The Royal Oak Hotel

We chose this hotel as it was conveniently located in the town and close to Kinder Scout for walking. Unfortunately the hotel is a disaster waiting to happen with many health and safety issues, even aside from the quality of the rooms, bedding and other facilities. Fire doors are constantly wedged open, even up to the second floor. The room I stayed in had a faulty lock which meant once locked it was almost impossible to open - needless to say I slept with the door unlocked - far from ideal. The manager came to investigate but just shrugged when I explained the risk. The rooms themselves are outdated in terms of decor and furniture, and the beds and bedding are totally worn out - probably the worst hotel bed I’ve ever slept in. Whilst the hotel staff were friendly enough they seemed oblivious to any of the issues, and more concerned about selling us beer and breakfasts. Even allowing for the relatively low cost of the room, this is not good value for money and I would definitely not recommend staying here - it needs some serious investment to make it safe, and more pleasant to stay in.

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay with your dog(s), I honestly couldn’t recommend this place enough We booked this B&B because it was advertised as dog-friendly, and we (and Frank!) had the best weekend! It was our first trip with our dog (a medium-sized Staffie-cross) and we felt so welcome, right from our arrival. I would agree with some of the other reviews I’ve read, eg that the decor would benefit from an update, but our room was spacious, warm and comfortable. Frank was welcomed in the bar where we had two dinners and two breakfasts, and the food was delicious. Staff were friendly and accommodating, and we loved the cosy atmosphere in the pub. On our second night, we asked if we could bring Frank’s bed into the bar whilst we had dinner, and staff were happy for us to do so. It was an added bonus that it snowed during our visit, and we loved the local walks. We’ve already decided that we’ll stay here the next time we want to visit the Peaks thank you, Royal Oak!

A pitiful attempt at hotelierhsip. A confusing booking experience and woefull organisation on arrival made for a poor first impression. The accommodation is tired and clearly in need of a substantial upgrade. Halls are musty and dusty. Rooms are dated, noisy and lack a basic standard of quality to have an enjoyable stay. Junior staff are well meaning but disorganised and management are rude, utterly shambolic and ignorant of the poor quality establishment they run. This is a venue best avoided.

The room was in need of decoration, & the carpet was tired & had cigarette burns. Both bedside lamps were missing bulbs, & one was literally hanging by it's wires (see attached photo). Both the room & the bathroom were in desperate need of thorough cleaning, there was dust everywhere. The radiator in the bathroom leaked, so there was a permanent pool of water on the floor. The shower doors did not close properly, so every time that the shower was used it added to the water on the floor. We only had breakfast in the restaurant; the food tasted fine, but needed to be served a lot hotter. They also don't have gluten free bread, so I was unable to have toast. The worst however was the final morning. I went down for breakfast at 09:00 only to discover all of the doors locked, the lights out, & that I was the only person in the building - so clearly I had been alone overnight. God only knows how many laws, rules, & regulations are broken by leaving a guest totally alone in an hotel overnight. What if there had been a fire?

Staff were welcoming. the room itself was disappointing. Filthy, dusty, very unhygienic. Cleaners/staff trying to get in room before check out. Wasn’t shown how to access hotel out of hours and would have been locked out! Leaky radiators!

Room was awful, dirty and dated , bathroom on a big slant, tv size of a postage stamp with only standard 5 chanels. Bar/restaurant looked nice enough but shut just gone nine, thank goodness only there for one night, would definitely not recommend