The best boutique hotels in the Lake District

A boutique hotel, in Lake District terms, is rarely a design hotel in the city sense. It is more often a handful of rooms above a very good kitchen, a Victorian house on a hillside run by people who live there, or an old inn that has kept its bar while quietly upgrading the bedrooms. This guide is about those places: small, individual and full of character. Every hotel here was checked against its own website in October 2026.

If you want the grand country houses, Michelin Key hotels and big spa retreats (Gilpin, The Samling, Forest Side, Linthwaite House and the rest), they have their own page: see our guide to the best luxury hotels in the Lake District. Here we have deliberately looked a little smaller.

Inns with rooms

The best-value way to stay in the Lakes with style is often above a pub. These four have kept the bar at the heart of things.

The Punch Bowl Inn, Crosthwaite

In the village of Crosthwaite in the Lyth Valley, about five miles from both Bowness and Kendal. The building dates back to 1829, when it also served as a blacksmith's shop, and it is owned by Richard Rose. There are nine individually styled rooms, each named after a former vicar of the neighbouring parish church, and Cumbria Tourism notes a free-standing roll-top bath and separate shower in every en-suite, with a full Cumbrian breakfast included. The kitchen leans British and French and makes a point of saying it is not pub grub; it was named Cumbria Dining Pub of the Year in 2019. The Lyth Valley is quiet orchard country, a pleasant contrast to Bowness in high season. See our Punch Bowl listing.

The Drunken Duck Inn, Barngates

Perched on a crossroads on the high ground about two miles from Ambleside, with 11 individually designed rooms and a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is the obvious choice if you want to be out of the villages but within easy reach of Hawkshead, Tarn Hows and Ambleside. Dogs are welcome in the bar, but ask before assuming they can stay in your room. See our Drunken Duck listing and the Tarn Hows walk.

The Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater

At the foot of Mellbreak, a short drive from Crummock Water and Buttermere in the quieter western Lakes. There are eleven bedrooms, seven of them in the main inn, and the kitchen is led by head chef Paul Williamson. The inn has its own beers through Cumbrian Legendary Ales and displays a CAMRA Pub of the Year 2019 award. This is a place for walkers who want a proper pint and a comfortable bed, not room service. See our Kirkstile listing, our Loweswater walk and the Buttermere circuit.

The Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale

A 17th-century inn on Market Street in Kirkby Lonsdale, in the far south-east of Cumbria, with 11 bedrooms that the inn itself describes as boutique. You can eat in the bar, the restaurant or a dog-friendly dining area, and dogs are welcome to stay. Note that the kitchen closes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, when sharing boards are served instead, and there is no on-site parking. It makes a good stop on the way into or out of the Lakes. See our Sun Inn listing, Kirkby Lonsdale and the Devil's Bridge walk.

Small hotels with a personality

The Yan at Broadrayne, Grasmere

A converted 17th-century sheep farm a short stroll from Grasmere village, owned by the Keighley family. It mixes a bistro with hotel bedrooms, self-catering cottages and apartments, and a glamping option called The Lookouts. The bistro serves breakfast and dinner with seasonal Cumbrian menus and is open to non-residents. Dog-friendly rooms and cottages are available. A relaxed choice if a formal country house is not your thing. See our Yan listing and our Grasmere guide.

Moss Grove Organic, Grasmere

In the middle of Grasmere village, Moss Grove has 11 bedrooms built around an organic concept that runs from the wallpaper to the award-winning breakfast. Rooms have handmade beds and spa baths, and every room sleeps a maximum of two people, so there are no family rooms. The ground-floor suite has its own outdoor hot tub. It is a bed and breakfast rather than a hotel with a restaurant, which suits Grasmere well: you can walk to dinner. From the village, our Easedale Tarn and Alcock Tarn walks start on foot.

Cedar Manor, Windermere

A Victorian country house on Ambleside Road in Windermere, run as what it calls a boutique, guesthouse-style hotel. It holds an AA five-star guest accommodation award for 2025 and is listed in the Good Hotel Guide. Food here means breakfast and afternoon tea rather than a full dinner service, and the hotel puts real effort into romantic breaks and honeymoon packages. If you are arriving by train, our car-free guide covers getting around from Windermere. See our Cedar Manor listing and the Orrest Head walk, which starts in Windermere village.

Borrowdale Gates, Grange-in-Borrowdale

Originally a large private house, now part of The Kronen Collection, set in three acres of wooded grounds near the head of Derwentwater and facing south into Borrowdale. The restaurant serves lunch, Sunday lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. Several bedrooms are dog-friendly, though dogs are not allowed in the dining and lounge areas. It is well placed for Castle Crag and the Borrowdale valley walks. See our Borrowdale Gates listing and Borrowdale.

The most romantic places to stay

For couples, the room itself often matters more than the facilities. These are our picks for a special night.

• The Boathouse at Langdale Chase, Windermere. Langdale Chase stands on the shore of Windermere and has welcomed guests since 1891. It reopened in December 2023 after a 12-month refurbishment and has about 30 rooms, but the one to book is the Boathouse, which the hotel describes as the only bedroom sitting directly above the lake, with its own private entrance. Five Windermere rooms and one suite take dogs. See our Langdale Chase listing.
• The Lake View Hot Tub Suite at Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere. A country house on Holbeck Lane, Windermere, with views of the lake and surrounding countryside and a restaurant known for its tasting menu and afternoon tea. The suites include two named after the Lonsdales and a lake-view suite with an outdoor hot tub. Dogs cannot stay in the main house; the sister Holbeck Gardens accommodation on the same estate takes them. See our Holbeck Ghyll listing.
• The suite at Moss Grove, Grasmere. A private hot tub, and dinner in the village a few minutes' walk away.
• A Punch Bowl room with the roll-top bath, after dinner downstairs and no driving to worry about.

Three more from our luxury guide also belong on any couples' shortlist: Lindeth Fell, an Edwardian house above Bowness run as a five-star bed and breakfast; Rothay Manor in Ambleside; and Storrs Hall, a Georgian mansion on the shore of Windermere. For the most private stay in the region, Gilpin's Lake House is covered in the luxury guide.

For a short walk together, try Friar's Crag on Derwentwater, Rydal Water and Rydal Cave or Tarn Hows, all manageable before dinner.

A note on older guides

Some lists online still recommend places that have changed. The old Rampsbeck house on Ullswater is now Another Place, The Lake, which opened in 2017; Rampsbeck survives as the name of its evening restaurant. Hipping Hall near Kirkby Lonsdale, once a favourite small hotel, closed in 2023. The Hole in t' Wall in Bowness is a traditional pub, not a hotel. And L'Enclume's rooms are spread around Cartmel village rather than above the restaurant. Always check a hotel's own website before you book.

Before you book

• Book direct and early. With nine to a dozen rooms, these places fill quickly, especially at weekends from spring to autumn and over Christmas.
• Check what is included. Some include breakfast and afternoon tea, others are bed and breakfast only with no evening meal, so plan dinner.
• Dogs: policies vary room by room. Ask when you book, and see our dog-friendly guide.
• Children: several of the smaller places have rooms for two only. Check before you book a family stay.
• Prices: we have not listed rates, which change with the season. Check current prices with each hotel.
• More options: our where to stay pages cover the full range, and our parking guide helps if you are staying in a village with limited spaces.