Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel

Rates from GBP 175

Address Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel, Holbeck Lane, Windermere, Cumbria, United Kingdom, LA23 1LU
Telephone Bookings : UK Reservations 0845 227 0141
Rooms: 23 rooms, including 12 suites

 

Recommended by TI writer Angela Moore; TI writer Gemma Pitcher
Hotlists: Hotels for Great Views, Pampering Rural Retreats, Hotels in the English Lake District
Awards: Awarded a Michelin Star

Why stay at Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel?

Come for:
Holidays with children: the hotel is child-friendly and offers two cottages to book whole
Lake views from just about every room
The labrador that greets you at reception
Cosiness: fireplaces and armchairs

Not suitable for:
Gym-goers: off-puttingly, it's set right next door to the restaurant
The informal, who might baulk at the hotel's sense of refinement

Eating in:
Michelin-starred food in the restaurant; both this and the new Terrace Restaurant have charming lake views.

Press quotes

"Another fine hotel, in a classic Lakeland house, also with a Michelin-starred kitchen. It's where Renée Zellweger, Lloyd Owen, directors and producers stayed while filming Miss Potter and you can stay in the luxurious new suite, with large private balcony and hot tub, that bears her character's name." Telegraph 07

The Hotel Writes

Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel is located in the heart of Cumbria's Lake District, overlooking Lake Windermere and the Langdale Fells. A 19th-century house once owned by Lord Lonsdale as a country retreat, the hotel is a traditional English country house hotel surrounded by picturesque countryside. Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel has been twice voted the Hotel of the Year by the Cumbria Tourist Board and has been awarded 4 AA Red Stars.

Personally supervised by the proprietors, the atmosphere at Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel is relaxed and hospitable and the service impeccable. The 21 luxury rooms, all beautifully designed, are located in either the house or in the recently-built lodge, where rooms have either a balcony or patio overlooking the lake. Body and mind are satisfied by the Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel's Spa, offering E'spa treatments, a gym, sauna and steam room. The hotel's highly rated, Michelin-recognised restaurant offers an appetising and wide selection of classically prepared dishes.

Situated in Windermere, Cumbria, in the heart of the Lake District National Park, the Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel is privy to some of Britain's most awe-inspiring views. The hotel overlooks Lake Windermere and the Langdale Fells, and is not far from the beautiful scenery at Kendal and Grasmere.

Directions: Three miles north of Windermere on the A591. Turn right onto Holbeck Lane. The hotel drive is half a mile on the left.

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Gemma Pitcher's Review of Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel

Built in the 19th century, Holbeck Ghyll was bought in 1888 by Lord Lonsdale, one of the richest men in the country, to use as his hunting lodge. The "Yellow Earl", as he was known, was the first president of the Automobile Association and bequeathed the famous Lonsdale Belt to boxing. A fire burns most of the year in the inglenook fireplace in the oak-panelled hall. A second lounge provides an amazing panoramic view of Lake Windermere and the surrounding mountains.

Similarly dramatic views are on offer from the bay windows in the Michelin-starred restaurant. Dishes in here change with the seasons, but might include Terrine of confit duck, pear and foie gras with toasted brioche, warm salad of langoustines with celeriac and lobster remoulade or roast quail with onion compote and truffle jus.

Billiard room and cocktail lounge are suitably decked out in leather and tartan. The bedrooms are high on chintz but also high on luxuries - sherry decanters, designer toiletries, flower arrangements - and nearly all have fantastic views. The plushest are those in the so-called 'Lodge', which have self-catering kitchens as well. There's a gym with sauna, spa and steam room - plus more views - and outdoor jogging trails and a tennis court.

Angela Moore's Review of Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel

The Holbeck Ghyll is a very good little boutique hotel, with possibly the best position in Windermere, high on a hill above the lake. You get no traffic noise here, as you do at the Samling (which this boutique hotel overlooks). It’s got a bit of everything – cosy English chintziness in the main house, more contemporary chic in the Lodge. It’s more formal than Linthwaite House but still manages a relaxed, welcoming feel.

The facilities

The boutique hotel's house itself is lovely; built in the 1870s, it has arts and crafts flourishes in stained glass and carved wood. It was built to take advantage of its marvellous position, so the sitting rooms (fireplaces, wooden floors, rugs and fresh flowers) have panoramic views over the lake. There are also views from the dining room. The food at the restaurant, Michelin-starred, is reputed to be excellent.

Outside Holbeck Ghyll, the silence is only broken by the noise of the rushing stream. There are little wrought-iron tables to sit at on a stone terrace. If the weather gods smile on you, you can dine outside in summer, under the stars. If it rains, there’s enough room downstairs so that you can find a private corner in which to curl up comfortably with a book.

The boutique hotel has a generous policy towards well-behaved children – babysitting and baby-listening, extra beds, children’s menus. No kids in the dining room after 7.30, which is fair enough. It also has a couple of cottages which you can book, which are perfect for a family trip.

Overall? Unpretentious and comfortable, high service levels, everything beautifully put together – a winner.

The rooms

The boutique hotel has 23 rooms in all, the majority in the main house and some newer rooms in the annexe. Rooms in the main house are chintzy and traditional but very appealing – light and elegant rather than fusty. They also fit these surrounds well – that view is so wonderfully English. If you can’t see the lake from your room you will have access to a terrace with a view. There are a few lovely surprises – here a proper fireplace, there a private terrace.

Holbeck Ghyll's annexe Lodge is a bit of an ugly duckling of a building from the outside. On the inside, though, it’s all swan. Well-proportioned rooms with lots of space and décor that’s contemporary but still English and elegant. There’s no chocolate suede in sight – rather sage greens, subtly patterned wallpaper, smart bathrooms. The Miss Potter Suite has triple access onto its own private terrace, complete with a private hot tub.