My first experience of a Youth Hostel was at YHA York back in 2002. It was everything you’d expect from a Youth Hostel – big dorm rooms, sharing with strangers and very basic facilities. We were 18 at the time and, at £16pppn, it was absolutely ideal for us!

Since then, YHA have invested millions of pounds renovating and upgrading their sites throughout the UK, introducing private bedrooms and bar/restaurant areas to most of their properties.

During the Summer holidays, I wanted to set Evie and Harry the challenge of climbing a peak and, where better to complete that challenge, than in the Lake District.

As always, my plans were very last minute so when I tried to book accommodation in Keswick, places were either fully booked or ridiculously priced.

That’s when YHA popped up on my radar for the first time in 17 years. The more I looked in to it, the more perfect it became! So I booked a family room with shared toilet and, a few days later, we hit the road.

First impressions, we were amazed! The location was absolutely spot on, the staff were super friendly, it had facilities you’d find in any other hotel and the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting.

We found our stay at YHA Keswick really family friendly, they’ve put a lot of thought in to occupying children, from the huge stash of boardgames to the daily activities. Evie and Harry found it all brilliant.

We’d booked breakfast with our stay and, again, I couldn’t fault it. With hot and cold food options and unlimited drinks, it was fantastic value for money.

After breakfast and checkout, and with a little guidance from the super smiley Simon, we climbed Latrigg. I’m pleased to report we made it to the top without a single complaint from the ones with little legs!

Since our YHA Keswick visit, we’ve stayed at YHA Ambleside and we were equally impressed with that site.

If you’re looking for family accommodation with really good nightly rates, I can’t recommend YHA enough. The private rooms are ideal!! We have a list of YHA sites we’re planning on visiting over the next 12 months so I’ll keep you all updated with our travels

If you fancy booking a stay, the YHA website can be found at https://www.yha.org.uk