Best Lake District hotels 2023: Spa hotels, honeymoon hangouts and more

There’s a reason the Lake District is a Unesco World Heritage Site: it offers extraordinary landscapes, fantastic walks, peerless views… and some fantastic hotels from which to explore it all. Whether you’re planning to hike Scafell Pike, stroll around Lake Windermere, visit Wordsworth’s former home or simply cosy up in one of the many pubs, you’ll find somewhere to stay that suits your needs.

The Lake District is more accessible than you think, too, with trains from London Euston to Oxenholme taking under three hours, and the journey from Glasgow taking just over an hour and a half. So you can easily enjoy a long weekend in the Cumbrian beauty spot.

After a slew of new openings and refurbishments in recent years, there’s something for everyone when it comes to places to rest your head. From family-friendly to pet-friendly, luxury to budget, here are some of the best we’ve visited.

Neighbourhood: Bowness-On-Windermere

In a prime location overlooking Lake Windermere, it’s hard to compete with the view here. Nevertheless, the Belsfield tries – renovated in partnership with Laura Ashley in 2014, the 62 rooms are impeccably furnished, and there’s a fine dining restaurant and a swimming pool too. A five-minute walk from the hub of Bowness-on-Windermere, it is particularly ideal for a first visit to The Lakes.

Neighbourhood: Windermere

The Gilpin has a reputation as a couple’s…