• Alston
• Allonby And Aspatria
• Ambleside And Troutbeck
• Appleby In Westmoreland
• Askam In Furness
• Barrow In Furness
• Bassenthwaite
• Borrowdale
• Bowness On Windermere
• Brough
• Buttermere
• Brampton
• Broughton In Furness
• Carlisle
• Cartmel
• Cleator Moor
• Cockermouth
• Coniston
• Dalston
• Dalton In Furness
• Dent
• Grange Over Sands
• Grasmere
• Greenodd
• Grizedale
• Hawkshead
• Kendal
• Keswick
• Kirkby Lonsdale
• Wasdale And Gosforth
• Kirkby Stephen
• Longtown
• Loweswater
• Maryport
• Melmerby
• Milnthorpe
• Nenthead
• Newby Bridge
• Orton
• Penrith
• Pooley Bridge
• Ravenglass And Eskdale
• Sedbergh
• Seascale
• Shap
• Silloth And Solway
• St Bees
• Skiddaw
• Staveley
• Tebay
• The Duddon Valley
• Threlkeld
• Ulverston
• Vale Of Lorton
• Wasdale
• Wetheral
• Whitehaven
• Wigton
• Windermere
• Workington
• Spa Hotels In Windermere The Lake District
• Hotels With Hot Tubs In Windermere
• Hot Tub Hotels In Windermere And The Lake District
• Romantic Breaks In Windermere And The Lake District
• Themed Hotels In Windermere And The Lake District
• Weekend Breaks In Windermere
• Windermere Attractions And Boat Trips
• Boutique Hotels And Accommodation In Windermere And The Lake District
• Windermere In The Rain
• One Way Ticket To Windermere Por Favor
• Horse Riding In The Lake District
• Walks In The Lake District
• Windermere Boutique Hotel Bedrooms
• Holiday Accommodation Wanted In The Lake District

Boutique hotels and accommodation in Windermere and the Lake District

Boutique hotels in Windermere and the Lake District, plus a wide range of superb accommodation keeps visitors flocking back to this beautiful region of northwest England.

The term ´Boutique Hotels´ describes intimate, often luxurious and always quirky hotel rooms and suites which often have unique features.  Boutique hotel accommodation is often much more personalised than the usual bog standard hotel rooms, which offer nothing to entice the weary traveller. These intriguing hotels began appearing in the 1980s in major cities, including London, New York and Paris, and the rooms or suites are often themed, and may include features of local history and culture. Windermere and the Lake District boast some of the best boutique hotels in England, set among some of the most stunning scenery. Often smaller than the large chain hotels, boutique hotels usually have between 3 and 50 rooms.

Since the inception of these unique hotels in the 1980s, many guesthouses in the Lake District have jumped on the boutique bandwagon, but two of the most authentic and stylish hotels in the lakes are 21 The Lakes luxury boutique hotel,  and The Aphrodites organic themed hotel near Bowness-on-Windermere.  Both hotels offer visitors some of the most luxurious and quirky accommodation in England, and individual themed suites include hot tubs, saunas, power showers, Jacuzzis and every luxury you would expect of a top quality hotel in the lakes.  Locally sourced food is served on both menus, and the location is unbeatable, with Windermere just a short stroll away. Celebrity guests flock to the Aphrodites, in particular, which is gaining its own celebrity status as one of the only organic boutique hotels in the Lake District. Check out www.21thelakes.co.uk or www.aphroditeslodge.co.uk for some great weekend and midweek deals.

The beauty of boutique hotels is that they are always individual, and the rooms and suites appear to focus on comfort and quiet, rather than the hi-tech rooms with banks of plug sockets, surround sound TVs and some of the most annoying piped music known to man.

Such has been the success of the boutique hotel , that the large multi-national hotels companies have now tried to muscle in and establish their own brands in order to capture a market share, which rather defeats the object of the original boutique concept. 

In the US, New York remains the centre of the boutique hotel phenomenon, and plenty of small-chain competitors are now taking a slice of the market. New Orleans and Miami also offer visitors to the US a great range of fun hotels to choose from, and vintage or reproduction furniture often links to some interesting historical associations.

Having spread throughout the world, the concept of boutique, themed and design hotels has taken the tourist industry by storm, and these quirky suites are now springing up in Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. Not to be left behind, you can also find boutique hotels in China, Iceland, Peru and Turkey, which just goes to prove that the major design capitals of the world are entering new markets.

Wherever you may be staying in Windermere or the Lake District, you will struggle to find better accommodation, facilities and amenities than in the superb boutique hotels in the region.

Imagine a day walking and exploring the fens or enjoying a boat trip on Windermere, then returning to your own suite with private hot tub, sauna or power shower and relaxing in a king sized four poster bed. What better way to enjoy a weekend break in the Lake District than a stay at a luxury boutique hotel near Windermere?

Self catering and B&Bs in the Lake District

Offering a diverse range of accommodation, attractions and things to do, the Lake District is also famous for its wide range of self catering hostels, holiday cottages and bed and breakfast accommodation.

The Ambleside Youth Hostel at Waterhead has family rooms for four with breakfast from £81, and dormitories for £19 pp (www.yha.org.uk).

 Lake Cottage at Coniston Water is available from £471 per week from Welcome Cottages (www.welcomecottages.com).

 The Inn on the Lake at Ullswater has B&B from £59pp, and two nights DB&B from £139 (www.innonthelakeullswater.com).

Derwent Water Marina has self-catering studio apartments for £285 per week, and for £155 for three-night weekends outside peak summer period. Sailing boats for hire and instruction from £15 per hour (www.derwentwatermarina.co.uk).

Think green in the Lake District

If you care about the environment and plan to travel from London or any other main city in the UK to the Lake District, think green and consider taking the train or coach. If you plan to stay in the UK for your holidays next year, there is no better place to visit than Windermere and the lakes. A perfect example of going green and enjoying a great holiday,  is that if you travel from London to Windermere by train, your CO2 emissions will be 0.07 tonnes. If you take two return flights from Manchester to Malaga, your CO2 emissions will increase to 1.12 tonnes.

The endless activities, attractions and great places to stay in the Lake District also mean that it will prove a much cheaper alternative than Malaga, even if the weather is a bit dicey. Environmentally conscious hotels may also arrange to pick up guests from the train station to encourage a greener method of travelling, and the Lake District is seeing a huge increase in organic hotels and eco-friendly guesthouses which take a more serious look at energy consumption and resulting carbon footprints.

Larger Windermere hotels and leisure complexes have the most to do, due to the many heated pools, saunas and Jacuzzis but the smaller hotels in the Lake District can still do an awful lot to help conserve this beautiful part of England. The Cumbria Business Environment Network provides an awards system, and sends out environmental consultants to assess what the environmental practices are at any given hotel in order for them to develop an Environment Management System.  Once adhered to, this shows the commitment that the business has to the environment.

Tourism related businesses in the Lake District usually want to show a strong commitment to environmentally-friendly issues and green tourism in order to conserve the natural beauty of the region.

If you are a first time visitor to the Lake District, consider a stay in an organic themed hotel in Bowness or Windermere, or enjoy a weekend break in a boutique hotel just a few minutes from the lake. The range of activities and attractions near Windermere is endless and if you enjoy traditional old country pubs, this is one of the best areas to explore in Cumbria.

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