There are places where luxury seems so effortless – where there’s a quiet confidence that’s deeply rooted in the quality of the offering. Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is one such place. Situated just off the Crook Road that runs between Kendal and Bowness-on-Windermere, the hotel enjoys a tranquil location among rolling fells on the eastern side of England‘s longest lake. Split over two sites – the hotel and Lake House just a mile away – it’s been a labour of love for many years, and continues to go from strength to strength.

As it happens, I designed Gilpin’s first ever website back in the 1990s; this involved many a visit to the property at the time and so I was already aware of the hotel’s continual pursuit for excellence. I’ve watched it evolve from a modest country house hotel with a very loyal, long-standing staff into the success that it is today. At the heart of it all lies the story of the Cunliffe family. For generations, they have nurtured and sculpted Gilpin into one of the UK’s most appealing small hotels, guided by an uncompromising eye for detail.

The welcome

There’s no unnecessary fuss on arrival. Instead, we were simply warmly greeted at the entrance, directed to our accommodation with a map in hand, and advised that we could park right outside the suite. Another friendly face met us there, showed us around the room and advised us on how everything worked. There was no waiting around — just an immediate sense of ease.

The room

We were lucky enough to try two different set-ups: a Spa Suite at the main…

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