Cartref Guest House

I arrived at about 6:30 pm. The weather was cold, close to zero. The owner Melanie carried out the check in procedure through the intercom (very strange). She said she was outside and would be back in 10m. Inside it was tidy and with character and pretty cold, to be honest a couple of degrees better than outside. I went to the room which was nice but very cold. All heating was turned off, assuming trying to save on bills to maximise profit. Melanie showed me how to turn on the radiator, success. The room was good size and would take ages to warm up. I waited until 9 pm, the room was even colder as the radiator was off again. At this stage I realised the heating is controlled by the owner from their quarter downstairs. I talked to her daughter, presumably, and she said she will turn the heating on. I asked if I could have a second heater, she said she would double check, whatever that meant. I went back to the room and the radiator started to warm again. I was still sitting next to the radiator waiting for the room to warm up so that I could freshen up and get ready to bed but by 11pm I realised the heating was off again. This frustrated me but I was reluctant to disturb Melanie and her family so late. As I am working the next day, I booked a room in another hotel and l left. I asked for a refund but Melanie refused, She cares more about money and profit than the comfort of the guests, shame on you.

Great Location for attending our Daughters Graduation ceremony at Carlisle Cathedral. Melanie made our stay easy with great communication. There is parking, great breakfast options and the toiletries smell amazing. Definitely recommend.

The accomodation was dog friendly, and full of character. The guesthouse very much took a hands off approach, meeting and greeting then allowing me to look after myself. The room was spacious and full of character (lots of detail to take in and enjoy). The accomodation was just over 5 minutes walk from the riverside walks and parks, and similarly close to a variety of eateries, cafes and bars in the other direction. Lovely cooked breakfast to start the day off. Very enjoyable

I absolutely LOVED my stay at Cartref! I can't recommend it enough- it's a short walk from the train station and you can easily walk into the town centre. I was in Carlisle for a gig at The Old Fire Station, and found the guest house to be in a great location as it didn't take me too long to walk through town to the venue. Melanie (the owner of Cartref) is really friendly and welcoming; it is clear she pays great attention to detail with the rooms and needs of her guests. My room was beautiful; spotlessly clean, bright, and airy with a SUPER comfy bed and lovely quality bedding, which was brilliantly white. The en-suite bathroom was well equipped, incredibly clean, with a GREAT shower, plenty of towels, a lovely soft robe, slippers and excellent quality local toiletries. You get plenty of teabags, coffee and hot chocolate in the room by the kettle; there's even a mini fridge you can use, which had bottles of water and fresh milk for a cuppa on arrival. The breakfast menu has plenty of choice; it was really tasty, freshly prepared and served in the very pretty dining room. The reception area is pretty and nicely presented with plenty of useful info- there is also a really handy book in the bedroom containing all the information you need for your stay with great recommendations for things to do/places to eat in the local area. I highly recommend Cartref and will definitely be booking to stay there again next time I visit Carlisle.

Spotlessly clean, roomy, well appointed bathroom. Comfortable bed. Delicious breakfast. Cheerful and helpful host. Parking available. Handy walking distance to shops and train station, easy to find close to main road. Will definitely stay again.