guests. Shower was noisier that a pnematic drill and when using it there was tap no water! The TV didn't work as a TV only as a radio in the morning . The cups in the room were dirty.Beautiful views ! I came a few years ago and can't imagine that it will still be here in another couple. Running on a shoe string,about to snap!

2025-08-25 via Nuitee
R
richard partner
10
Pros:

Only a 5 minute walk to the stepping stones.

2025-08-24 via Nuitee
L
Lynne
10
Pros:

Beautiful area fantastic views

2025-08-22 via Nuitee
L
Laura
6
Need more staff and a bit of TLC
Pros:

In need of some tlc
Room was nice and spacious- old fashioned furniture, boiling hot - apparently pipes run under the rooms which they cannot control the temperature of.
A fan provided but of little use. Evening meal was nice although lack of staff meant a long wait for everything.
Breakfast buffet average

2025-08-18 via Nuitee
R
Robert partner
6
Pros:

Booked for a two day stay with bed and breakfast which was paid for. Second Morning we were told the cook failed to turn up so no cooked breakfast. Asked for a refund to
no avail. Staff did not seemed bothered. Told by other guests staying this happens often so will not be staying again

2025-08-13 via Nuitee
P
Paul family
4
Pros:

The hotel is in a most perfect location and is lovely inside too.
Sadly the hotel is not operating to its full potential and there is a number of very serious issues to be resolved.
As my family have owned and operated hotels and I was chef in London for 25 years. The evening menu was mainly redacted only a few choices of a pie, fish, scampi or Cumberland sausage. Main course took 2.5 hours. There was no chef and no gas .
Our breakfast in the morning was cancelled as the reason was given as owners son was exhausted ! There was no reception staff just a sign saying No Staff open at 11.00 am ! A Restaurant staff member ( only 1) apologised and said due to no planning there wasn't even a continental breakfast ham/cheese etc which could have been easily been set up.
This was our wedding anniversary morning so very sad, especially in such a lovely location and what it could offer if properly managed.
A sign was put up no restaurant in the evening. So we had to eat somewhere else. Another group of 25 guests family reunion also had to eat out. When we all came back , there was a chef however guests had not been informed. We got back to the bar at 10.00 got one drink then the staff apologised as they were ordered to close. We said a party of 25 guests was following us back for evening drinks but the staff said they couldn't do anything !. The second morning there was some breakfast available poorly cooked sadly but at least it was something. Awaiting refunds and explanation.

2025-08-11 via Nuitee
C
Clive
8
Izaak Walton
Pros:

Staff were helpful and friendly, breakfast was very good and the bed was comfy... Location was superb

2025-08-04 via Nuitee
G
Garrie
2
Poor service
Pros:

Stayed before and it was good but this time the service in the restaurant was abysmal!! We had to wait more than 2 hours for food!!!!!!!!

2025-07-26 via Nuitee
I
Ian
6
Pros:

We had booked 3 rooms for 2 nights, for a family wedding. We had made a reservation in the restaurant for 15 of us on the Friday evening.
Check in was interesting. The chef checked us in and asked us to pay up front (“because people sometimes leave without paying”). This wasn’t an issue but my Daughter and her family had checked in earlier and not been asked to do so. Maybe we looked dodgy!
I explained we had a dinner reservation for 15 people and had been expecting a menu to pre order from when I made the booking, but had not received anything. He printed one out for me and I was able to message everyone and confirm orders ahead of the meal.
We decided to have some drinks in the garden but there were a lot of wasps and used glasses on empty tables. The service at the bar was very slow and not being served by experienced bar staff. My husband noted the girl behind the bar was the one doing housekeeping.
The meal was a bit of a nightmare. The table had been booked for 7:30 and we arrived to an empty restaurant with our table set up. We wanted to order some drinks but there was no one around so my husband returned to the bar and ordered the dinner drinks there. After a very long wait, some of the starters arrived. We were still waiting for a sharing starter after everyone else had finished their starters. They eventually arrived but the fries and bread were missing. Again we had to wait for a member of staff to appear before we could ask if they were going to turn up. The wai

2025-07-26 via Nuitee
G
Giles
6
Pros:

Great location for an hotel. Probably severely understaffed. Man on reception went off with another couple to sell them a room without even acknowledging me. Another guy turned up, said he was new manager. I asked about the fishing. He said there was no fishing!!! First man came back and showed him the day tickets and pointed me in general direction of the river and pointed me up the stairs to my room. When it came to check out there was nobody on reception. He seemed to be cooking the breakfast and didn’t appear when asked. A chambermaid took my payment for the fishing. The room had been paid for in advance via Expedia which seemed to flummox them. The room was ok but the shower screen leaked all over the floor (room 15). As for the fishing, this was challenging and not helped by the dogs and people in the river on the far bank where there is a footpath. Not worth the £40 it cost. I don’t think I’ll be hurrying back which is a shame.

2025-07-23 via Nuitee
T
Trevor
8
Pros:

Beautiful views from the room , large comfy bed , easy access to dove dale

2025-07-22 via Nuitee