The staff were exceptionally friendly, as well as great at managing a group of loud guests. The location and surrounding area is beautiful, and we found it easy to get to the hostel from Windermere station using only public transport (the hostel is about 15/20 min walk from Hawkshead, which you can get to by bus). There are a few pubs and a co-op in the village which provides a varied choice for your meals, unless you choose to eat at the hostel itself. We stayed in a camping pod, which was basic, but we had everything you need thanks to the self-catering facilities (a clean kitchen stocked with any appliance and cooking tool you might need, lots of fridge space, and big communal lounge areas.) Beds were comfortable and bedding was very clean.

n/a: as far as hostels for camping/hiking purposes go, this was perfect.

Really great and secluded spot, self sustaining, has a restaurant, bar, and everything you’d need. Very comfortable and clean and really peaceful, and staff were lovely

Some things worth knowing: if you don’t have a car and you’re travelling by bus, getting there is a struggle, especially the first time. Catching the bus from Windermere means being aware of the schedule as far in advance as you can because there aren’t many buses and they can break down or be cancelled and you need a backup plan. From the Hawkeshead bus stop it’s a 15-20 minute walk on a road with not much space on either side and blind corners. Luckily it’s a quiet road but worth knowing. The hostel is also in a spot where there isn’t a strong signal or any data within the hostel, however it works in the road. Fine if you connect to the free wifi but if it doesn’t work as mine didn’t, can be an issue

Location is amazing, view of the lake from property. We stayed in one of the bell tents in front of the building which are spaced out enough to feel you have your own area. Picnic bench and firepit at each plot. There's also some chunks of wider open space where kids had room to play. The tent was really clean inside, tons of room with it just two of us, LOVED the little log burner inside which warmed us through to the morning. Breakfast was great and so reasonably priced. We had to park in the furthest part away from our tent but isn't an issue, only 1-2 mins away. Staff were friendly and helpful and for the times we used reception and dining, there were plenty of people to help. Will definitely be back.

Only thing wrong, no loo roll in outside toilet at any point.

I come every year and every time, the staff is lovely and helpful. The view is a big plus and the kitchen - although could do with better ventilation - is well equipped and super convenient. The dormitory is really large.

Once again, I think the dormitory should have lockers. There is space for it and it seems like an essential to me - and quite common in other hostels I’ve stayed at. If the last person to leave in the morning doesn’t lock the room behind them (which happens a lot) then the room - and your stuff - can be accessed all day by anyone in the hostel. The walk to the hostel is on the side of a road and can be quite dangerous, which is worth pointing out in case you’re arriving late and walking from Hawkshead to the hostel…

Everything was great. Clean and tidy. There was the most charming lady called Rebecca. So amazing and friendly and outstanding customer care. Alfie is also such a warm welcoming Scouser with a great character. There was another lady who had brown hair who worked on reception and breakfast, I think from Cheshire or somewhere. Unfortunately this lady was quite rude and abrupt. Made me not want to go up to reception when she was there. Not sure if she was having a bad day or a bad few days, but I reccomend she spend a day or two with the others and learn great customer care.

Nothing. Just was a bit taken aback by the brown haired lady as her attitude was a bit rude and arrogant

We initially booked the pod but because there was a school trip of primary students using all the other pods, they kindly moved us to the larger tents to make our experience more enjoyable and not surrounded by overly excited kids. And honestly, from the location, the view, and the facilities, it's enough to say this made our stay in Lake District very memorable.

Tents can get really hot, but that's what the outdoor activities are for. It would be a shame to just stay in the tent and not go for a swim in the lakes.

We had a lovely and relaxing stay here. We hadn’t been to the Lake District before and prices were outrageous to book last minute so we chose YHA Hawkshead as it was reasonable, not knowing what to expect. Our room fit our family of four, had an en suite toilet and shower, and the bedding was very comfortable. We had dinner on site and really enjoyed being able to relax and eat together in a quiet dining room overlooking beautiful countryside. The staff were very friendly. The village and Beatrix Potter’s house were both very close by.

I had to rent a deluxe tent due to the main rooms getting booked out to a school group. The tent itself was pleasant enough and spacious. I didn't need to use the fire as the weather was nice during the day. The common rooms were comfortable and kitchen facilities were great. The scenic landscape was the perfect back drop.

I think that if they are going to rent to primary school groups, then there should be better separation between them and other customers. Hearing them play and scream outside the tents until late at night wasn't enjoyable to listen to when trying to unwind. Similarly when they discovered the Common rooms. The location is a little out of Hawkshead so you need to walk 20mins to get there

I had ample parking and the pod was clean and enough for my two nights stay. If I wanted to stay longer I might choose a different option that the YHA offer.

It's hard to fault the site or the Staff, only complaint is nothing to do with the YHA site. I was spending my day in Hawkshead and had to pay for parking in the main carpark. It was to far to walk at night back to the YHA on narrow roads. So even though I had free parking at YHA it still cost me £25.50 to park for the three days...

The breakfast was excellent, I went for cooked breakfast which was great value at £11, with additional continental self serve options. Location was beautiful, over looking Esthwaite Water! Staff were so friendly and helpful too, it was a pleasure to stay there.

As I used public transport to get to Hawkshead would have liked some recommended walking directions to be provided. I used the roads to walk there, it was daylight and was wearing a bright coloured jacket. Luckily roads were fairly quiet and got there with no issues. On the way back I'd located a public footpath on All Trails app which took me most of the way, with only a little road walking at the start.