Best luxury and boutique hotels in the Lake District

With its towers and battlements this Victorian-folly castle, in 15 acres of grounds, looks imposing yet 'you actually feel like it is your castle'.

Storrs Hall, Windermere

With an enviable position on Windermere, this Georgian hall has a relaxed country house feel, with formal and casual dining options, and bedrooms ranging from family friendly to seriously swanky.

The Queen’s Head, Penrith

Cosy, low-ceilinged and wood fire-warmed, this smartly refurbished 17th-century pub in the centre of a Lake District village is ‘friendly, fun and very convivial’.

George and Dragon, Clifton

‘A friendly, proper local pub bar, as well as a restaurant’, this 18th-century coaching inn at the heart of the Lowther Estate is set back from the A6, with a view of fields and grazing horses

The Yan at Broadrayne, Ambleside

Refreshingly different from some of the more traditional Lake District offerings, this contemporary hotel is in a beautiful setting overlooking Grasmere.

1863, Pooley Bridge

In a touristy village on the River Eamont, at the head Ullswater, this restaurant-with-rooms provided our inspector with ‘one of the finest dining experiences I’ve had’.

Hare and Hounds, Kendal

In a Lyth valley village on the edge of the Lake District, Becky and Ash Dewar transformed a 16th-century hostelry into this family-friendly village pub.

Forest Side, Grasmere

Ten minutes from Wordsworth’s Grasmere, a Victorian mansion has been completely made over to create this super-luxury hotel with Michelin-starred dining and superb accommodation.

Borrowdale Gates, Keswick

In three wooded acres, this former private country house combines spacious accommodation, contemporary comforts, spectacular valley views and a restaurant showcasing Cumbrian produce.

The Grasmere Hotel, Grasmere

Beyond a tree-lined drive, this Victorian villa, home to a small country house hotel, is in the safe hands of new owners Simon and Kate Hustler.

The Swan Hotel & Spa, Newby Bridge

‘In a beautiful setting at the tip of Lake Windermere, overlooking the River Leven,’ this family-friendly hotel unveiled an extension in 2022.

Victorian House, Grasmere

A second venture for the team behind London’s Georgian House Hotel (see entry), the former Oak Bank Hotel has had a boutique makeover.

The Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale

This ‘splendid old inn’ in a market town between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales deftly mixes historic charm – beams, crackling fires and exposed stonework – with an updated, modern touch.

Clare House, Grange-over-Sands

There is a ‘special character’ about this timeless hotel, a Victorian villa in landscaped gardens overlooking Morecambe Bay.

Hazel Bank, Keswick

For many guests, Hazel Bank is the epitome of a small country-house hotel, offering 'fantastic food, a great wine selection, charming hosts' along with the a picturesque valley setting, captivating views and walks from the doorstep.

The Punch Bowl Inn, Kendal

To find a gem in a quiet corner of the visitor-thronged Lake District is not easy, but this smart village inn in the lovely Lyth valley is, as one reader reports, ‘always a favourite’.

Lyzzick Hall, Keswick

Against a backdrop of Lyzzick Wood, from its vantage on the lower slopes of Skiddaw, this Victorian gentleman’s residence, once home to naturalist and cartographer Joseph Flintoft, has simply glorious fell views.

Westmorland Hotel, Penrith

Banish images of fast-food outlets and slot machines when you break your journey at Tebay on wild and woolly Shap Fell, 60 miles from the Scottish border.

Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere

With its indulgent bedrooms, Michelin-starred dining, attentive staff and guaranteed privacy, many look to Gilpin as the ultimate in Lakeland luxury.

The Bay Horse, Ulverston

A 17th-century former coaching inn overlooking the Levens estuary is today a likeable, dog-friendly pub-with-rooms, offering homely bedrooms, some with balcony, casual bar meals, and dinner served by candlelight in the conservatory.

The House at Temple Sowerby, Penrith

Welcoming owners ensure guests’ dogs feel at home at their country house B&B, an elegant retreat in the Eden valley, with well-appointed bedrooms in the main house and coach house, and first-class breakfasts.

Howtown Hotel, Penrith

If you want a hotel with hi-tech wizardry and hot tubs, this place is not for you, but ‘if you are happy with traditional hospitality’ and ‘like to be cosseted, Howtown Hotel will do nicely’.

New House Farm, Cockermouth

Away from the Lake District’s hot spots, in quiet Lorton Vale north of Buttermere, this whitewashed farmhouse B&B mixes rustic authenticity with modern comforts.

Rothay Garden Hotel, GRASMERE

Just a short walk from the tourist honeypot of Grasmere, an extended Victorian country house in wooded gardens, on the River Rothay, set against a backdrop of fells, is now in the ownership of Bespoke Hotels.

Aynsome Manor, Grange-over-Sands

Step back in time to an age of quiet elegance at this 400-year-old manor house, run as a 'wonderful, charming B&B', with views over farmland to pretty Cartmel village and its Norman priory church.

Rothay Manor, Ambleside

They're serious about their food at this idyllic manor house hotel on the outskirts of Ambleside, with walks from the door and superb facilities for both humans and their four-legged friends.

Farlam Hall, Brampton

There is a relaxed, timeless ambience at this grown-up 19th-century country house (Relais & Château), but things have moved on apace, with fine dining now at the very heart of the operation.

Lindeth Fell, Bowness-on-Windermere

A new era begins for this Edwardian country house above Lake Windermere, in gardens that melt into the glorious landscape.

Leathes Head Hotel, Keswick

Many regard Borrowdale as the Lake District’s most picturesque valley, and this comfortable Edwardian country house has one of its finest locations.

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Where to stay in the Lake District

Surrounded by one of the UK’s largest National Parks with mountains, lakes and thriving communities, the Lake District remains one of the country’s most popular places to escape and in no small part that’s because of the exemplary hospitality at its hotels.

With its lakes, fells and mountains, the Lake District is one of the most beautiful places in BritainThe main bases are Keswick in the north, Windermere and Bowness in the south. Cockermouth and Coniston are less touristy.

Hotel accommodation ranges from luxurious and expensive to simple if sometimes quite basic and there are lots of youth hostels. Much of this national park is administered by the National Trust. Visit Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage and museum in Ambleside, and the family’s graves at St Oswald’s church in Grasmere.

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