Appleby Castle

Spending New Year's Eve was a huge step out of the ordinary for us. However, having an overnight babysitter galvanised us into going out out. We decided upon a stay and NYE gala meal and entertainment at Appleby Castle. Our approach to the castle blew us away. The ancient Norman Keep dominating the view. A super friendly check-in and tour to our room. A glorious four poster room with en suite and tapestries. We were allowed to poke around and enjoy the secrets of the castle, which was really fun. The food was incredible, and the piper/ piano accompaniment delightful. The ensuing truly retro disco was fabulous. The surroundings and hosts mean this is a truly special place to visit. It is clear that sharing their historic home is important to them, and my husband particularly enjoyed his trip to the top (102 steps of spiral staircase) of the Norman keep. We can't wait to return.

We booked for one night on 22nd March 2025 but would not recommended anyone staying here, from start to finish they seemed to be winging it, our room was fully on the tilt with a 1-3inch gap round our door, you could see feet going past on the corridor. We paid £120 for the nights bed and breakfast. We also booked for dinner which tasted ok but their was very little of it and the salt and pepper were in a bowl to just pinch it out, no idea how many fingers have been in it before. In the morning 1 bowl of sugar was passed round all the tables with a wet teaspoon in it to use. I know you don't go for a TV but their were none in the rooms or a mirror to use when getting ready. Certainly not worth the money. The service, lighting throughout, and cleanliness leave an awful lot to be desired. Also you will not get in prior to 3pm check in and the door is locked at all times so if you go out prepare to wait to get back in.

I wrote a review & was threatened with legal action by Peter Bass & Sally Nightingale because they didn't like my opinion. I thought this is what this site was all about? To write about the experience & give people the truth before parting with their cash? Avoid this place & hosts - there are plenty of other quirky hotels around hosted by professionals

We've just returned from a beautiful stay at Appleby Castle. The exterior is beautifully kept, with the Norman keep dominating the skyline all the way up the drive. The hotel itself is grand and historic, the suits of armour displayed down the hallways really add to the atmosphere. Upon arrival at the castle, we parked just outside the main gatehouse and were met at reception by a member of staff, before being shown to our room. As some people have noted, there isn't much information made available on arrival, however the staff we met were happy to answer our questions, both in person and on the phone, and were very hospitable throughout. We stayed on the top floor in the former servants' quarters. The room is slanted, and as such so is everything in it, which just adds to the charm of the place. If you're expecting a slick, fast-paced, clinical service akin to a chain-hotel then you won't find it here. We quickly understood that Appleby is a place of eccentricity, with little quirks that for us added to its character. A few mentions have been made of the locked door policy - for us this wasn't an issue, despite us staying out until midnight or accidentally locking ourselves out at 6am! There are numbers for you to ring should you need access, and the staff are happy to let you in. On our last day we were able to tour ourselves around the Norman keep which was such a highlight, what a treat to stay somewhere steeped in so much history! If we chose to focus on the negatives then you could point out a couple of areas to improve, but for us the positives far outweighed any little niggles, and we were made to feel very welcome throughout. PS if you're not a fan of ghosts then you may not enjoy the motion-activated hallway lights being set off on the middle of the night, despite no one being around! Another story for us to tell from our fab experience at Appleby Castle!

No one about no welcome n no evening meal so we had to use pub down the road..nice old castle but peter (manager) was useless..so disorganised. Large sitting room very cold and unwelcoming. Strange place to say the least.lovely castle badly run.