Travel & Tourism

The beautiful Lake District boutique hotel that’s been named one of the UK’s best

That spa is stunning.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 2nd December 2023

A beautiful boutique hotel in the Lake District has just been named one of the top three in the UK – and it’s easy to see why.

Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, near Windermere, is one of only two properties in the north of the country to make the top 10 in the prestigious list.

The stunning hotel and spa has just 39 rooms, including its staggering spa suites, which are build on top of a natural pond with their own stone-built hot tubs on the decking.

It’s also home to two renowned restaurants – Michelin-star SOURCE, which has Ollie Bridgwater as executive chef, and Gilpin Spice.

And now the Gilpin Hotel & Lake House has landed itself in third place in the Top 50 Boutique Hotels. Quite the accolade.

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s climbed nine places since last year, and was beaten only by The Newt in Somerset and Lime Wood in Lyndhurst.

The team at the Gilpin says its new ranking in the list is down its ongoing renovations and improvements, which have included a new Spa Space at Gilpin Hotel, a Vertical Farm, more Spa Suites and the appointment of two new chefs.

ADVERTISEMENT
Hot Tub At the Lake House. Credit: Denise Creely
Hot Tub At the Lake House. Credit: Denise Creely
The Gilpin Lake House.
The Gilpin Lake House. Credit: Ben Barden Photography Ltd. 2009

The hotel is operated by Barney and Zoë Cunliffe, who worked alongside Barney’s parents John and Christine until their deaths in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

The Top 50 Boutique Hotels is curated by and voted on by leading industry experts, hoteliers, travel writers and influencers.

Barney and Zoë said: “We are so very proud to be in this year’s list, and chuffed to bits to be so highly placed.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We’ve worked together as a family and team for 35 years to create Gilpin, and it has always been our aim to create a luxurious sanctuary – one that is filled with love and laughter, without any pretentiousness.

“We want our guests to feel at home here, to feel loved, and we hope that that is what our guests feel.

“It’s with great sadness that we can’t celebrate this award with Mum and Dad, but we know that they would be absolutely delighted. As always, we would like to say a massive thank you to Team Gilpin, who all work so hard and with incredible passion. Thank you.”

SOURCE restaurant at the Gilpin Hotel.
SOURCE restaurant at the Gilpin Hotel. Credit: Supplied

Gilpin Hotel & Lake House executive chef Ollie said: “Being named in a list like this gives credence to everything we have been trying to achieve at SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel over the past year, with the restaurant offering an extra dimension to the wider Gilpin experience.

“People come to Gilpin to get away from everything and when they visit SOURCE they’re looking for a sense of occasion as well as the food and wine, so we hope to live up to that ideal.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Also featuring on the Top 50 Boutique Hotels list in the north west were Another Place in Ullswater, Moor Hall in Lancashire, Hotel Gotham in Manchester, Rothay Manor in Ambleside, and The Samling Hotel in the Lake District.

The full list from 1 to 50, including special awards for food and drink and best service is available to view here.

You can find out more about Gilpin Hotel & Lake House and book a room here.

The Top 50 Boutique Hotels 2023 list in full

  • The Newt, Somerset
  • Lime Wood, Lyndhurst
  • Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Windermere
  • Heckfield Place, Hook
  • Padstow Townhouse, Padstow
  • The Pig at Bridge Place, Kent
  • Lympstone Manor, Exmouth
  • Grantley Hall, Ripon
  • Beaverbrook, Leatherhead
  • Hambleton Hall, Oakham
  • Dormy House Hotel, Broadway
  • Hampton Manor, Hampton In Arden
  • Grove of Narberth, Narberth
  • The Idle Rocks, St Mawes
  • Another Place, Ullswater
  • Boys Hall, Ashford
  • Artist Residence Bristol, Bristol
  • The Mandrake, London
  • The Fife Arms, Braemer
  • Foyers Lodge, Scotland
  • Great Fosters, Egham
  • Middleton Lodge, Ripon
  • Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Lancashire
  • The Zetter Marylebone, London
  • Yorebridge House, YorK
  • The Gallivant, Rye
  • The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
  • Estelle Manor, North Leigh
  • Hotel Gotham, Manchester
  • Links House at Royal Dornoch, Dornoch
  • Palé Hall, Bala, Wales
  • Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall
  • Hotel Tresanton, Tresanton
  • Henrietta Hotel, London
  • Lochgreen House Hotel & Spa, Troon
  • The Harper, Holt
  • The Pig on the Beach, Swanage
  • Rothay Manor, Ambleside
  • Number One Bruton, Somerset
  • Nomad, London
  • The Mitre, Hampton Court
  • The Samling Hotel, Lake District
  • House of Gods, Edinburgh
  • The Retreat at Elcot Park, Newbury
  • Farlam Hall Hotel & Restaurant, Brampton
  • Glebe House, Devon
  • Le Manoir aux Quat’saisons, Oxford
  • At the Chapel, Bruton
  • Henry’s Townhouse, Marylebone, London
  • Titchwell Manor, Brancaster

Read more

Featured image:

Travel & Tourism

The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

The build of Therme Manchester, which is set to be the UK’s largest wellbeing resort, is finally underway, with a loose opening date announced.

The construction phase of the massive spa project begins this month – when it completes, it will be made up of 10 pools, 15 waterslides, sustainable gardens and a diverse range of restaurants and cafes.

The entire thing will be kept at a balmy 33ºC all year round using advanced technology, with warm water lagoons, botanical gardens and palm trees giving the site a real tropical feel.

Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025 – it’s now up to £450m and is scheduled to complete for the end of 2028.

It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.

Last week, a Beyond Groundbreaking event was held at the site of the new wellbeing resort near the Trafford Centre, bringing together local leaders, partners, and community members.

There, it was announced that Therme Manchester is set to create around 2,500 direct construction jobs, as well as 650 staff positions to operate the resort when it opens.

The business has already supported initiatives across the city, including the Manchester Marathon, NHS programmes and cultural events.

The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort
The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

Therme Manchester is setting out to have a ‘significantly lower’ carbon footprint than other spa experiences, helped along by locally-sourced materials, and innovative construction methods such as air source heat pumps and on-site 3D printing.

As well as state-of-the-art swimming and thermal bathing areas, there’ll be spa and fitness zones, immersive digital art, sustainable gardens and a diverse range of restaurants and cafes.

Professor David Russell, Therme UK CEO said: “Today marks the official beginning of a once-in-a-generation project for Manchester and the North West.

“Therme Manchester will be a place for everyone – a unique destination where wellbeing, sustainability, art and culture come together. Our vision is to make a lasting positive impact: creating jobs, supporting communities, and helping people live healthier, happier lives for years to come.”

James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters said: “We’re thrilled to have reached this pivotal moment as work begins on site at Therme Manchester.

The site of Therme Manchester in Trafford
The site of Therme Manchester in Trafford

“It marks the culmination of years of close collaboration between Peel Waters and Therme Group, an extraordinary partnership built on shared values and wanting to deliver the very best for our community.

“From our very first meeting, we knew Therme’s vision would be transformational, and together we’ve worked tirelessly to get to this moment and start the build of this world-class wellness destination in TraffordCity.

“Therme Manchester will be a true gamechanger not just for TraffordCity, but for Greater Manchester and the North. It will regenerate a key site, create thousands of jobs, and deliver a landmark experience that promotes health, happiness, and connection.

“We’re very proud to be part of a project that will completely redefine leisure and wellbeing in the UK and Europe.”

An aerial view of how Therme Manchester will look
An aerial view of how Therme Manchester will look

Neil Martin, Chief Executive at Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “We are proud to be Construction Manager for Therme Manchester, a project that aligns with our commitment to sustainability, technical excellence and making a meaningful difference to communities.

“We look forward to delivering this world-class destination that will transform wellbeing and benefit TraffordCity and the wider region for generations to come.”

A spokesperson from Trafford Council said: “The Therme project is fantastic news for Trafford, and I am delighted that construction work has started on this one-in-a-lifetime scheme. The resort will attract millions of visitors each year and will provide hundreds of construction jobs and full-time jobs for the borough.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Therme Manchester is a fantastic, visionary development and it supports several of our key commitments – helping provide a thriving economy, improving health and wellbeing and regenerating a vacant brownfield site in a sustainable location.”

Read more

Featured image: Supplied

Travel & Tourism

Shocking new study reveals that almost 100 people a day are caught drink-driving

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Nearly 100 drivers a day in Britain have had ‘drink-drive endorsements’ added to their licences in the past three years, a shocking new study has revealed.

Alarmingly, it’s people between the ages of 25 and 39 that are the most frequently penalised for drink-driving – with around 48,000 drivers in this age bracket being handed endorsements, followed closely by 40,000 drivers aged 40 to 65.

In contrast, only 15,000 drivers aged 17 to 24 were penalised, and a mere 3,000 over-65s received points on their licence between 2022 and 2024.

It’s all according to a study by road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, using data obtained from the DVLA via a Freedom of Information request.

A shocking new study has revealed that almost 100 people a day are caught drink-driving / Credit: Pexels

Drivers caught over the alcohol limit face automatic licence revocation, potential imprisonment, and unlimited fines, while the endorsement remains on a driving licence for 11 years.

Another shocking revelation from the study is that fatalities linked to drink-driving have climbed over the past decade, peaking in 2022 at the highest level in 13 years – with the RAC saying this trend ‘raises alarms’ about the effectiveness of current road safety measures.

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis called it ‘completely unacceptable’.

“These disturbing figures show the twin evils of driving under the influence of drink and drugs are behind a frightening number of lives lost on the UK’s roads every year,” he commented.

A third of Brits want police to immediately ban drink drivers at the roadside / Credit – Vladimir Proskurovskiy (via Unsplash)

“A new approach to tackling these repugnant crimes is desperately needed. We hope this will be a key part of the Government’s forthcoming road safety strategy, [as] we’ve consistently been calling for a change in approach when it comes to reducing alcohol-related road deaths, as it’s clear the status quo isn’t working.”

The RAC has been campaigning for courts being given the powers to mandate the fitting of alcohol interlocks (‘alcolocks’) to offenders’ vehicles to prevent them driving drunk again.

It is also ‘supportive’ of the police being given the powers to immediately disqualify any driver who fails a drink or drugs test at the roadside.

Read more:

“This has the potential to reduce drink-drive casualties, especially among habitual offenders,” Rod concluded. 

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

More Travel & Tourism

The Cyanlines plans could see new floating walkways built over Manchester's walkways

Business

The incredible plans to build floating walkways over Manchester’s waterways

Manchester

Manchester is getting a £2m highways maintenance ‘blitz’ to fix the roads ready for winter

Boroughs

‘Mass disruption’ expected as Greater Manchester Bee Network bus drivers prepare to strike this month

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches