Lumley Castle Hotel Reviews 

Wow….We stayed for my 60th birthday in our lovely four poster bed room for 3 nights and loved every minute from the minute we arrived to the minute we left. The food was fabulous, compliments to the kitchen, and the staff were all so very friendly especially in the restaurant (a special shout out to Olivia 😁) we Will see you again in the very near future…. Can’t wait

The fish and chips at Lumley Castle were a huge disappointment and nowhere near worth the almost £20 price tag. The so-called triple-cooked chips arrived barely warm, suggesting they had been sitting around before being served. While the fish was at least hot, it lacked any real flavour and certainly didn't taste fresh. For a dish this simple, there's nowhere to hide when the quality of the ingredients is poor.

The most enjoyable part of the meal was the peas, which is hardly a compliment given they tasted like they had come straight from a tin. When the peas are the highlight of a fish and chips dinner, something has gone badly wrong.

What makes this even more frustrating is the price. For nearly £20, I expected a high-quality meal befitting the setting and reputation of Lumley Castle. Instead, I was served a bland, uninspiring plate of food that would struggle to compete with a decent local chippy charging half as much. The venue may be impressive, but unfortunately the food was not. I left feeling thoroughly disappointed and regretting the order.

Being a relic of old the castle is what you would politely describe as rustic with everything aged and past its best but has character and quality feel to it.
The rooms are well appointed with everything you need for a comfortable stay with very comfortable beds, they lack a fridge and at 4 star you would expect one but plenty hot water etc.
where the place really excelled is in its staff who are a cut above, I was fortunate to be very ably assisted by a wonderful lady called Claire Rainbow (yes really) who really excelled in the customer care side of things and who went above and beyond to help (thanks Claire), so we enjoyed our stay for a friends birthday and would recommend the hotel and will return, we have been before and rate it highly with no problems parking.
It is a pricey place but high levels of staffing and customer care accounts for that.

A setting of undeniable charm cannot compensate for practices that inspire deep concern. Beneath the façade of elegance lies an operation marked by troubling lapses in responsibility and transparency. Following what was described as a hacking incident—a breach serious enough to be reported to the authorities—guests were left uninformed. The only reason I did not suffer a substantial financial loss was because my bank detected and halted suspicious activity in time.
Equally disquieting was the human element. Calling from a hospital emergency room to explain an unforeseen medical crisis, I cancelled my stay with sufficient notice for the room to be reallocated. Despite this, they refused any refund whatsoever—not for the rooms, nor for the meals—and offered absolutely no credit of any kind for a future stay. The response was strikingly devoid of empathy: a curt reference to “terms and conditions,” no flexibility, and a tone that can only be described as dismissive. The staff member declined to provide her name, which speaks volumes in itself.
Yes, the location is picturesque, and the building impressive. But prospective guests would be wise to look beyond appearances and consider carefully the standards—and attitudes—that lie beneath.

Afternoon tea for 3. There was a lovely selection of sandwiches 2 scones each with plenty jam and clotted cream deserts were lovely only down side was the bread which was starting to go very dry round the edges . The sandwiches must have been made earlier in the day and left uncovered we booked for 3.30, this could have easily been sorted by covering until ready to serve. For £25 I expect fresh bread, it spoilt the overall experience

Friendly staff, lovely grounds.
We stayed here for two nights. Our room was in the mews part of the hotel and was clean and comfortable.
Everyone we met here was helpful and friendly, we can't wait to return.

Arrived for an afternoon tea today with my elderly relative. Cost was £25 per person and was very disappointed.
Tea was earl grey or breakfast or coffee.
Sandwiches were ok usual fillings. Scones were rock hard!! Couldn’t cut them they were so hard! Cream lovely but jam probably hartleys out of a jar. Been to a number of afternoon teas but others were far far better for the same price. I parked in disabled parking but the walked to the restaurant was considerable which wasn’t what we expected.

Afternoon tea for an early Mother's day and birthday. I was a little nervous based on some previous reviews however today everything was 10 out of 10.
Welcome was personal, staff were pleasant and attentive. Food was well presented, fresh and inviting.
Some recognition from one of the team members who personally wished Mum happy birthday at our table. A lovely experience, we will definitely be back. Thanks for a lovely visit Lumley Castle 🏰 😊. Well done to all.

Can’t thank Phil enough for the excellent guided tour we recently took at the hotel….his knowledge is amazing and he makes the experience very enjoyable. We would highly recommend a visit. Debbie, Lisa & Pam.

Volunteering at Beamish Museum we love history and visited the castle for for an afternoon tour. The guide Phil's enthusiasm, humour and knowledge breathed life into the talk. We would thoroughly recommend a tour then a relaxing tea in the library bar.

Just been on the tour at Lumley Castle, fantastic experience and as for tour guide Phil his knowledge and humor was brilliant. Thanks again Phil will definitely recommend.

Went to-stay at Lumley castle on a 2 night deal with dinner included on first night. Celebrating my birthday with friends I looked forward to a nice dinner where wine would be flowing with the conversation. First course 2 of us ordered was soup. This soup had no flavour whatsoever and was reminiscent of warm water. Trying to find the flavour we proceeded to add salt and pepper but it just did not change anything. This eventually was sent back but not wanting to spoil the evening we just commented that it was flavourless and we could not eat it. Second course our party ordered was 2xchicken and 2xbeef. The chicken was satisfactory to my guests but the beef meal was a great problem resulting in the meal being sent back twice. We were then offered free coffee (which I declined) the this was upgraded to free desserts (I had no food as yet) this was declined. The wine was no flowing as no food was going down. The upshot was I was told the manager would contact we Sunday morning. This did not happen and I had to ask for a manager upon leaving. Having discussed the problems I advised that I would be writing my review on Trustpilot. I was asked to hold off doing my review and give the general manager chance to make contact me. They asked for Monday and I agreed I would wait till Tuesday. To date I have had no contact from them whatsoever.
It shocking that my birthday weekend was let down so much with no explanation.
Also 3 other tables around us had reason to complain on the same night.
What a massive let down.

My sister went to lumley castle basil and sybil dining exerience on the 19th december with 10 other people she paid 55 pound ,she is 86 and was really looking forward to it but unfortunitly the 3 couse dinner she says was horrible some potatoes were black the whole enrertainment was rubishcshe sys and the the whole 11 of them were so disapointed in the whole night , not worth the money they were all different ages in the group never go again to lumley castle

Lumley Castle Tour is in its infancy but a MUST!! It’s well worth a date on the calendar for £5 each. Thanks to Phil for his knowledge , enthusiasm and jokes, he really makes it worth while!
We throughly enjoyed the history and the ghost stories. As a couple we have been going to the Castle for 40 years
For various celebrations. Thank you for putting some life back into the Castle with all the new ventures!

Beautiful castle experience but only came alive after being shown around by ‘Phil’ - the jewel in the crown of Lumley Castle. He brought the castle alive with the history and a tour that took over 2hours . He has a genuine love for this amazing historical gem. Not all staff shared his enthusiasm. I would suggest he train the rest of the staffing team, as they were not up to his standard. At the end of the tour, I would suggest , a finale at the end of the tour, would be to sell some little medieval cloth dolls or treats as a souvenir. Maybe even some staff to be in fancy dress as part of the tour. The room was a feature room - but a little tired , needed some tlc and paint touch ups , was clearly worn , on the bannister. Not sound proof at all - but expected , due to the age. I could hear the toilets flush in the next room!! The evening meal was just unacceptable. The menu was poor, the actual food was appalling and portions shocking. We ate out for the rest of the week so didn’t impact too much. The breakfast was ok but portions small. Continental breakfast available but self serve in a room down the corridor. Uneven floors , so not great bringing back glasses of juice and bowls of cereal. Would be better cereal stations within the actual restaurant. Fruit available tinned so not to my liking. Would prefer fresh. So great place , just avoid the restaurant.

Visited Lumley Castle on Thursday 9th October to explore a craft market that they were hosting. We were quite looking forward to having lunch and enjoying the hotel’s ambiance.

What can I say that is complimentary?
The server in the Library Bar was cheerful and friendly? Yes, that’s about it.

Having been enormously disappointed with the ongoing event, we retired to the only area that was serving food and ordered a panini and a drink.

What a mistake! The panini appeared to be from part baked stock, reheated on the day, and the sausage filling was poor quality and without flavour.
The red onion relish supporting the sausage was sparse and surprisingly, given that it was onion based, without any discernible taste.
The hot chocolate tasted as if it had been made from a sachet, but at least the camomile tea was a ‘branded’ teabag.

Whilst I completely understand the issues around maintaining historic buildings, the overwhelming shabbiness of the Lumley Castle was completely off putting.
Flaking paintwork in the public areas combined with knicked, knocked and heavily damaged woodwork and other surfaces is not a good look for any public facing space, but in such an historic building this level of casual deterioration is utterly reprehensible.

Took holiday group to Lumley Castle for afternoon tea. Stephen and Eva looked after it. We were treated like royalty and enjoyed a fabulous afternoon tea. Thank you for such a great afternoon!

This hotel is simply beautiful ! The staff are amazing - breakfast was to die for . Literally the perfect stay - I will never stay anywhere else when I’m up in the Borth East - which is regularly ! I’m already planning my next trip !

My partner and I stayed for our Christmas weekend stay over. Its a wonderful experience, the room was amazing, spacious, extremely clean, we stayed in the Castle Superior Room no. 63 and I can honestly say it was the most comfortable sleep we've had, there were a few spooky occurrences in that room, which added to the wonderful experience. The food was very good, the staff were helpful, courteous and polite.

First time murder mystery night.
From start to finish we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The staff being so helpful and friendly, excellent main meal and breakfast .
The castle in itself is a wonderful place to behold.
The murder mystery actors/actresses
Kept in character the whole time whilst mingleing amongst us all. A real entertaining night. A big thankyou from me and mine.