A spa break might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think about the Lake District. With its craggy fells, glistening lakes, thundering waterfalls and red squirrel population, most people go there for a walking holiday and to indulge in the spectacular scenery. However, a growing number of hotels in the area are bolstering their offering, having cottoned on to the fact that the sublime scenery can be enjoyed as much from a hot tub or, even better, an outdoor hydrotherapy pool, as from the top of a fell. And that a massage and a sauna might be just the thing walkers crave after a long day on the hills.
Certainly, spa hotels in the Lake District take full advantage of their location with, amongst other treats, outdoor Finnish-style saunas, cocktails served in infinity pools, and glass-fronted treatment rooms set high above forest-lined lakes. We have rounded up the very best for 2025 in our expert reviews.
For the very best hotels in the Lake District, the best budget hotels in the Lake District and the best family hotels in the Lake District, see our guides.
Best spa hotels in the Lake District 2025
At a glance
- Best dog-friendly hotel: Daffodil Hotel & Spa
- Best luxury hotel: Brimstone Hotel
- Best affordable hotel: The Swan, Newby Bridge
- Best hotel with a private hot tub: Gilpin Hotel & Lake House
- Best for Christmas: Another Place
1. Gilpin Hotel and Lake House
Crook, near Windermere
This hotel offers not just one but two spas, depending on which part of the hotel grounds you’re staying. The main hotel, built around an Edwardian country house and three miles from the eastern shores of Windermere, offers a small and discreet two-treatment-room spa (couples only) with a hidden rooftop garden with a hot tub. Meanwhile, Lake House, a rebuilt fishing lodge a mile away down a twisty road, also offers two treatment rooms. The latter are tucked amongst woodland and with views of the private lake through its floor-to-ceiling windows. Dotted amongst the trees are a couple of hot tubs, plus there’s an indoor pool.
For utter indulgence (and this is a very sybaritic hotel) opt for one of the spa suites – stand-alone glass-and-timber chalets – in the grounds of the main house, where you can have treatments in your room. Like most of the bedrooms, these also have private hot tubs. Throw in a choice of two restaurants (one Michelin-starred) and you’ll want for nothing, other than a decent bank balance.
Address: Crook Road, Windermere LA23 3NE
Distance to Lake Windermere: 2.3 miles (49-minute walk)
Best nearby eatery: Source at Gilpin Hotel has one Michelin star and serves a seasonal tasting menu
2. Lakeside Hotel
Newby Bridge
The clue is in the name. The big draw of the spa here is the setting on the shores of southern Windermere. Swim in the 17-metre indoor pool and you can gaze out through floor-to-ceiling windows across the lake to the fells opposite, while, after a treatment, you can relax in the heated spa garden that slopes down to the lake. With just three treatment rooms, it’s a small spa, but it’s for hotel guests only (no crowds in the pool) except for non-residents on pre-booked spa packages. The Elemis treatments include a full range of facials plus body treatments such as hot stone massages and scrubs.
Bedrooms are generous in size, if a little bland in style, with the lake-view rooms offering the best of everything. Dining choices include a choice of a casual brasserie or the smart grill restaurant. And then there’s a magnificent conservatory and terrace; perfect for the vast afternoon tea offering; so big, it will easily feed two.
Address: Newby Bridge, Lakeside LA12 8AT
Distance to Lake Windermere: No distance, on the lake
Nearby eatery: The hotel’s Lakeview Restaurant offers contemporary fine dining
Read more: The best walks in the Lake District
3. The Daffodil Hotel
Grasmere
The only hotel in Grasmere with grounds leading down to the lakeshore makes The Daffodil a pretty great choice for a Lake District stay. Sitting on the outskirts of the village also means it’s set away from the touristy hubbub (and Grasmere can get very busy), but within an easy 10-minute walk of the village’s shops and cafés. The centrepiece of the spa is a slinky, moodily lit thermal pool, surrounded by sauna and steam room. Treatments, using Temple Spa products, range from hot stone and herbal Thai massages to indulgences such as rose quartz and truffle body relaxation and a Vitamin C facial workout. Round it all off with afternoon tea on the lake-facing terrace.
Rooms are light, spacious and contemporary with bold splashes of colour (lake or valley view is the best) while dining offers popular classics. While eating, look out for the collection of digital prints of iconic photographs from the National Portrait Gallery.
Address: By The Lake, Keswick Road, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9PR
Distance to Lake Windermere: 4.1 miles (One and a half hours’ walk)
Nearby eatery: The Daffodil’s Dining Room has views of Grasmere Lake and a contemporary menu
4. Brimstone Hotel & Spa
Chapel Stile, Langdale
If you fancy an action-packed break but also want some serious luxury and downtime pampering, Brimstone should be on your checklist. This all-suite hotel in a glass-and-slate chalet-style building in the Langdale valley offers a modern take on a personal butler service. Everything from stoking your room’s log-burner to kitting you out in walking and cycling gear, providing maps and routes, and transporting you to the start and end of walks is provided complimentary.
After all that activity, wallow in the swanky spa with its thermal experiences, indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool and enigmatically named treatments such as Brimstone Renewal, Hot Rocking Relax and Wild Honey Healing Facial that use the hotel’s own-brand products. For the ultimate indulgence, there’s a private couples’ spa suite, The Bubble.
Suites are massive, with designer bathrooms, and most have a balcony. Complimentary 24-hour snacks (substantial) and drinks are part of the deal, plus there’s the on-site Modern European restaurant, Stove, shared with the neighbouring hotel.
Address: Great Langdale, Ambleside LA22 9JD
Distance to Lake Windermere: Around 4.6 miles (One and a half hours’ walk)
Nearby eatery: Wainwrights’ Inn, a short walk up the road, offers a proper country pub experience
Price: From £416
Read more: How to do the Lake District car-free
5. Langdale Hotel & Spa
Chapel Stile, Langdale
On the same wooded Langdale Estate as Brimstone, the Langdale Hotel is a more pocket-friendly option but still has access to the same swanky spa. Unlike Brimstone guests, those staying at the Langdale Hotel pay a fee, although there are often spa deals. All the facilities are the same from the seven-station thermal experience – including a lava sauna and salt steam room – to the hydrotherapy pool, and the outdoor Finnish-style sauna. Treatments use the spa’s own-blend Pure Alchemy and tRiBe517 products, and guests also have access to the private spa suite, The Bubble.
If you don’t fancy forking out for the spa, the leisure centre has a 20-metre pool, sauna and steam room, all free.
Rooms, all a good size and spread around the estate, vary from bright and contemporary to light and Scandi to designer bling. Stove restaurant, with its open kitchen, is bright and buzzy with crowd-pleasing menus from pizzas to Modern European dishes.
Address: The Langdale Estate, Great Langdale, Ambleside LA22 9JD
Distance to Lake Windermere: Around 4.5 miles (One-and-a-half hours’ walk)
Nearby eatery: Langdale Hotel and Spa sits on the same estate as Brimstone and Wainwrights’ Inn, where you will also find Stove, a relaxed restaurant championing local ingredients
Read more: Best hotels in the Lake District for lakeside views, spa breaks and Michelin-starred meals
6. Another Place hotel
Watermillock, Ullswater
The centrepiece of this lakeside hotel on Ullswater is the 20-metre swimming pool with its double-height window overlooking the lake and the fells opposite. If anything will encourage you to do your lengths, this view will. On the terrace, there’s a hot tub that shares the same views and, if you really want that energising boost, try the wood-fired Finnish-style sauna (seasonal) that sits on the lakeshore – with an adjacent wooden tub or the lake for the ‘cold water plunge’. The small spa offers treatments such as a hot rocks detox massage, a salt scrub and exfoliation, and – one for the walkers – a foot soak and scrub with leg massage. Or you could try The Works, a two-hour procedure which does exactly what it says.
The style throughout the hotel – a Georgian house with modern slate-and-glass extensions – is contemporary country house, with a fun, laidback vibe. There are several eating options, including a lakeshore glasshouse serving wood-fired pizzas. For the ultimate spoiling break, book the double-size shepherd’s huts with wood-burning stoves and fire-pits.
Address: Lake District National Park, Another Place The Lake, Ullswater, Watermillock CA11 0LP
Distance to Lake Windermere: 21.5 miles (45-minute drive)
Nearby eatery: Head to The Glasshouse for the wood-fired pizza on the water’s edge, or try the three-course menu at Rampsbeck Restaurant
Price: From £270
Read more: The best Airbnbs in the Lake District for style, scenery and comfort
7. Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa
Borrowdale
This landmark Victorian hotel in the Borrowdale valley has expanded several times, most recently adding a swanky spa. The latter takes full advantage of the hotel’s enviable location with views over the southern end of Derwentwater to the skyline of Cat Bells opposite. Its centrepiece is an outdoor hydrotherapy pool serviced by a champagne bar. The pool, plus outdoor Finnish-style sauna, usually forms the end part of a ‘thermal journey’ and is where guests linger longest. Treatments, using Elemis and Ishga products, range from deep tissue and hot poultice massages to a detoxifying body cocoon and pro-collagen facial as well as muddy fun in the rasul chamber.
Bedrooms are large, sleek and calming while there’s an impressive choice of dining from Modern British and pub classics in the Falls Brasserie to authentic Asian dishes (including Vietnamese and Thai) in Mizu with its open kitchen.
Address: Derwentwater, Keswick, CA12 5UX
Distance to Lake Windermere: 20 miles (44-minute drive)
Nearby eatery: Alongside Falls Brasserie and Mizu, try out the PackHorse Inn on the other side of the Dewentwater for real ales on tap and local beers
Read more: The best UK holiday destinations for families
8. The Swan hotel
Newby Bridge
The spa at The Swan is wickedly tempting. For one thing, there’s a bar; for another it has an extensive spa garden which means it’s all too easy to drift from the thermal journey (steam room, ice buckets, sauna) through the indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool to the outdoor hot tub and Finnish-style sauna. And then do it all over again. There’s plenty of space to relax indoors and outdoors, the latter with restful views of forested slopes. Treatments, using Temple Spa products, include a relaxing aromatherapy massage, glass skin facial, and a hot oil scalp massage. Afterwards, relax over coffee and cake in the café.
The hotel, near the southern end of Lake Windermere, is big on colour (minimalists beware) with bold-patterned wallpapers, soft furnishings in hot cottage garden colours and equally bright oversized headboards. Even entry-level rooms are bright and fun. Dining is a choice of classic pub food in the bar with its jolly mis-matched chairs, or smarter dishes in the – very pink – brasserie.
Address: Newby Bridge, Ulverston LA12 8NB
Distance to Lake Windermere: 1.3 miles (30 minute walk)
Nearby eatery: Within The Swan Hotel is The Swan Inn, a quaint pub serving pub classics made using locally-sourced ingredients
Read more: UK beaches that look like they’re abroad
9. Low Wood Bay hotel
Windermere
A long-standing Lake District favourite, Low Wood Bay, beside Windermere, caters to most guests’ needs, from families, watersports fans and dog-owners to romantic couples and spa-lovers. The spa’s big draw is its outdoor infinity pool overlooking the lake, together with an outdoor sauna, hot tub and handy onsite bar. Indoors, the spa offers a vitality pool, coconut steam room and dry salt sauna, amongst other experiences, together with five treatment rooms. Berry & Birch, and ESPA products are used to offer an impressive range of treatments from reflexology, Himalayan salt scrubs and positivity massages to detoxifying salt and oil scrubs, LED facials and Gua Sha facial massages. Additionally, there’s a leisure centre with pool, sauna and whirlpool tub.
Bedrooms are designed to suit most budgets, from standard courtyard rooms with a corporate style to lake-view above the spa to flashy designer rooms in a separate chalet-style block. And there’s a choice of dining, too, from Modern British to an open-kitchen grill restaurant.
Address: Ambleside Rd, Windermere LA23 1LP
Distance to Lake Windermere: No distance, on the lake
Nearby eatery: The W has an elegant atmosphere in its dining room, which serves seasonal British classics and more modern dishes too
10. Armathwaite Hall Hotel and Spa
Bassenthwaite
Wallow in the hot tub with half-closed eyes and you can imagine you’re deep in a forest glade. The spa at this grand Victorian stately home at the northern end of Lake Bassenthwaite, overlooks woodland in the hotel’s extensive grounds. This is a big and spoiling spa with, amongst other attractions, a 16-metre infinity pool, hydrotherapy pool, steam room, sauna and indoor and outdoor terraces plus – should you feel the urge to get active – personal trainers in the gym.
Voya products are used in the 10 treatment rooms, with a menu offering such exotics as a lavender and seaweed sugar scrub, seaweed leaf wrap, Mediterranean hot stone massage and a Vitamin C radiant facial workout.
Afterwards, take afternoon tea in the drawing room with its mesmerising views down Bassenthwaite. There are traditional bedrooms in the original hall and more contemporary in the spa wing, plus a choice of casual and smarter dining.
Address: Bassenthwaite Lake, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4RE
Distance to Lake Windermere: 26 miles (48-minute drive)
Nearby eatery: The hotel’s lake view restaurant keeps it regional with local seasonal produce and Cumbrian dishes
FAQs
When is the best time to visit the Lake District?
For a better chance at receiving glorious weather with less of a chance of downpours, the summer months are the best time to visit.
However, this means that it is also the busiest period, as many others are also trying to chase the sun.
For fewer people in the villages and on the trails, try to avoid the school holidays and visit mid-spring or early autumn.
In the winter, the weather will be a lot harsher, but there are plenty of cosy pubs to dive into after admiring the frosty landscape.
What are the most popular Lake District views and areas?
There are plenty of places to discover in this sweeping National Park, but arguably the most famous and popular area is Windermere, where you will find glorious mountain vistas, England's largest lake and the charming towns of Ambleside and Bowness-on-Windermere.
For fans of Beatrix Potter, her 17th-century cottage can be found in Hawkshead, while Grasmere and Keswick have a supply of pubs, cafés and shops to explore before setting off on rambles around the nearby walking routes and trails.
Walking routes around Buttermere, Friar’s Grag that looks down Derwentwater and Orrest Head above Lake Windermere aare also popular viewpoints within the Lake District.
How to travel around?
If travelling by train, the West Coast mainline runs to the east of the Lake District, stopping at Oxenholme (near Kendal), Penrith and Carlisle and connecting with London and Glasgow.
A direct train runs from Manchester to Windermere, while local trains from Oxenholme call at Kendal, Staveley and Windermere.
National Express coaches and Stagecoach buses also run through the area, while many minibus tour companies operate throughout the Lake District.
To make the most of the Lake District’s landscape, many people walk, hike or cycle on days out around the area.
To get to the national park by car, take J36 and A590 for the southern end of the Lake District, or take J40 and A66 or A592 for the northern end of the Lake District.
Best walks in the Lake District?
There are 912 square miles of the Lake District to discover. Some of the best walks around the fells, lakes and market towns include Helvellyn from Thirlmere, the Whitehaven coastal walk and Scafell Pike via The Corridor Route.
Read more: Best budget hotels in the Lake District
Why trust us
The hotels featured in this list have been carefully selected by The Independent's expert hotel writer in the Lake District, Helen Pickles. Our contributors either live in these locations or visit frequently, ensuring a personal and informed perspective. When picking which hotels to include, they consider their own experience staying in the hotels and evaluate location, facilities, service and all the other details that make for an exceptional stay for all types of traveller.
Best boutique hotels in Edinburgh: Where to stay for romance and Old Town views
Best hotels in Newquay for surfing and Cornish coastal views
Best hotels in the Lake District for lakeside views, spa breaks and Michelin-starred meals
Best family-friendly hotels in the Lake District for water sports and outdoor trails
Best family-friendly hotels in New York for exploring the Big Apple
The 11 best hotels in Paris for budget-friendly breaks and luxury stays
