The Lake District is where we always come to escape, de-stress, climb Wainwright’s and eat great food. We have been coming here for so long, we thought we knew all the best hotels and restaurants, so to discover a new hidden gem is always really satisfying. Rothay Manor is just that.
Rothay Manor is a charming country retreat in the heart of the Lake District. With 23-bedrooms and an award winning restaurant, we found it to be the perfect escape to relax, unwind and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding rugged fells and serene lakes. Not to mention the outstanding food!
In prime position to explore the Lake District, Rothay Manor is 10-minutes from Ambleside’s lively streets of gift, craft and outdoor-clothing shops. A few miles north is Grasmere; here you can get a Wordsworth fix at Dove Cottage, where the poet wrote most of his great works. The hotel is a great base for a walking trip, paddleboarding, sailing and wakeboarding. We indulged our love of hiking, shopping at the huge Lakeland store, and we even went completely tourist one day with a ride on the Hop On, Hop Off open top bus.
But back to this fabulous hotel.
The individually designed bedrooms at Rothay Manor ooze comfort and style with everything you would expect and more from a boutique bolthole, and the restaurant serves beautifully crafted, seasonal flavours using local ingredients with the masterful Head Chef Aaron Lawrence at the helm. In fact, the food we enjoyed here is some of the best we have eaten anywhere, it is worthy of its 3 AA rosettes and Michelin Plate!
We stayed in one of The Pavillion Suites, opened in 2022 and bringing a modern twist to the country house aesthetic. This contemporary building houses eight exquisite guest suites, each individually designed, with enormous beds, ample lounge space to relax in and stylish en-suite bathrooms, complete with luxuriously fluffy robes and slippers and full sized Bath House toiletries.
Four suites have their own private gardens, one of which also has a hot tub, another is accessible and four are dog friendly. They really do cater for everyone here.
On the subject of our four legged friends, there is even a doggie shower in the Boot Room!
All bedrooms come with WIFI, a flatscreen TV with Sky, in-room safe, mini-fridge, complimentary tea and coffee making facilities and hairdryers. It is a huge bonus to us when we have access to good WIFI, as no matter where we are, we still need to work.
Rothay Manor was one of the friendliest boutique hotels we have ever stayed in, not just in the Lake District, but anywhere. You can tell that everyone who works there just loves what they do, and it’s infectious.
We couldn’t fault any part of our stay and we know that you would love it too. It’s the perfect escape from the stresses of modern living.
Tell them we sent you.
Review and images by Angela Riches
Some images supplied
