Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
all refurbished with contemporary decor, many with lake views. All are fitted with
sumptuous beds and come with tub/shower combinations. The many in-room ameni-
ties include bathrobes and satellite TVs. It's worth enjoying lunch or dinner in the
hotel
restaurant,
which serves modern British cuisine such as rabbit confit or roast
quail with English asparagus salad.
Crook Rd., Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3JA. www.linthwaite.com.
&
01539/488600.
Fax
01539/488601. 27 units. £189-£386 double; £347-£531 suite. Rates include English breakfast. Restau-
rant dinner and canapés £52; open daily noon-2pm lunch; 7-9pm dinner. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; room service; nearby spa.
In room:
TV, CD player, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
The Samling
The Samling is set on substantial grounds offering pan-
oramic lake views. It was fashioned from a late-18th-century stone-built manse where
Wordsworth used to come to pay his rent on Dove Cottage in neighboring Grasmere.
Of the 11 rooms, five are located in a converted stable block that's more akin to a ski
lodge than a country house. The main-building rooms have more of a traditional Brit-
ish aura, but all are individually styled and spacious. Even if you're not a guest, con-
sider an elegant
set-price dinner
here.
Ambleside Rd., Windermere, Cumbria LA23 1LR. www.thesamling.com.
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01539/431922.
11 units.
£190-£460 per double; £340-£560 suite. Rates include breakfast. Dinner: £45 for guests if booked with
room; £68 non-guests. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar.
In room:
TV, hair dryer,
Wi-Fi (in some; free).
EXPENSIVE
The Belsfield
You can't fail to notice this hotel overlooking Windermere lake
and Bowness Pier. A large, white Victorian mansion set in 2.4 hectares (6 acres) of
gardens, it provides guests with a place they can sit in the summer sunshine and take
in the vista. Rooms might not be as stylish as the pricier country houses nearby, but
they are comfortable with antique-style furnishings that complement the architec-
ture; several have lake views. What's more, the location is convenient, and facilities
include a heated indoor pool,
Moonwaters restaurant,
and a bar and lounge.
Kendal Rd., Bowness, Cumbria LA23 3EL. www.corushotels.com/Belsfield-Windermere.
&
01539/442448.
64 units, 3 suites. £144-£180 double; £155-£205 suite. Rates include breakfast. AE,
DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; indoor pool and sauna.
In room:
TV, hair dryer, hospitality tray,
Wi-Fi (free).
MODERATE
Beaumont House
This stone-sided Lakeland villa is on a quiet residential street
just off Windermere's commercial center. Each of the refurbished bedrooms is named
after one of the characters in the Beatrix Potter books (our favorite is Jemima Puddle-
Duck) and contains either an elaborate canopy bed or a four-poster, fitted with a
quality mattress. No meals are served other than breakfast, so the owners keep local
restaurant menus on hand for their guests to consult.
Holly Rd., Windermere, Cumbria LA23 2AF. www.lakesbeaumont.co.uk.
&
01539/447075.
Fax
01539/488311. 10 units. £70-£140 double. Rates include English breakfast. MC, V. Free parking.
Ameni-
ties:
Free use of nearby health club.
In room:
TV/DVD (in some), hair dryer.
Fir Trees Guest House
One of Windermere's finest guesthouses, Fir Trees
provides hotel-like standards at B&B prices. Opposite St. John's Church, halfway
between Bowness and Windermere, it is a Victorian house redecorated with antique-
style furnishings. Proprietors Bob and Bea Towers offer a warm welcome and beauti-
fully maintained bedrooms, some large enough for families.
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