Travel review: Newly refurbished hotel, newly refreshed soul at Langdale Chase

Press and Journal

23-04-2025

Staycations aren't really my thing and I'd rather jet off to the sunny climes of Europe than holiday in the UK, but this experience changed my mind.
I was really excited when I arranged a stay at the newly refurbished Langdale Chase as despite previously living in the north-west of England for a couple of years, I never got to properly explore the Lake District.
And staying at this five-star manor house hotel on the banks of Lake Windermere seemed the perfect place to do this.
It was a much needed break for my wife and I, and as we left the M6 motorway, we could see the mountains and stunning scenery that make the Lake District a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Even just looking at the sparse countryside and magnificent scenery made me feel relaxed.
Just two miles before the hotel was the small, quaint town of Ambleside, which was bustling with hikers and tourists exploring its numerous shops and cafes.
When we arrived at the 19th Century Grade II listed Langdale Chase, it was like a scene from Downton Abbey, with the manor house standing out.
With six acres of beautiful landscaped gardens on the shore of England's largest lake – which is 10.5 miles long – it looked like the ideal place to relax.
As soon as we went into the hotel, the staff's attention to detail and care for their guests was clear to see, with our luggage being promptly taken to our room while we waited to check-in, and were offered a welcome drink.
Sitting inside the great hall of Langdale Chase you could feel its history, and by looking at its decor – enhanced by its refurbishment, completed in November 2023 – I really felt that I had joined 'high society'.
We were taken to our second-floor room – the Pullwood Bay Suite – by a staff member and shown how things worked and what features were included.
Above the king-size bed was natural light pouring in through a stained glass lightwell.
It got better though, as up a couple of steps and behind a closed curtain was an octagonal sitting area, which had open views across Windermere and the Langdale Pikes, as well as a table (including binoculars) and chairs, and an external balcony.
The room – of which there are 30 – was traditionally decorated, just like a property of this stature should be, but it had mod cons too, including a complimentary minibar and an electronic shutter to close the roof window.
Its bathroom, entered via 'secret' wardrobe doors, was very spacious and included a walk-in shower and bath, with the biggest surprise being its Japanese 'smart' toilet, which had a built-in bidet and dryer.
As we had drinks at the bar, many people were sitting at tables outside enjoying the views of Lake Windermere.
For dinner, we headed to the hotel's two AA Rosette restaurant – headed up by executive chef Michael Cole – where the floor-to-ceiling windows offered panoramic views of Windermere and Coniston Fells.
Centred around classic British cuisine and inspired by the Lake District and surrounding coastline, I decided to go for Cornish crab as a starter, and the staff were excellent, going out of their way to help me with my gluten intolerance.
My wife and I were living the high life and decided to each get a streak, which came with all the trimmings, while the dessert topped things off nicely.
The food tasted so good and fresh too, and is a prime example of why we should all try and use local produce.
To my surprise, when at dinner, staff had been into our room and prepared it for the night by closing the blinds and putting on the lights; after all, it is the little things as they say.
After a delightful sleep it was time for breakfast, and there were options to have fresh fruit, meat and cheese, as well as cooked items.
I opted to have haddock, which was cooked with eggs and bechemel sauce; it was delicious and set me up perfectly.
We headed into Ambleside, which is about five minutes by car, and here we browsed the shops, many of which are independent, and took it in.
After this, it was back to Langdale Chase for afternoon tea, where we enjoyed handmade sandwiches and patisseries while admiring the view across Lake Windermere and watching steamers sail past.
Once lunch was over, we decided to drive to the secluded Millerground swimming lake, located only 2.5 miles away from the hotel, and had a dip in it.
After this, we took a drive to the market town of Kendal and then headed back to the hotel for our final night, where we decided to order room service and eat our meal looking over Windermere.
Before we checked out, it was a second and final breakfast, where eggs royale with fresh smoked salmon set me up perfectly for the long drive home.
We visited the delightful market town of Keswick before leaving the Lake District, where we explored some unique shops.
This part of the world has so much to offer visitors and there was a lot we didn't manage to see, including England's tallest mountain Scafell Pike, going on a Lake Windermere cruise and visiting the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.
With all that still to do, maybe a trip back to Langdale Chase is on the cards, and there is no other place I'd rather stay in the Lake District.
Whoever said staycations can't be fun?
A stay at Langdale Chase can be booked via langdalechase.co.uk
A Monday-Wednesday, two-night stay, including breakfast, costs between £370 per night for a double room to £1,250 for a family suite that can accommodate up to four people.
The Pullwood Bay Suite costs around £685 per night, which like the others would also include a la carte breakfast, while to add dinner to this package would total £825 per night.
Flexible dinner packages are available to add on to all room types.