Lancashire Post Review

It must rate as one of the most bizarre visitor reviews a hotel has ever had. A guest was incandescent with rage after he flung open his bedroom window at the dead of night and saw nothing but . . . darkness. Surely a room with a view of Windermere should have at least that, 24 hours a day, he later complained on TripAdvisor. Instead everything was pitch black.

“It takes all sorts, I suppose,” smiled the young lady on reception as we checked into the sumptuous Beech Hill just a couple of days after the “Darkgate” scandal had made it on to the TV news.

“That must be the first time we’ve had a guest complain because it’s dark at night.”

As we had arrived well after dusk, my first task as a serious hotel reviewer was to put our disgruntled predecessor’s critique to the test. Sliding open our patio windows and stepping outside on to the decking I can confirm it was dark, very dark.....