Review Time
I have had many good experiences since 1986 staying with HF Holidays both in the UK and abroad. However, I had a bad experience in October 2025 staying at the Peveril of the Peak (Dovedale). On arrival all the guests were told the hotel had to close the next morning due to a problem with a pipe that supplied calor gas needed for cooking, heating and hot water. So we all had to leave the next morning. I was dependent on rail transport. Mercifully the trains were running but the day I had to leave had been pencilled in as a strike day. Fortunately the strike threat was lifted. Had it not been I could not have got home. I would have had to book in somewhere else at short notice which could have been a problem given that many other guests from the hotel would have been doing likewise.
I have googled the question "how often do hotel guests have to leave a hotel because of problems with the power supply". The answer I got was that this does not happen because hotels have back up systems such as generators which can provide enough power to allow the hotel to remain open. This is not the case in respect of this hotel.
I spent Christmas at the Peveril of the Peak some years ago. If the same had happened then it would not have been possible to book in somewhere else at short notice and there would have been no trains on Christmas Day.
I got a full refund from HF in respect of this episode and £100 of my next HF Holiday, but my confidence in staying with HF has been shaken by this experience. Staying at a HF hotel is not cheap. I would have expected all HF hotels to have some sort of back up system in the event of power failures. I have never had an experience like this with any other hotel chain and I do not know anyone else who has.
Tried to pay my balance on my holiday by phone on Saturday as the line closes at 1p.m.This was very protracted.I left a call back message over 30 minutes later still no response.So I had to make a second call before the lines closed at 1pm Finally got through before the deadline at 1pm to complete paying the balance.Tried to explain my concerns to the operator but felt to little avail.This is the first time I have booked with HF and I am a member but off putting experience for me to consider further bookings.
I have been an HF customer since the 1980's and have seen this travel organisation go downhill gradually. This December, we booked a holiday in Yorkshire in Newfield Hall amongst other things to celebrate my 70th birthday. The house was lovely and so were the staff and walks leaders. We booked the holiday well in advance and the trip information specified that HF offered a transfer from Skipton railway station for £15 per person. This was in fact more than the local taxi company charged for two people, i.e. £20. When we arrived we found out from the other guests that they had been offered free transfers, free alcohol from the bar and huge discounts on the price of the holiday. Apparently, HF management wanted the house full and therefore had offered cut price holidays (midweek and weekends) for late bookers. The amount some of the other guests had paid for a midweek or weekend stay was so much lower than our full week price that even when you added up a weekend and midweek stay the total price would have been lower. Incidentally, we were the only two guests that stayed the whole week. We were very disappointed that we had not been informed about the free transfer, and that we had not been offered the same discount on our holiday than the other guests. Moreover, because many guests were attracted by the free alcohol, the demographic was quite different and many people were not there for a walking break, but for a break with free alcohol and low prices. On my return on 16 December, I wrote a letter to HF complaining about this, but have not heard a thing. I am a member but am considering giving up my membership and most certainly, I will not be booking early for a trip with HF again, because the later you book, the lower the prices!
After a number of attempts to speak to HF I did eventually manage to speak to them and book my holiday ( yippee!). This conversation involved me asking for and receiving a guarantee I’d be allowed to join the land transfer if I booked my flights from Manchester. Weeks later I have received an email out of the blue saying… sorry, you can’t join the transfer! Hoping the recorded message when you phone them saying conversations are recorded is infact true as it will reflect this absolutely unacceptable behaviour. There is no way I can travel to the hotel in time for the holiday now my flights are booked. Unfair? Definitely. Unprofessional? Definitely. Chances of them ringing me and having the decency to explain.., extremely unlikely. Shambles.
We have now spent almost one month trying to contact HF to find out what happened to some items we very foolishly left in our room at Nythfa House in Brecon. We have left voicemails at Nythfa House (no response), emailed info@HF and reservations@HF (one reply from Rakhee stating that she would forward my email to NH), two further emails since then chasing this (no reply), and phoned HF (no answer). NH had all our contact details on the registration forms so it would have ben a simple enough task to contact us. We have also repeatedly left our details on voicemails and emails, and have offered to fully reimburse postage, send an additional tip for NH staff and/or donate to the Pathways Fund. We are getting nowhere with HF. It is the most appalling customer service we have ever encountered. Such a shame as we enjoyed our stay at NH and we are new HF members who are now going to cancel our memberships. It is the first time we have ever left anything in a hotel room in all the years we have travelled. It was a stupid thing to do, but mistakes happen. Obviously, HF's policy is that if you leave any items in your room, don't expect to see them again.A member of staff did get in touch following this review, but after so many weeks our property has not been located. We assume it was disposed of when the room was serviced after our departure.
I have had many good experiences since 1986 staying with HF Holidays both in the UK and abroad. However, I had a bad experience in October 2025 staying at the Peveril of the Peak (Dovedale). On arrival all the guests were told the hotel had to close the next morning due to a problem with a pipe that supplied calor gas needed for cooking, heating and hot water. So we all had to leave the next morning. I was dependent on rail transport. Mercifully the trains were running but the day I had to leave had been pencilled in as a strike day. Fortunately the strike threat was lifted. Had it not been I could not have got home. I would have had to book in somewhere else at short notice which could have been a problem given that many other guests from the hotel would have been doing likewise. I have googled the question "how often do hotel guests have to leave a hotel because of problems with the power supply". The answer I got was that this does not happen because hotels have back up systems such as generators which can provide enough power to allow the hotel to remain open. This is not the case in respect of this hotel. I spent Christmas at the Peveril of the Peak some years ago. If the same had happened then it would not have been possible to book in somewhere else at short notice and there would have been no trains on Christmas Day. I got a full refund from HF in respect of this episode and £100 of my next HF Holiday, but my confidence in staying with HF has been shaken by this experience. Staying at a HF hotel is not cheap. I would have expected all HF hotels to have some sort of back up system in the event of power failures. I have never had an experience like this with any other hotel chain and I do not know anyone else who has.
Unfortunate a 1. Just read a review from Simi, recently published here and agree entirely. I’m a long time and usually very happy customer, but the online booking system and trying to get through when that doesn’t work has become a nightmare.I’ve twice recently booked a solo trip online, then gone through the whole online booking and payment process to be told at the last minute that ‘something has gone wrong’. Which means that they don’t now have the room that they allocated to you.Then spend a long time getting through on the phone, just tone told it’s ’hard luck’
Advertise themselves as dog friendly, but in only four of their UK hotels. In these hotels you cannot take your dog into indoor communal areas i.e. restaurant and bar you can only leave your dog in the room for dinner and any after dinner activities but they also say that cannot leave your dog in the room for extended periods.So in conclusion, I would say that they are misleading people in suggesting that they are dog friendly, more like dog unfriendly to me. I certainly wouldn't stay in these conditions with my dog and can't believe that anybody would given the stated restrictions and at the same have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday.My first attempt to call them, phone rang and rang, someone answered and hung up. Next attempt I waited on the phone for over 30 minutes, before my call was answered, which is also a pretty poor customer service.No reply to emails.Based on my own experience, and looking at their overall ratings, I'm glad I haven't ventured any further to try and book something.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
An award-winning British heritage brand, HF Holidays has been leading the way for walking and special interest holidays since 1913.
Choose from over 260 thoughtfully-curated guided and self-guided tours and holidays in six continents, covering nearly 40 destinations in Europe and the rest of the world. We also own and manage 16 characterful UK country houses, all of which are just a skip away from some of the best-loved national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. See more
vietnam-immigration.org
billionstarsexpress.com
avalonwaterways.com
latinamericaforless.com
volunteerhq.org
vegas.com
adventure-charter.hr
travelingbaby.com
cunard.com
netflights.com
