Lancashire Evening Post
Saturday, April 12, 2014 www.lep.co.uk
31
travel
Get some pampering... at a hotel where
nothing is overlooked – except the lake
GILLIAN PARKINSON tries out the luxurious Lakeside Hotel, situated on the banks of Windermere and with its own spa treatment centre
UK break
In the conservatory of the
Lakeside Hotel there is a
brochure for its spa treatment centre which encourages you to give in to a bit of
‘pampering.’
In fact, you don’t have to go
to the spa to enjoy a spot of
pampering, as the ethos of
the hotel and its staff – from
the manager to the young but
well-trained waiters and waitresses – is all about top quality
service.
From the moment you pull
up in your car to be greeted
by the red-coated concierge,
you are made to feel special
– and that feeling continues
throughout a stay here.
The hotel, which dates
back to the 17th century but
has been gloriously updated,
is wonderfully situated on the
shore of Windermere.
Our lovely second floor
room looked out across the
lake, and even on a wet and
windy weekend, afforded
magnificent views of the water and the fells beyond.
And if you want to explore
the Lake District, you couldn’t
really be in a better place.
There are plenty of walks
all around, plus the Windermere Lake Cruisers set off
about 20 yards from the hotel’s front door.
We took advantage of this
to take a trip to Bowness for a
mooch around the shops, restaurants and cafes for an hour
or so without having to worry
about parking.
Despite the wet weather,
the boat was warm and cosy,
and was a great way to spend
the morning before we disembarked back at Lakeside and
headed into the Aquarium of
the Lakes, which is right next
door. Even on a quiet weekend, this was packed full of
youngsters marvelling at the
fishy exhibits.
We stopped for a good 15
minutes to watch the diving
ducks before heading off for
a look around the Lakeland
Motor Museum, which is just a
couple of miles from the hotel.
As well as replicas of Campbell’s Bluebird, it also features
cars representing more than
100 years of motoring, includ-
easter deals
If you are looking for an Easter break,
from April 6-18, you can enjoy three
nights for the price of two at the
Lakeside Hotel.
For this and more deals go online at
www.lakesidehotel.co.uk to find out
more or ring 015395 30001.
Room prices from £155 a night.
-ing those which remind you
of your childhood. (Dad’s Morris Minor Estate, in my case)
For another trip back in
time, we visited Blackwell, the
Arts and Crafts house on the
outskirts of Bowness.
Despite having spent much
of the last 20 years visiting
the Lake District on a regular
basis, we had never been inside Blackwell.
Built by the architect MH
Baillie Scott, this was a holiday
home for his client Sir Edward
Holt, of brewing fame.
The house retains many
of its original decorative features, including leaf-shaped
door handles, stained glass
and carved wooden pan-
splashing!: The hotel features a luxurious pool
Stunning view: The Lakeside Hotel is on the shore of Windermere
elling, plus some incredible inglenook fireplaces.
The gardens, built as a series of terraces, are a wonderful place for a stroll to enjoy
the views of Windermere and
at the moment (until July
20) there is an exhibition
of Moorcroft pottery in the
rooms upstairs and this is
worth a visit in itself.
After an action packed day
it was back to the hotel for a
dip in the luxurious pool and
then to prepare for dinner in
the main restaurant.
If you like your food accompanied by a spot of theatre, I
would recommend that you
follow our lead and try the Galloway Chateaubriand (double
fillet steak) for two.
It arrived on a huge butcher’s block, brought by the wait-
ress to the table, where after
we were asked to check it had
been cooked to our liking –
medium rare –it was carved
onto our plates in front of us.
Two classic sauces, béarnaise and red wine, came with
it, along with chips and vegetables.
Let’s just say it was the best
steak we had tasted in a long
time and left us talking about
impressive: The hotel’s stylish conservatory
it not just as we sipped a drink
in the bar after dinner, but for
days later.
But it’s not just the food
which is top notch here. As in
the best hotels, it is the service
which stands out. Nothing is
too much trouble, there is always someone to help.
The Lakeside’s motto is
that they overlook nothing
but the lake. I’d have to agree.