Chatsworth Reviews 421

Fantastic hotel
Food was beautiful
The staff amazing
Location perfect
Parking everywhere
Cannot fault this hotel.
Wish I stayed longer

Having been a resident of Bakewell for 20+ years I’ve seen the visitor numbers balloon so last year went to the Christmas experience. It’s was magical and we were blown away with the theatrical story and the attention to detail.
However 2025 was a very different visit. Very busy today even though it’s the weekend after Christmas and the house displays were so boring. There’s no theme and the rooms are very dark. No music like last year and no storyline.
I was hopeful that the garden would make up for it but the route was terrible this time, taking people through a small congested area near the large stones and back on yourself which was chaos. Not enjoyable at all and not good as the route was so dark especially as there are lots of prams and dogs. We know the grounds so took a short cut back along the wide open path which is the highlight of the garden as it’s passed the house where last year you couod view the light show from the back of the fountain. They’ve closed this off.
It all felt like it was done on a budget and I won’t be going again unless I hear better things. The cheapest hot drink was £4.50 for a coffee and hot chocolate £6.5! Absolutely awful made with powder and in a takeaway cup..Last year Chatsworth had their own vendors open but this time it was outside vendors, the type you get at a fair.
The experience has lost its sparkle and I’ve heard nothing good about it this year.
Overpriced and almost tacky.
Please rethink Chatsworth and commission something better for 2026

I stayed at The Chatsworth Hotel Eastbourne over the Christmas period.
The staff were professional, welcoming & helpful, the rooms were very nice, spacious, & clean, i had a good view of the bandstand & sea from a side room. Unfortunately the food was so
dire/awful that I had to eat out on Boxing Day at an Italian restaurant in the
high street which was excellent.
They need to install plugs near the mirror as the hairdryer leads aren't long enough. They also need a new chef who can cook! If they want to survive.There very overpriced. I would rate them as a 3 star b&b. They are nice people but I'm sorry the food was appalling!!

I had to eat out on Boxing Day in Eastbourne , I went to an Italian restaurant in the high street which was excellent!
They need to get a new Chef!
,They also need to have plugs for the hairdryers near a mirror, or perhaps a dressing table with a mirror because at the moment the leads from the hairdrye aren't long enough so guests can't dry their hair. These changes wouldn't be difficult to implement.
If they want to survive they need to make the changes myself other guests discussed today.
They are also overpriced .
They are nice people but you can't run a place on a shoestring.
I hope they will take my comments on board.

I paid to change the date of my visit. They didn't change the date nor refund the extra money I paid to change it. I've been emailing them for a month and they never reply. Really bad customer service in my opinion it's the third year I have been and this year the lights around the garden seemed mainly white and mundane and the projection on the front of the Hall was lacklustre. It didn't seem as festive as other years....bring back the Christmas theme Chatsworth!

Absolutely dreadful, we’ve been visiting Chatsworth for over 15 years and the last few years have shown an incredibly fast decline in the visitor experience and value for money.
I can confidently say that this years offering is the worst ever, dark, dismal, no Christmas spirit, over crowded, sullen staff and I can’t imagine what that dire “music” is supposed to be.
Read the reviews here and elsewhere before deciding to visit.
If you think the TV program “Christmas at Chatsworth” which is on repeat again is a true reflection of what you will get now then think again.
It was made when Chatsworth was at its peak and before it fell off the edge of the cliff.
Go elsewhere with your time and money, there are other places to go in the area as well as further afield which know how to put on a show and make you feel welcome and value you as a Customer.
Chatsworth is a dinosaur and sadly has had its day and completely lost its way, it’s time to move on.

Don't read these reviews.
It is fabulous and really good value. The garden is beautiful and atmospheric with the light show projected onto the house being awesome.
Yes it's pricey in the shops but just go and look and enjoy. Had a wonderful and memorable time.
Thank you, this really must take some organising and all the the staff are fabulous and professional.

Disappointing christmas display, the lighting was so dark you couldn’t see the rooms or enjoy the history. Flooring not good on the xmas market for people with mobility issues and not enough seating.

I was disappointed with the display this year compared to previous year's it looked like it was done on a budget, very sparce. I had take my dad he loved it but had not seen previous year's. We did not have blue badge but we're given parking very near to the house .I would like to ssy my dad was also really looked after by the staff and offered lifts both up and down as had poor mobility .The market was very good but the warm food very pricey

I went to Chatsworh house yesterday and found the whole experience totally dissapointing The route through the house was very dark and the main things to see were just Christmas trees I paid a LOT of money for that I would also like to add that there were LOTS of stairs to climb a lot of people were having to sit down to recover And finally the toilets which were out side the house were anything but clean Just a really horrible experience altogether which I wont be repeating

The house was not very good at all this year.
Trees beautiful but no atmosphere ,very dark empty rooms. Looked like a lot of autumn wreaths still on display
The music was so depressing.#felt like a haunted christmas not a cheery one.
We come here every year. Worst ive seen for house decor.
Thanks though the gardens saved our day.
Won't be back try another stately home next year

Went to see the Christmas decorations in the House today. Really disappointed. On arrival we were met on the drive by staff who showed zero Christmas spirit. I could not view my QR code on my booking and had to repeat several times the number linked to it. We asked where we should as we had a blue badge. "Just drive on someone will show you" At the car park, the market was being dismantled. We were told there's no disabled parking despite booking one as the market was there! I drove down what I thought was a place to park when a man in yellow overalls said, "you can't park there, can't you see it's dangerous". I could see a lorry being loaded. If it was dangerous why didn't they close that section off.
Inside the tour was underwhelming. I like Christmas trees but that was basically it in every room. No carols, staff not dressed festively, no holly or mistletoe. Nothing for younger visitors. I've seen more Christmas spirit (not alcohol) in our local Sainsburys. Shame because I love the grounds and will go back there in the summer but not this

Car park attendants not helpfull at all.
coffees /snacks overpriced
Christmas House tour very dissapointing tbh, it was our first visit at xmas - prices to get in were not cheap, so we were expecting / hoping for a little magic!
The arcitecture of the house is lovely but there was only a small area of the house availiable for us to look at, there was not much imagination re decorations imo, there was no magic or theme - just a xmas tree decorated in each room. we wont go again.

I had the most pleasant experience today at chatsworth. I was helped and looked after by a lovely team at the car park entrance. The staff went over and beyond for me as I suffer from muscular dystrophy and couldn’t walk any further they said no problem and assisted me to there hut so I could sit down in the warm and wait for my partner to get the car. It just shows there are some amazing people in this world. Thank you again to the lovely staff

We have been in previous years and the experience is getting more and more disappointing, £30 for parking, £15 for a hot dog, £6 for a coffee, £15 for some chips... Yes £15 lol, of course you pay for the experience, but it is so flat and not at all Christmassy, they have your money so the just don't care... And at that point I just will not return...today was like visiting Donington market with a big house next to it instead of an airport. Shame on you Chattsworth... A Christmas Market it is not. 😬

Paid £24 for ‘Christmas in the Garden’. Complete waste of money. Nothing but a few trees with lights shining on them and a couple of lasers. Went to Blenheim last year which was amazing. I don’t know how they can get away with such a poor display. My front garden looks more Christmassy than this!

Staff great, accessibility great, artisan market great, selection of decorated Christmas trees great, Don't visit the house if you are expecting to find Santa and a traditional Christmas.

We have just returned home from the Christmas market today. The parking and stalls are overpriced, the place was really busy with people and worse of all some employees have no idea of disabilities. We were taking a 96 year old out for a treat. She does not drive and does not have a Disabled blue badge. She has recently fallen 3 times and cannot walk very far. An elderly officious man told us to catch the tractor and trailer he described as a one step entry which was impossible for her. In the end a young man, who was very pleasant and caring, came to the rescue and found a space higher up. Shame on you Chatsworth - not all disabled people have a Blue Badge and there is the Equality Act 2010 protection. Perhaps staff should be better trained. We will not be returning next year.

I have been for the last 2 years ..... The market was great thank goodness as the house and decorations were very disappointing compared to last year and found it too busy whilst trying to go through the house .. that makes the market a very expensive day out as although free the only way to get parking is to book tickets.

All weekend parking fully booked. Travelling alone and £30 to park is just too expensive anyway.
The market is sold as "free entry", £30 to me is certainly not free.
Thank you Chatsworth, come on, be more honest and show some Christmas goodwill!

It seems like there is an agenda to take Christ out of Christmas. It had no Christmas feel to it whatsoever. I have been in the past and my experience then was that I was extremely impressed. Now its more about fairies and mythical things rather than Christ-mas. The lighting was dark and thwre was hardly anything in there. Seems to be a massive cut back. So so disappointing to say the least