Linthwaite House, Lake Windermere, United Kingdom

Boutique hotel Linthwaite House on Lake Windermere pulls off a clever balancing act. It gets the atmosphere right – not as formally English as Holbeck Ghyll, not as relaxed and pubby as the Drunken Duck. It gets the décor right, too – liveable but chic, with no chintz but enough English references (piles of steamer trunks, wellies at the front door) to make you feel that you’re still in a proper country house boutique hotel. The facilities

It also has the best downstairs and outdoor spaces of all the Lakes hotels on our books. For days when it’s not actually raining, there are 14 acres of gardens to explore, croquet for the dastardly and an extremely romantic tarn stocked with trout. (Vitally, for embarrassed first-time fly-fishers, this is not overlooked by the boutique hotel.) There is also a pretty stone terrace with views over the lake, for your evening G&T.

For the other 300 days of the year, the boutique hotel provides a wraparound conservatory, an extremely cosy bar and three fireplaces. On quiet nights, the atmosphere downstairs can be a bit hushed. As the Linthwaite House fills up, though, guests relax.

This relaxation might also be a consequence of a very good dinner – Linthwaite House is justly proud of its three-AA-rosette cuisine. Chef Simon Bolsover’s restaurant cooking is deceptively simple and very English; naturally everything is locally sourced. Try the cheeseboard and experiment with the well-priced, thoughtful wine list.

The dining room is spread through three rooms of the house; staff dropped a few balls here and there but everyone works so hard and is so friendly that any missed catches are quickly fixed and easy to forgive.

Overall - the atmosphere of a quiet country house boutique hotel, with nice touches of Edwardian Englishness amidst the Ralph Lauren chic, good food and immaculate, very comfortable rooms, means that this is highly recommended for the Lakes.

The rooms

The boutique hotel’s 27 rooms are immaculate, well-maintained and constantly updated. Décor is contemporary in an understated Ralph Lauren style – smart stripes, patterned wallpaper. Sizes vary but they are generally spacious and they feel luxurious. Rooms with lake views are a little more expensive; views toward the tarn are actually also very pretty. Linthwaite House also has some of the best bathrooms in the Lakes – lots of space, good showers over tubs (room 16 has a separate shower), underfloor heating and steam-free mirrors.