This page: Luxury Hotels, Lake District See also: |
Welcome to Hotels Lake District Your guide to the best hotels in the Lake District - no matter what you're looking for, whether you want a 5 star luxury spa hotel or a cheap and cheerful B&B, we can help you find it!Hotels Lake DistrictSee the best Lake District bed and breakfasts here. If you're looking for a hotel in the Lake District, you've got so many hotels to choose from that you might find selecting the right one a real challenge. That's where we come in: with so many different types of hotel, and so many hotels in each category, ranging from spa hotels to country house hotels to budget hostels, you need a reliable guide to the properties that might suit you best, and you need to be sure that you're getting your accommodation booked at the cheapest possible rate. There are plenty of hotels Lake District with absolutely fabulous lakeside locations, hotels which overlook Windermere, as well as Coniston and many of the other lakes in the area. The Lake District also has plenty of hotels with luxurious spa facilities, and in some cases you can even relax and enjoy the view at the same time! If you're looking for a romantic break, or perhaps a luxurious weekend break, or even a five-star luxury treat to mark some special occasion, we should be able to help you. Most of the luxury hotels are centred on the Southern Lakes, ranging from Simon Rogan's "restaurant with rooms" (L'enclume) at Cartmel to the understated luxury of the Samling near Ambleside. Another difficulty you may have is in choosing your location: there are probably about 100 towns and villages which you can explore in the Lake District, and many of them have hotels Lake District to suit all tastes. Starting from Grange over Sands in the south, on the coast of Morecambe Bay, going north through Lakeside to Ambleside and Windermere in the Central Lakes, you'll certainly no shortage hotels to choose from. If you're looking for a little bit more excitement, perhaps a little bit more town life, you could take a city break in Carlisle, or explore the delights of the town centre at Kendal or Keswick, where you can stay in a hotel of any quality you choose close to shops, restaurants and bars. On the other hand, if you're not sure what you're looking for, you might want to browse through our range of hotels in the Lake District so that you get a feel for the options available. Because the Lake District has such a fascinatingly diverse landscape, and such a wide choice of hotel accommodation, a stay in the Lake District, whether it's for one night or for a month (or for that matter anything in between), is undoubtedly going to have you returning to the Lake District National Park for years to come. If you don’t associate the Lake District with luxury accommodation (a place of muddy boots and wet clothes!), then a visit there will prove you totally wrong. There are some really first rate places, ranging from seventeenth century inns to modern state of the art buildings, with palatial accommodation and a standard of service that you would only expect to find in London or New York. Here are just a few of them. Luxury Hotels Lake DistrictAppleby ManorOne of the hotels which we particularly like in the luxury category is Appleby Manor Country House Hotel. This hotel not only has luxury accommodation, but it also has the benefit of its own private leisure facilities. It's located in absolutely spectacular scenery in a position that allows you to explore both the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales: it's set in the rolling Pennine Hills in the Eden Valley. There are award-winning gardens, comfortable lounges, and an AA two rosette restaurant, so that no matter what the weather you will certainly be entertained, well fed, and extremely comfortable. Another hotel which has established its reputation over a number of years and which is situated right on the shores of Windermere, is the Lakeside Hotel, near Newby Bridge. It's based on a 17th century coaching inn, so it has oak panelling, real fires, and flagged floors, combined with luxurious bedrooms and traditional bars. Needless to say, the food is excellent, and you can sit in the conservatory while you enjoy an absolutely typical Lake District vista of fells, forests, and crystal clear water with boats bobbing about on Windermere. The Rothay Garden Hotel - Ambleside This is a Lake District Hotel situated on the edge of picturesque Grasmere village, nestling within two acres of classic Lake District riverside gardens, surrounded by the majestic Lakeland fells. The hotel has recently undergone a major redevelopment making it one of the most modern in the Lake District. You will find the very best choice of rooms and suites, fashionable lounge bars and the elegant candlelit Conservatory Restaurant overlooking the gardens. This hotel is arguably the finest in the Lake District. The Broadoaks Country House Hotel This is a modern boutique Lake District hotel set in a traditional Victorian country house with impressive grounds and gardens, situated near Troutbeck village. Particularly impressive is the ‘Music Room’, a guest lounge with a roaring fire and a Bechstein piano. The antique wood panelling and decorative frescoes blend perfectly with the impressive modern designer furniture. The recently refurbished Oaks Restaurant offers a variety of dishes, including some unique creations of the in-house chef. What a gorgeous country house hotel in the Lake District hotel! They offer stylish accommodation and a stimulating dining experience. Each bedroom is uniquely designed, with ‘superior rooms’ offering breathtaking views over Morecambe Bay. Even the standard rooms offer attractive views over the gardens and surrounding countryside. The designer restaurant presents an interesting and varied menu, complimented by a superior wine list. Eden Lodge also caters for weddings with a Pagoda in the gardens, which can accommodate up to 80 guests. Borrowdale Gates Country House Hotel Borrowdale Gates is one of the most beautifully located hotels in the Lake District, surrounded by fells and set in two acres of woodlands, close to the shores of Derwentwater. The writer Alfred Wainwright described the area as ‘The loveliest square mile in Lakeland.’ The accommodation consists of recently refurbished ensuite rooms affording breathtaking panoramic views of the Borrowdale valley and fells. The hotel is fully equipped with all modern conveniences and the dining room offers a quality international menu created from locally sourced produce. Leeming House at Ullswater Leeming House offers sheer elegance and total luxury at affordable prices. You will find Leeming House by the shores of Ullswater where guests may take advantage of the private fishing license. Built in the nineteenth century as a private country house retreat, the hotel now provides comfortable period accommodation for guests who want to relax and enjoy the breathtaking scenery, wonderful walks and wealth of leisure facilities the Lake District National Park has to offer. Set in 22 acres of mature gardens and woodland, the hotel has the ambience of peace and seclusion, yet is just a short drive from the motorway. The hotel lounges have the most comfortable sofas and armchairs for you to relax, take a drink and enjoy the views of the garden. You will find the staff to be friendly and charming and always on hand should you require anything. The Head Chef of the Regency Restaurant has a wealth of experience in culinary excellence and creativity, which combined with the carefully selected wine list make the Leeming a dining experience not to be missed. Lodore Falls Hotel is one of the top Lake District hotels, which combines admirably appointed rooms with a relaxed atmosphere. Built in the Victorian style in traditional Lakeland slate, it has been recently purchased by the Graves family who run it a family business. Set in its 40 acres of grounds, with lake frontage and with the dramatic backdrop of the spectacular Lodore Falls, the house has 69 Fell and Lake View rooms, all of which have modern facilities. I took the spectacular Tower Room with amazing panoramic views. Fresh flowers and period furniture give the feel of a welcoming private house and the Lake View Restaurant is renowned for the excellent cuisine, prepared and served by the head chef with flair and imagination to the highest of standards and complemented by an extensive wine list. Linthwaite House Hotel - Bowness Linthwaite Country House Hotel is the perfect place to go for total luxury in accommodation coupled with a stimulating dining experience. You can find it on the outskirts of Windermere, just a few minutes walk from the lake, set in some of the finest scenery in the Lake District. This purpose built hotel was made for those who appreciate the finer things in life, and who are accustomed to being looked after in a professional manner. The accommodation consists of thirty superbly decorated bedrooms. When I was there recently, I took the Luxury Loft Suite with its retractable glass roof panel, which affords a magnificent view of the starlit sky, best seen at full moon. The suite also has a colossal Italian freestanding designer bath and there is even a tile TV in the bathroom. Richard, the head chef, personally supervises the restaurant, where he creates a range of dishes in the ‘modern British’ style. Linthwaite House describes itself as one of the finest Lake District luxury hotels, which is a bold claim: let's see if it's true! Hotels Lake District has been looking at the reviews on tripadvisor.com, and this is what we found. First of all, out of 333 reviews, 254 were rated excellent, and 49 were rated very good. Typical comments included: "We have just returned from another wonderful stay… This hotel offers everything we look for… The staff are really caring, the hotel cares about its clients." "We have stayed many times at Linthwaite House and have never had anything other than a superb experience. The staff both in the hotel and restaurant manage to strike as an exact balance between friendliness and professional service. The bedrooms have always been absolutely spotless, and the restaurant has an ambience which is absolutely suited to the excellent and highly varied menu which is on offer – the food is one of the highlights of our stay." It's certainly true that there have been one or two negative reviews on the tripadvisor.com website, but my experience of this review service is that no matter how good a hotel is in reality, there are always a number of complaints and bad reviews. Over the years I've come to believe that these are written by "professional moaners", since whenever we have been to a hotel Lake District that has achieved over 90% positive reviews, the hotel has invariably turned out to be absolutely superb! That's why we tend to discount one or two negative reviews on tripadvisor when the majority are positive - and the fact is that Linthwaite Country House Hotel is one of the hotels Lake District which achieves a very positive overall rating. Linthwaite House is ideally situated overlooking Lake Windermere and the Lake District fells. It has 30 superbly decorated and furnished bedrooms, each done an individual style. It's a country house hotel that manages to rise way above the chintzy, floral decor which we've come to expect in past decades from this kind of property in England. Instead, Linthwaite House Hotel Lake District has bedrooms which are furnished with modern fabrics and luxurious touches that make all the difference to the comfort of a guest's stay, such as luxury bathroom products, a free CD player, free mineral water, and luxury bathrobes. There are several levels of bedroom to suit all tastes, but what's great about this hotel is the majority of bedrooms are equipped with king-sized beds. It's a good idea to take a thorough look at the website before you book any room in the hotel, so you know exactly which level of accommodation would suit you best, particularly bearing in mind that some of the rooms look out onto the fells, and some look out onto Lake Windermere. Over the years, what we've established with great certainty about hotels Lake District is that some of them are definitely lacking in investment, and so eventually develop a very worn feel. Linthwaite House bucks this trend by investing money in its facilities, and this is particularly evident in the bedrooms. As far as the restaurant is concerned in this hotel Lake District, we describe it as informal yet discreet and professional. The dress code is smart casual, with dinner available from 7 to 9 pm in the evening. There's a conservatory in which you can take an aperitif before dinner whilst you enjoy extraordinary and spectacular views over Lake Windermere. The restaurant has won many awards over the years, and is recommended in the Good Food Guide. For a typical four course dinner including pre-dinner drinks and coffee with petits fours after dinner, you'd expect to pay around £54. But the hotel is very flexible and can offer a simple a la carte menu. The menu extends to such delicacies as mosaic of rabbit confit, breast of quail, and crab bavarois. If this all sounds little exotic, don't be put off because there's plenty of familiar choices such as Cumbrian beef fillet, roast filleted cod, and line caught sea bass. In essence the fact of the matter is that this is an excellent hotel which provides superb accommodation and a wonderful dining experience for a price that is actually more reasonable than some of its local competitors. Summary: If you're looking for a four or five-star experience in a hotel Lake District, Linthwaite House is one that you should seriously consider. Lindeth Howe is a gorgeous country house hotel offering elegant accommodation and a stimulating dining experience. This was once the country retreat of author, Beatrice Potter, who penned many of her famous works here. It was built in nineteenth century and still retains the mood of that stylish period, but has been carefully modernised to afford every modern convenience. Today it provides a serene luxurious environment for the hotel guests. Each bedroom is uniquely designed, with all rooms offering breathtaking views over Lake Windermere, the landscaped gardens or the woodland and fells in the distance. I particularly liked the gracious period lounge and the contrasting modern sun terrace, each of which provided the ultimate in relaxation. Marc, the head chef, personally supervises the restaurant, where he creates a selection of dishes that have made him a celebrity in the locality. The cuisine, accompanied by an excellent wine list, and the finest accommodation make Lindeth Howe one of the supreme locations in the Lake District. Gilpin Lodge Country House Hotel is a classic country house hotel near Windermere in the heart of the Lake District. As one of the top hotels in Lake District, it combines impeccably furnished bedrooms with a relaxed atmosphere. The original Edwardian country house, built in 1901 but extensively refurbished in 2009, has kept its antique Arts and Crafts charm, but has come to terms with modern interior design. The house is owned and managed by the Cunliffe family who have been in the hotel business for generations and whose forbears lived in Gilpin Lodge in its early years. The building has moved beyond the original house, with extensions sympathetically added, and taking advantage of modern building design with spacious rooms and extensive windows providing natural light. When I visit, I stay at the The Lake House, an extension with a spa on the ground floor with patio doors that open onto the lawn leading down to the lake. In the restaurant, dining is treated as an experience to be relished to the full, both classical and modern cuisine emphasising local produce, prepared and served to the highest of standards with flair and imagination. The dishes are complimented by a wine list, which features over 200 items, with some very fine and interesting vintages. The Lake District has been offering hospitality to visitors since the first tourism started in the late 1700s after William Wordsworth and his fellow lakes poets popularised the Lake District as a destination for visitors. Nowadays, the Lake District attracts over two million visitors a year, and as a result has developed a wide range of accommodation at every level of luxury and budget. There really is something to suit all possible tastes and needs. Indeed, www.HotelsLakeDistrict.org features some of the finest hotels in the country. Among these we must include the Samling, Gilpin Lodge, Holbeck Ghyll, and Linthwaite House. But to single out any particular Lake District hotel is very challenging, because visitors' needs differ so much. And, being primarily a walking area, albeit with many interesting tourist attractions for children and adults who are not so energetic, there aren't too many hotels with full leisure or spa facilities in the Lake District, though these have recently become more popular and there are some very good facilities available.
But you don't have to be a walker to appreciate the
delights of Lake District hotels, because in among all the other gems, the
Lake District actually has three Michelin starred hotel restaurants. The most popular area of the Lake District for tourists is probably around Bowness, Ambleside and Windermere, and it is here that most of the luxury hotels are located. Nonetheless, if you travel to the west side of Cumbria there are some absolutely delightful small country house hotels, and in the north of the Lakes you'll find Armathwaite Hall ready and waiting to provide you with a luxurious experience. In practice, this means it's important to plan your journey so that you find the right combination of accommodation, facilities, attractions, and walking, depending on what you're interested in. Our advice is to start out with a clear idea of exactly what you're looking for: for example, you might decide that you just want a luxurious, relaxing break. Or you might want a walking holiday with accommodation suitably located so that you can rest after a day trekking the fells. If it's a romantic break you're after, then we certainly have some superb recommendations for you: the hotels whose staff know exactly what lovers want, and who can provide an atmosphere in which you're free to relax and indulge as much as you wish. There again, if you're looking for a family hotel that's child friendly, there are plenty of Lakes hotels ready and willing to oblige. The Lakes has been a favourite family destination for decades, and the hotels that we list in our child- and family-friendly section know all about meeting the needs of every member of your family from the youngest to the oldest. It's also worth remembering there are many bed-and-breakfasts in the Lake District which have been refurbished to match the standards of high-class boutique hotels: these can offer a luxurious and yet intimate experience which rivals the comfort and informal friendliness of the most luxurious hotels the Lakes has to offer. Browse through the pages below and see what we have to offer. By the way, we highly recommend using the services of Laterooms.com once you've decided where you wish to stay, since this can save you considerable money on the full price of the hotel. Admittedly, if you're booking well in advance then Laterooms.com may not be the best option (hotels post their best deals at fairly short notice to fill rooms for which they do not have bookings), but for a last-minute break, or a last-minute booking, they provide excellent customer service and have the widest range of hotels in the Lake District in any single location. We would also be very interested to hear of any recommendations which you may have Lake District hotels, or any comments or criticisms, observations -- both good and bad -- you'd like to feedback to other readers to help them decide where to stay. Simply e-mail rod@lakedistrictguides.co.uk and we'll incorporate your feedback into our reviews for the benefit of other readers. With all best wishes, Rod
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Weather report: Carlisle
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