The Picturesque Movement of the 18th and 19th centuries in Great Britain was a defining moment for the development of leisure and tourism in the country. It involved celebrating and valuing the natural beauty and inspiration that was to be found between the sublime, with its grand and awe-inspiring landscapes and the beautiful that appeared in the order and symmetry of nature. This was duly explored through art and landscape design during the era, but perhaps best exemplified in a new and emerging attitude to travel. There was now a trend to seek out rugged and majestic locations and it was easy to see how the county of Cumbria became incredibly popular very quickly.
With its beautiful lakes, mountains and untouched scenery, it became the destination of choice for those looking for the picturesque to enjoy on holidays and day trips. An elegant and attractive collection of hotels with a supporting tourist industry soon grew around this movement and continues to develop and thrive today.
Here is our guide to a collection of the best luxury hotels to be found in Cumbria in 2025.
Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa
Derwentwater in the Lake District is often referred to as ‘Queen of the Lakes’ due to its ability to draw compliments on its beauty and spark the imagination. Lodore Falls certainly makes the most of its position overlooking Derwent Valley with an estate of 40 acres of oak woodlands and a thrilling waterfall all of its own. What was once a Victorian Manor is now an exclusive contemporary retreat that blends classic architecture with a Scandi design-inspired spa.
Accommodation is available across 63 rooms, each created with a warm and intimate décor that uses modern minimalism to make the most of its surroundings. There are also 22 luxury suites, furnished with balconies overlooking the valley, offering a private view of one of the most incredible vistas in the entire county. The facilities here include an infinity hydrotherapy pool, Finnish sauna and treatments such as Ishga facials –all equally as divine as the view. Great dining options like the Falls Brasserie and the inventive Pan-Asian delights of Mizu are also available on site. There are so many attractions in the Lake District as a whole, but Lodore Falls makes it very difficult to leave the site at all.
Langdale Chase Hotel
This stunning Victorian Gothic mansion was originally built in the late 1800s as home for a wealthy Manchester family, following the call of the Picturesque Movement. Over the last 90 years, it has been faithfully and sympathetically developed into a fantastic hotel that sits looking out across Lake Windermere as a local landmark.
The Italian mosaic floors of the halls, heraldic stained glass windows and imperious carved oak staircase all lend this place a wonderfully grand ambience that is matched in the rooms with botanical wallpapers and antique copper bathtubs. However, it is perhaps the gardens here, remastered by the prestigious designer and writer Annie Guilfoyle to echo the original landscape plans of 1890, that are the main aesthetic attraction. They lead to two private jetties that make the most of the mighty lake through kayaking, paddleboarding and cold-water swimming activities.
Accredited by the AA with a five-star rating for excellence in service, setting, dining, ambiance and pet friendliness and recognised by The Times as one of the 100 best places to stay in the UK, Langdale Chase Hotel is rightfully revered as a Cumbrian gem for accommodation.
Linthwaite House
Almost a decade ago the acclaimed collector Analjit Singh acquired this stylish 30-room country boutique hotel perched above Windermere and invested £12 million for a refurbishment that transformed it into a characterful luxury retreat. The black and white gable façade surveys 14 acres of immaculately landscaped woodland and houses everything one could want in a modern and refined hotel experience. The sweeping views of Lake Bowness are a feast for the senses duly matched by the fabulous Henrock restaurant, by Simon Rogan, that recently found Michelin recognition for its tasting menu alongside its three AA Rosettes and 4 Red Star status.
Set just a little further back from the hotspot of Windermere, Linthwaite House allows guests to experience the Lake District at their own pace, through a guided service of woodland walks and serene comfort, while always connecting one to the energy of the town below. This hotel holds a very particular charm that understands its position, both literally and figuratively, but conducts itself with few airs and graces to let the scenery do all the talking. The private tarn, a small mountain lake, is definitely the pièce de résistance for a morning spent gently rowing in secluded serenity.
Storrs Hall
So much of the allure of Cumbria’s finest hotels is down to location. There is such a variety of landscapes in the area that if you find the perfect spot, then you can even appreciate it all from one place. This is something that Storrs Hall does incredibly well. Two miles south of Bowness on Windermere in 17 acres of private grounds, this place benefits from direct access to the lake, with views to the Coniston Fells in the west and the Langdale Pikes in the North. Guests looking for a landscape to be inspired by will be spoilt for choice in which direction to face.
Storrs Hall was built by Sir John Legard in the 1790s as a Georgian villa in the Swiss lakeside tradition. Around 40 individually designed rooms are available, with the stirring Lakeside Hot Tub Suites offering some incredible evenings of relaxation, and the Boathouse Suite adding a terrace and private access too. A local legend states that the peerless poet William Wordsworth was a frequent guest here, drawn by the views, and even gave a famous recital of his work, Daffodils, in the Drawing Room. With such beauty abounding, it is easy to picture him ‘beside the lake, beneath the trees’ in this wonderful lakeshore retreat.
Visiting Cumbria in luxury and style through reservations at any of the hotels in this guide is a great way to introduce yourself to the area. With such history, so many interesting stories and a collection of the finest landscapes in the whole of the country to wander through, you may find yourself coming back for many years to come. All of which means you may even choose to try them all.
