Linthwaite House

"Linthwaite House, owned and refurbished by the South African-based Leeu Collection, feels like a bit of Africa in a black-and-white-gabled Edwardian mansion in the Lake District. If that sounds a bit mad it is, but it works. This polished, luxury international-style boutique hotel sits on a hill within walking distance of Bowness-on-Windermere, surrounded by 14 acres of landscaped gardens, is packed with a sumptuous velvet, leather, and oak, and a world-class collection of South African art. The 30 rooms are cozy and comfortable, though best are the six 66 square meter Lake Suites further up the hill, designed with a Scandinavian feel, all pale-oak furnishings and light-filled interiors. Or grab the Loft Suite if you can with its free-standing oval tub and velvet-blue sofa. The clientele are fancy, mainly well-heeled city-dwellers from nearby Manchester and Liverpool, and they come as much for the bar and restaurant with its delicious offering of Italian and Indian inspired dishes and mainly South African wine list. Killer views of Lake Windermere make Linthwaite House one of the Lake District’s choicest places to stay, and there’s even a smaller private lake with its own rowing boat if you want to avoid the crowds."