Cumbria

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About Cumbria

Edging onto Scotland, Cumbria is a county of natural grandeur, encompassing showstoppers the Lake District, the North Pennines, the Eden Valley, and some of the Yorkshire Dales. Its fells and lakeland are really something; its coastline is spectacular and includes Morecambe Bay and the Solway. Man has added to this grand canvas too, and Cumbria also boasts the western end of Hadrian’s Wall, numerous defensive castles and forts, pretty market towns, numerous National Trust properties, and some wonderfully converted country house estates — now become some of the best places to stay in Cumbria. These graceful country house hotels feature prominently on our list of recommendations, but we’ve also picked out some charming B&Bs, welcoming pubs with rooms, a few lovely, traditional hotels, and a couple of totally wonderful spa escapes.

The magical Lake District is one of Cumbria’s highlights, and some of the best places to stay in Cumbria can be found within the boundaries of this national park. Windermere and Ambleside on Lake Windermere are obvious choices, but by no means overrated, Windermere is one of the largest of the lakes, with Scafell Pike and some of the best known fells creating a dramatic backdrop. Or you could take Wordsworth’s advice and stay in Grasmere, which he called "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found”. Keswick and Penrith are both charming market towns to the north, close to Ullswater, and Grange over Sands is another charmer, though this time on Morecambe Bay.

Cumbria is all mountains and valleys, and has every peak in England over 3,000 feet, so the best places to stay in Cumbria are often recommended to walkers. But you don’t have to be a fell-walker to enjoy exploring Cumbria on foot — there are hundreds of nice trails to stroll, with something marked out for every level of fitness.

The Best Places to Stay in Cumbria

For a Special Occasion

The Gilpin Hotel & Lake House was one of the Lake District’s first really luxurious country house hotels. The sort with a Michelin starred restaurant, and private hot tubs, rowing boats and a truly fantastic spa. The original building is Edwardian, and offers a feeling of traditional luxury, then in the 21 acres surrounding the house are contemporary, Scandi-style Garden Suites — which are ideal for families, and cool glass and wood Spa Lodges. Then there’s the six bedroom Lake House, which has its own pool, hot tubs and sauna, and a chauffeur. There are two restaurants, incredible gardens, and tame llamas and alpacas too.
Brimstone is a bold, slate-and-glass chalet-style hotel with just 16 large spacious, contemporary suites. It’s an ultra-modern affair, strikingly constructed out of local stone and lots of glass. This is a hotel designed to indulge, with sumptuous furnishings, huge beds, roll-top baths, open fireplaces — and butlers to light them, and run your bath too. They will also organise walks and wet weather gear to match, and drive you to and from the restaurant of Brimstone’s sister hotel, The Langdale.
The Lodore Falls Hotel is an impressive, Victorian country house on the water at picturesque Borrowdale, with a gorgeous mountain backdrop, and 71 charming rooms and suites. Rooms in the main hotel are traditionally dressed, with lake-views, while the newer, separate suites have a Scandinavian feel to their contemporary style, lots of space and decked balconies — if you stay in the suites you also get complimentary access to the spa. There are two restaurants onsite, and there's a salon for afternoon tea. It’s all set on 40 acres of picturesque Lake District countryside. Think long walks followed by open fires and serious pampering!

For a Country House Escape

Converted from an Edwardian country house positioned on a hilltop overlooking Lake Windermere and the Fells, Linthwaite House Hotel offers the whole Lake District luxury package. The restaurant is award winning, the art collection will constantly impress, and every comfort has been considered, for your kids and your dog too. Six Lake Suites were recently added, and these sit just up the hill from the main house, offering great views, and a huge amount of space and log fires; but for something really special, book the lake-view suite with private hot tub or one of the two Fell suites which also have their own outdoor tub!
The Ryebeck is a country house hotel converted from a substantial Edwardian manor house, overlooking Windermere — it's only five miles from Bowness-on-Windermere, but sufficiently far from the crowds to make it feel like a proper country escape. The atmosphere is warm, with fuss-free decor in the 24 rooms and suites; the communal areas are the same, with simple, comfortable details and fantastic views. The restaurant occupies the dining rooms and conservatory, and its modern British fare is well practised.
Rothay Manor is an elegant country house hotel, surrounded by lush, established gardens on the outskirts of Ambleside. With 19 rooms and suites, this is a good-sized hotel for peace and quiet, in a fantastic spot for walkers. Spacious and well-lit rooms are decorated with riffs on the country house luxury theme, think neutral and pastel colours, velvet throws and a pleasing amount of silver and gold. We recommend you opt for a balcony room. The modern British restaurant is well regarded, and the breakfast is far from ordinary. It all feels like a very nice treat.

For the Lake District Experience

The Samling Hotel offers the whole luxury Lake District package, including views of headliner Lake Windermere, acres of gardens and fancy afternoon teas. There are just 11 light, airy rooms and suites in this converted Georgian Gothic Revival manor house; they’re decorated with variations on the theme of contemporary luxury in pastels and the largest are in private cottages. The restaurant is memorable for all the right reasons — including the view — and the activities and facilities on site are excellent.

For the Views

Holbeck Ghyll is one of the Lake District’s original country house hotels, a beautifully converted Arts and Crafts hunting lodge with stunning views over Lake Windermere. In addition to the essentials, Holbeck Ghyll has croquet lawns, tennis courts, proper afternoon teas and multi-course evening meals. The decor complements the original William Morris details, except in the converted cottages and more recently built lodges, where you can expect something more contemporary — and private hot tubs.
Georgian built, the white, low-rise mansion of Storrs Hall in Bowness-on-Windermere has now been converted into an elegant, 30 room hotel. The panoramic views of Windermere are still one of the Hall’s best features, along with the lawns that run all the way down to the water’s edge. We like the bar, which is in a tower overlooking the water, and serves friendly pub-style food, but there’s also a fine-dining restaurant. Accommodation in the main house is country house style, but they also have a collection of separate chalet suites by the water.
Hillthwaite is a chic, contemporary conversion in a quiet, hilltop spot between Windermere Town and Bowness-on-Windermere. The views from the terrace of the hotel are the first reason to be impressed, it’s not only the lake you can see, but the Fells too, and miles and miles of Cumbrian countryside. You’re close to the lake and the town, but far enough away to feel like you’re escaping. Inside, Hillthwaite offers 34 rooms and suites, plus a pool, sauna and steam room to help add to the feeling of relaxation and escape. Not all of the rooms and suites share the incredible views, but you can still take advantage of them in the restaurant, the gardens, and on the terrace. The hotel’s friendly staff are another of our favourite features.

For Walkers

Howe Keld is well positioned between the market town of Keswick and Derwentwater, with wonderful views of the hills and fells surrounding the whole area. The property has been converted from a row of residential homes, and inside it now offers 12 spacious and light rooms and suites. The designer has plumped for bright, cheerfully coloured feature walls in many of the rooms, but has otherwise stuck to simple wooden furnishing and plenty of white. The couple who own the hotel are keen outdoors folk, and have lots of great recommendations and advice. The Swiss husband is a chef by training, and offers up a fantastic breakfast and the best coffee in town.
Lindeth Fell is a luxurious, Edwardian B&B set above Lake Windermere. Everything about this property says country house hotel, from the plush, traditional decor, the welcoming sitting room, the sweeping grounds, to the stylish rooms with their fancy bathrooms, robes, sherry decanters, and coffee machines. There’s an elegant dining room where grand breakfasts and afternoon teas are served, and you can also order a handsome supper plate, but there’s not a formal restaurant — which is why ‘B&B’.

For a View of the Coast

Bay Villa is a beautifully converted late-Georgian terrace in Grange-over-Sands, with just three elegant, and huge, rooms. Intimate and impressive — with four-poster beds, grand fireplaces and wonderful views of the coastline — this is a romantic choice. Aside from the hallway there is no communal space, but there is plenty of space for a decadent breakfast to be served in your room. One room is wood panelled, and another has a roll-top bath in the bay window overlooking the bay.

For Old Fashioned Charm

The Grange Hotel is a genteel old hotel in Grange-over-Sands, built in the local silvery Lake District stone in 1866 in a Victorian Italianate style. The overall impression, inside and out, is of old fashioned luxury — think good quality antiques, extra draped designs on the curtains and beds, and plush soft furnishings. There are 50 rooms and suites in all, and there are the contemporary facilities to match, including an indoor pool, hot tub, beauty salon, and a gym, as well as the bar and excellent restaurant. The welcome is warm and the view reviving.
The Haweswater Hotel is an Art Deco style building put up in 1937, when the reservoir it sits beside was created. It’s perfectly designed for its location, with lots of large windows overlooking the water. Many of the building’s original features survive today, and the current owners have sourced period pieces to match — including original travel posters and a 1930s soundtrack. It has just 17 rooms and suites, plus comfortable communal rooms and a brasserie restaurant.

Great Pubs with Rooms

The Wild Boar is a traditional coaching inn on the eastern edge of the Lake District National Park, just above Bowness-on-Windermere. The atmosphere is cosy and welcoming, with low, beamed ceilings, open fireplaces and comfortably worn-in leather furniture. The pub serves excellent pub fare, and they specialise in smoking things (they have their own smokehouse) and brewing things (they have their own micro-brewery too). Some of the 34 rooms and suites are suitable for families.
In a plum spot in the heart of friendly Keswick, The Royal Oak is a former Georgian mail inn and magistrate’s court, turned cosy pub-with-rooms. The pub is still the heart of The Royal Oak, but it’s been seriously brought up to date, and is now more of a smart gastro pub, with spacious, low-ceilinged dining rooms, and large open fireplaces. It’s owned by Thwaites, so this is a good opportunity to sample the Lancashire brewer’s ales. The 18 guest rooms are on the cosy side, but are well arranged to make use of the space, and decorated with country house hotel style.

For Couples

The Langdale Hotel & Spa is a collection of low-lying, traditional slate buildings, set in a forested estate — it used to be a gunpowder factory for the local mining industry. This has allowed for a far more contemporary creation, with lots of glass and local stone, and plenty of scope for a range of room sizes and shapes, and a seriously state-of-the-art spa. Amongst the 50 rooms and suites are some super romantic options, with in-room slipper baths, plush furnishings, and private balconies. The spa is good enough to be mentioned in the name, and has a large indoor pool, a thermal spa and a long treatment menu. The restaurant is bright and contemporary too.
The Windermere Boutique Hotel is an Edwardian house, turned 13 room hotel. Each of the rooms has been individually designed and decorated, in a colourful country house style. Some of the rooms have private hot tubs, or four-poster beds if you’re looking for a romantic pick.
Victorian on the outside, but colourfully contemporary on the inside, Windermere’s Cedar Manor is the sort of small country house hotel where you get a feeling of being the guest at a house party, almost as much as being a paying guest. There are ten rooms and suites, all spacious, with decent sized bathrooms and bespoke furnishings. Some of the rooms, including the entirely separate Coach House, have a private hot tub. Plus there’s a cosy lounge and a fine-dining restaurant.
Applegarth Villa is an adults-only boutique bolthole, converted from a charming Victorian mansion. Applegarth has 15 rooms and seven suites, all confidently, and uniquely, decorated, with design pieces, contemporary art and comfort in mind — the suites all have their own outdoor hot tub, plus extra living space. The restaurant is relaxed, and there’s a cool cocktail bar with a huge collection of whiskies.

For Families

Windermere’s Lindeth Howe is a charming, Victorian mansion once owned by Beatrix Potter. Today the house has been polished up to contemporary standards, with simple decor in the 34 rooms and suites — which come in a useful range of sizes, from doubles and triples to family rooms and suites — and a busier, cosier, and more colourful contemporary take in the bar, dining room and lounge. We like the cosier attic rooms, and the fantastic views in the garden and lake-view rooms. Outside are beautiful gardens which roll down to the lake, which is just a pleasant stroll away. Dinner is a smart, two-AA rosette affair where dressing up is encouraged.
Built in the 17th century, but still cosily charming today, the Masons Arms is a typical Lakeland inn, overlooking the quiet Winster Valley, with an excellent restaurant, and rooms above. It also has a collection of cottages just behind, which have been converted into very comfortable family accommodation — sleeping up to six. The cottages all have self-catering facilities, and private terraces.

Best B&Bs

Converted from a rather elegant Victorian villa, The Windermere Suites is now a chic, eight suite B&B positioned between Windermere and Bowness. There’s a monochrome design aesthetic, which runs to charcoal walls and black sofas in some rooms, and shimmery wallpaper in others. Guests can also expect glass tables and white or silver-painted furniture. The overall effect is definitely seductive, especially when you add the in-room breakfasts.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

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Travel Information

Cumbria is easily reached by road or rail. Depending on where you’re heading to precisely you can get all the way from London by train in about three and a half hours, and it’s about the same from Edinburgh. And if you’re planning to fly right in, the most convenient international airports will probably be Manchester Airport, Liverpool Airport or Newcastle International Airport.
If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
Unsurprisingly, Cumbria is warmest and driest in the spring and summer, from about March through until September, but it’s very easy to argue that it's beautiful in all seasons — Wordsworth definitely did... There’s enough indoor activity to hold off boredom on wetter days — take a cruise on one of the lakes in the Lake District, visit the local National Trust properties, or one of Cumbria’s many museums or galleries, or just walk in the rain. The autumn colours have a wonderful reputation, it’s almost as lauded as spring, but the key thing is to pack wet weather gear for the right weight of whatever time you’re travelling.

Still not sure where to stay?

You could refine you search to just our recommendations for the best hotels in the Lake District
Refine by the kind of hotels you’re looking for and consider just the best pubs with rooms in Cumbria, the best country house hotels in the Lake District, the best spa hotels or the best family hotels in the Lake District
Or you could refine your search by town, and opt for the best places to stay in Grasmere, Ambleside? Windermere, Keswick, Carlisle or Grange over Sands
Alternatively, you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.

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The best hotels in Cumbria

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Cedar Manor

Windermere (Cumbria)

Secluded Victorian villa with a smart country house feel, a relaxed atmosphere and a genuinely personal touch. Bedrooms are luxurious and there are supper platters and splendid afternoon teas, too.

Fishing - From brown trout to salmon there is a huge variety to be caught in Cumbria's lakes and rivers for the DIY fish supper.
Sights nearby - The Beatrix Potter House and Museum is a charming afternoon out.
Restaurant - AA rosette fine dining
Sailing

from AU$303 for 1 room, 1 night including taxes & fees