The best luxury hotels in the Lake District

The Lake District does luxury in its own way. There are no glass towers here, and the best hotels are mostly small. Instead you get Victorian and Georgian country houses above the lakes, small hotels built around serious restaurants, and a newer generation of spa retreats that make the most of the weather rather than apologising for it. This is our shortlist of the finest places to stay, checked against each hotel's own website and the Michelin Guide in October 2026.

A word on the awards we mention. Michelin Keys are the Michelin Guide's hotel distinction, introduced in the UK in 2024: One Key means "a very special stay" and Two Keys "an exceptional stay". Michelin stars apply to the restaurants.

The Michelin Key hotels

Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere

Two Michelin Keys. A family-owned country house hotel in the hills above Windermere, and the most complete luxury hotel in the Lakes. The original house is surrounded by newer lodges and suites, 36 rooms in all according to Michelin, with a full spa. It has two restaurants: SOURCE, which holds a Michelin star, and the more relaxed Gilpin Spice.

About a mile away, the six-bedroom Lake House sits on its own 100-acre estate beside Knipe Tarn, with its own treatment room, hot tubs and saunas. Breakfast and afternoon tea are served there, and a chauffeur runs guests to the main hotel for lunch and dinner. For a couple wanting total quiet, it is the best room-and-view combination in the region. See our Gilpin listing and Lake House listing.

The Samling, above Windermere

Two Michelin Keys and a Michelin-starred restaurant. An 18th-century house on a hillside above Windermere on the road to Ambleside, with just 12 bedrooms, suites and cottages in 67 acres of woods, meadows and gardens. Michelin describes it as feeling more like a private house than a formal country house hotel, and it can be booked in its entirety. It looks over Windermere to the south and towards the Coniston Old Man range to the west. See our Samling listing.

Forest Side, Grasmere

One Michelin Key and a Michelin-starred restaurant. A Gothic-style Victorian house in the village of Grasmere, in about 43 acres of woods and gardens, with 20 rooms. The restaurant, under head chef Paul Leonard, is one of the best reasons to stay in the central Lakes. Dogs are welcome in dog-friendly bedrooms. See our Forest Side listing.

Linthwaite House, Windermere

One Michelin Key. A Leeu Collection hotel on a hilltop above Windermere, with 36 rooms and a terrace looking over the lake to the Coniston fells. Its restaurant, Henrock, is by Simon Rogan and opened in 2019, using produce from his farm in the Cartmel Valley. There is a private tarn with rowing boats for guests. Dogs are welcome in dedicated rooms, on the terrace and in the grounds, but not in the public rooms. See our Linthwaite House listing.

Restaurants with rooms

For many visitors the dinner is the point, and the bedroom is where you sleep it off.

• L'Enclume, Cartmel. Simon Rogan's flagship holds three Michelin stars, the only three-star restaurant in Cumbria. You can book an overnight stay with the restaurant in Cartmel village, or at its partner hotel, Linthwaite House.
• Allium at Askham Hall, near Penrith. A Michelin-starred restaurant, led by head chef Richard Swale, in a historic hall owned by Charles Lowther, whose family has held it since 1724. It has bedrooms, and Ullswater is on the doorstep. The owners say they love welcoming families and dogs. See our Allium listing.
• The Cottage in the Wood, Whinlatter. Jack and Beth Bond's Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms, high in Whinlatter Forest above Braithwaite.

Grand houses and spa retreats

Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite Lake

A stately country house in 400 acres of deer park and woodland beside Bassenthwaite Lake, beneath Skiddaw, with 43 individually designed rooms and an award-winning spa. There are three restaurants (The Dining Room, The Grill and Zaika, an Indian restaurant) and dog-friendly rooms. It suits families and groups who want space as much as couples. See our Armathwaite Hall listing.

Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa, Borrowdale

Beside the Lodore waterfall on the shore of Derwentwater, with the Falls Spa and a 16-metre outdoor hydro pool looking across the lake. Mizu serves Pan-Asian food alongside the hotel's lake-view dining. Dogs can stay in most rooms. See our Lodore Falls listing.

Brimstone, Great Langdale

Part of the Langdale Estate in Great Langdale, one of the Lakes' finest walking valleys. The suites have log-burning stoves and private balconies, and guests have complimentary use of the Brimstone Spa, which includes a Finnish sauna. Stove is the restaurant, and there is a guest-only Reading Room with complimentary drinks and snacks. The best choice here for walkers who want luxury at the end of the day. See our Brimstone listing and the Stickle Tarn walk from the New Dungeon Ghyll.

Another Place, The Lake, Ullswater

A relaxed hotel on the shore of Ullswater at Watermillock, built around the outdoors: paddleboarding, kayaking, open water swimming, a fellside sauna and a pool with fell views. Three restaurants (Rampsbeck, The Living Space and The Glasshouse) cover everything from a serious dinner to pizza. The best luxury option for families. See our Another Place listing and our Ullswater long weekend.

Smaller, quieter and romantic

• Rothay Manor, Ambleside. A country house hotel and member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, with four AA Red Stars and its restaurant Rowan, open to non-residents daily. See our Rothay Manor listing.
• Storrs Hall, Windermere. A Grade II* listed Georgian mansion on the shore of Windermere, with lake-view rooms, lakeside hot tub suites and a boathouse room.
• Lindeth Fell, Bowness. An Edwardian Arts and Crafts house with Thomas Mawson gardens, run as a 14-bedroom five-star bed and breakfast. Ideal if you want country house surroundings without a formal hotel. See our Lindeth Fell listing.

For couples, our picks: Gilpin Lake House for privacy, The Samling for intimacy and views, Forest Side for a dinner to remember, and Storrs Hall for a room on the water.

A note on older guides

You may still see Sharrow Bay on Ullswater recommended online. It closed in 2020 and is not trading. Hotel restaurants also gain and lose Michelin stars each year, so check the current Michelin Guide rather than a hotel's old press coverage.

Before you book

• Book direct and early. Most of these hotels are small, and weekends from spring to autumn fill months ahead.
• Check what is included. Dinner, spa access and minimum stays vary widely, especially at weekends and over Christmas.
• Dogs: many are dog-friendly, but almost always in specific rooms only, and rarely in restaurants. Ask when you book, and see our dog-friendly guide.
• Prices: these are expensive hotels and rates move with the season. Check current prices with each hotel.
• More options: our where to stay pages cover the full range, from inns to self-catering.