Sink into soothing waters with a lake view at welcoming retreats across this famously picturesque region of Cumbria
Take in the lake views from The Samling All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating.
Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review.
Immersing yourself in one of the Lake District’s lakes sounds good for the soul. In truth, the experience is decidedly chilly. Here’s a better idea: sink into a big, bubbling tub of bath-temperature water and gaze at one of those sparkling lakes without the need to shiver. Many Lake District hotels have added hot tubs to their list of temptations – usually served up with a glass of fizz or something equally refreshing.
Some of the best hotel hot tubs in the Lake District are on the deck of your suite, screened from other guests. Some are perfectly placed to gaze across the landscape and water, while others place you in secluded parts of the hotel grounds for a private experience. In several cases, these hot tubs are part of an inside-outside spa and in one case also handily next to the outside bar. Take your pick from these inviting retreats; just don’t forget to pack your swimmers.
How we review
Every hotel in this curated list has been visited by one of our expert reviewers, who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis. They stay for a minimum of one night, test at least one meal and trial other experiences that the hotel might have to offer.
This Lake District retreat known for its plush rooms and Michelin starred dining is scenically set on the hillside rising up from Lake Windermere. Views taking in the lake and surrounding foothills can be taken in from the renowned restaurant, terrace and gardens, some of the rooms and the hotel’s private hot tub. The hot tub is hidden amid woodland, a short walk from the main building, on hillside providing a breathtaking vista across meadows to Lake Windermere. The hotel recommends taking a soak at dusk when you can see the sun setting across the lake and distant fells.
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From £ 440 per night
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Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa takes over a former stately home at the head of Bassenthwaite. A sprawling 400 acres of deer park and woodland provide a bucolic backdrop to it all. Resort-style features of this grand retreat span everything from a spa, pool and tennis court to a courtyard bar and brasserie and fine dining restaurant with lake views. Among the highlights, and a welcome addition after days out exploring the landscape on foot, is the inviting outdoor hot tub of the spa, which is positioned to overlook the gardens. Many more spa facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool, are found inside.
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From £ 295 per night
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There are plenty of luxuries at this elevated, modern country hotel – Michelin-starred dining, a spa and rooftop garden among them. The hotel also has several differently positioned hot tubs. You’ll find two hot tubs in the garden of the spa and others are located at Gilpin Lake House. Private hot tubs are among the features of luxury accommodation options like the Spa Suites, Spa Lodges and Garden Suites. Each is set in a private location, amid gardens and in some cases with a view beyond. A lounge, terraces and the spa provide many more places to unwind after a long walk.
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From £ 520 per night
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Storrs Hall sits amid the woodland of private grounds on the eastern shores of Lake Windermere. A hotel balancing the contemporary and traditional, and topping it off with uninterrupted views over the water, the stately country house hotel provides a convenient base for exploration of the surroundings that is simultaneously a place you’ll want to spend time making the most of. Here, the collection of lake- and woodland-view rooms include a standalone Boathouse, which appealingly comes with open-plan interiors and floor-to-ceiling windows, a terrace, fire pit and hot tub. Other highlights of the hotel include a restaurant, bistro and watersports offering.
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From £ 309 per night
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A Victorian villa provides the historic setting for this adults-only luxury retreat in the village of Windermere. The family-run hotel offers a relaxed stay complete with the unpretentious British cuisine of its conservatory restaurant, a sophisticated bar, large lounge areas, a terrace and suites with outdoor hot tubs. The seven hot tub suites are all located in the coach house, which lies adjacent to the main house, and each of them is individually designed and home to a balcony or terrace. Some of these hot tubs come with a view over the grounds and beyond. Additional services include in-room massages.
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From £ 342 per night
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The prettily situated Swan Hotel & Spa sits by a stone arched bridge on the riverside around a five-minute drive from the southern end of Windermere. This 17th-century landmark coaching inn, which has been extended in recent years in keeping with original structure, now houses exuberant modern interiors comprising rooms and suites with a modern country feel, a brasserie-style restaurant and relaxed café and a spa with outdoor Finnish sauna among other thermal facilities, naturally filtered pools and relaxation areas. Take time to soak in the outdoor hot tub, which is found within the spa-side garden.
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From £ 246 per night
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The informal country house hotel, Another Place, stands on the western shore of Ullswater. This location affords views over the lake and the fells beyond and places guests within easy reach of Pooley Bridge where cross-lake cruise boats set off. While staying here, you can make the most of its watersports offering – from a private jetty – and facilities including a kids’ club, indoor pool and spa. The hotel’s take on a spa, Swim Club, encompasses a 20-metre indoor pool, sauna, treatment rooms and sheltered outdoor hot tub, and there’s an outdoor bath on the terrace of the lake-view Treehouse suite.
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This family-run hotel and real-ale bar is ideally located in the centre of pretty Grasmere, with Grasmere Lake among other sights on its doorstep. In this black and white Georgian farmhouse, interiors combine original heritage details with contemporary country style. Guests can join locals in the popular Tweedies Bar, with south-facing garden, and tuck into seasonal dishes by the restaurant’s award-winning chef. The cosy rooms of the lodge range from the most compact Nests and Nooks to mountain-view Tweed Suites and the extra large Houndstooth Suite. The four Mews Suites have their own courtyard with a shared patio and hot tub.
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From £ 145 per night
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It’s hard to beat the lake views of this resort with its own marina set right on the edge of Lake Windermere. An 18th-century coaching inn and the cluster of white buildings that have been built up to each side are home to shoreside rooms and suites, some of which have spectacular lake views, along with abundant facilities spanning a diversity of dining and drinking spots, a watersports centre, spa and indoor pool. The spa has both indoor and outdoor thermal facilities including a lake-view infinity pool, vitality pool, fellside sauna and several hot tubs.
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From £ 259 per night
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Brimstone HOTEL Lake District, Cumbria, England
9 Telegraph expert rating
This modern, chalet-style retreat is tucked amongst a profusion of woodland, in one of the area’s… Read expert review
From £ 260 per night
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9 Telegraph expert rating
This property is the epitome of an elevated, modern country hotel. It offers plenty of luxuries, … Read expert review
From £ 520 per night
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Randy Pike HOTEL Ambleside, Lake District, England
9 Telegraph expert rating
These four enormous suites, part of an Italianate Victorian villa close to Lake Windermere, are b… Read expert review