Tripplo's verdict, based on guest reviews
Tripplo’s analysis · Updated 1 October 2026 · How we review hotels
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is built for slow days in the Lake District: long dinners, spa time and walks through private grounds. It is really two places, just over a mile apart. Gilpin Hotel has a Michelin-starred restaurant, the pan-Asian Gilpin Spice, a Champagne bar and rooms that open onto the gardens, while Lake House sits on Knipe Tarn with its own pool, hot tub and treatment rooms. Guests return again and again to the staff, many of whom they mention by name, and to the food. The trade-offs are mostly about cost and location. Guests find the rates high, particularly without breakfast, and the old building has no air conditioning, so rooms can feel warm. The hotel is outside town on Crook Road, and a car makes life much easier. Couples looking for a quiet, food-focused retreat will find it here; travellers on a tight budget or without a car may be better placed in Bowness-on-Windermere.
Guests score it 8.9 out of 10 — the average across the 9 hotels we list in the Lake District is 9.1.
What Guests Loved
- Staff are the most praised part of a stay. Guests describe luggage carried to the room and the car parked for them on arrival, name individual staff members, and one family wrote about the kindness shown to their disabled grandson.
- Food comes up in almost every review. Gilpin Hotel has a Michelin-starred restaurant and the more casual pan-Asian Gilpin Spice, and guests praise the tasting menus, the bartenders and the care taken with special dietary needs.
Things to Consider
- Several guests found the nightly rate high, especially when breakfast is not included, and some felt the in-room facilities did not quite match the price. One also noticed a service charge added to the bill.
- There is no air conditioning in the old building, and a few guests found their room too warm, particularly at night. One wished for a window that could stay open when it was too cold to leave the French doors ajar.
Should you book it?
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is worth booking for couples who plan a stay around good food and spa time — but pick somewhere else if you travel without a car and want shops and restaurants on the doorstep.
Book it if you want
- Couples who plan a stay around good food and spa time
- Travellers who want privacy and quiet grounds in the Lake District
Pick somewhere else if
- You travel without a car and want shops and restaurants on the doorstep
- You need air conditioning in summer
Frequently asked questions
How far is Gilpin Hotel & Lake House from the centre of Lake District?
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is 17.9 km from the centre of Lake District.
How do guests rate Gilpin Hotel & Lake House?
On Booking.com it scores 8.9/10 from 225 guest reviews.
How many stars does Gilpin Hotel & Lake House have?
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is a 5-star hotel.
What amenities does Gilpin Hotel & Lake House offer?
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House offers spa, swimming Pool, hot Tub, 2 Restaurants, bar and room Service.
Weather & sea temperature — Lake District
Right now: 14° air · 16° sea
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Crook Road, Windermere, LA23 3NE, United Kingdom