Gilpin Hotel & Lake House

Spent a wonderful two nights at the Gilpin. It is in a beautiful spot and very quiet area. The hotel is a great place to relax and all the team are friendly and professional. Our room was excellent and a hugely comfortable bed. Dinner in Source was excellent well and worth the Michelin star why though do they have bare tables at night but tablecloths for breakfast? This increases the noise levels as the floors are hard. Spice the following night was also excellent. Lovely staff and a great bustling atmosphere with great food. I highly recommend the Gilpin.

We absolutely love our stays at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House. ❤️ From the booking process (thank you to all the lovely ladies on Reception, you’re assistance is always warm, friendly and first class) to waving goodbye, our stays are always seamless. On this occasion we also booked for my Step Daughter and her Fiancée to stay who were visiting from New Zealand. They truly loved their stay too. I’d booked massages for them at the Jetty Spa and they said they were top notch. We were expertly looked after by Georgia and Kyra at the Lake House - nothing was too much trouble. We dined at Gilpin Spice in the evening and it was superb. It was so lovely to see Danny & he took great care of us, as always. We adore making memories here, we cannot wait to return.

We stayed at the Lake House to celebrate 60th birthdays, four friends in two rooms. The first floor room, Gertie, was a good size but underwhelming and overlooking the front car park... tired in terms of decor/furnishings and a broken blind, also no slippers with our robes which was a nuisance when at the pool & hot tubs - all disappointing at near enough £500 per night excluding breakfast and overlooking the front car park. The bathroom though was nice, light and spacious with natural stone. Our other room on the ground floor, Ethel, was much more attractive with a lovely lakeside view but a bit smaller.||The setting and grounds are delightful... also outdoor hot tubs, indoor pool and the little spa is nestled in the grounds, I had a FANTASTIC hot stone back massage with Sarah which was the BEST ever! Worth travelling for!! We were shown round by the Manager of both establishments who was very friendly, professional and informative. However, two friends who arrived a bit later were not shown round at all. There was definitely a lack of 'available' staff in the afternoon and at least one more is needed in our view. Internally, the property is nice with an informal 'country home' type feel but not particularly special although it is friendly and relaxed with a pleasant ambience. We ate at Source at Gilpin Hotel which was very good indeed... all the food was beautifully presented and fully explained and delicious. The lounge at Gilpin Hotel was attractive and comfortable with low lighting and candles, very relaxing... dining room more modern and generally not as appealing although 'fine' and we enjoyed our meal. Our driver from the Lake House to the Hotel & back was great too! Upon leaving we asked for the service charge to be removed as felt there were too many issues to be paying for this.

We went for my 70th birthday. What a treat. From the moment we arrived and were greeted personally, our car was parked, our luggage taken to our room so we could sit in the garden for a welcome drink.|The room was a suite with a private garden and hot tub which was lovely. |I had a full body massage in the spa which was relaxing but also freed up my neck muscles. The relaxation afterwards was also a good way to continue the experience.|The bar was large and relaxing with great service. The mocktails were excellent|We had the 5 course set menu in the Michelin starred restaurant and it was delicious with the wine flight which was explained to us well.|Breakfast was all cooked to order with many choices. |The hotel is set in large grounds with llamas and pigs - lovely to have a walk in the grounds. It is set in hills with trees, not on the lake but close by.|We are planning to return for our golden wedding next year.|Lynda

I don't usually write reviews but I felt compelled to after our experience. In short, I really wanted to love this property, but I don't think it lives up to its 5-star price tag and lacks attention-to-detail.||The good:|- The location, views, and grounds are beautiful. There's even llamas, alpacas, and pigs on property.|- Rooms are well-appointed and generally have a lot of amenities|- Food is genuinely great, except for a couple minor issues noted below. The Source truly is an excellent meal.|- Staff were pleasant and helpful||The nit-picky issues:|- Obvious wear-and-tear on some parts such as broken wooden blinds, finicky light switches, peeling wallpaper, and rust.|- Room advertised electric blinds which wasn't the case. It appears it did have them at some point but broke and now had a curtain instead, but the curtain track had a problem and it was extremely difficult to open and close.|- Some of the amenities, like the sauna and steam room, are confusing to operate. They did explain that to us and direct us to their app which had instructions, but the instructions in the app were often different than the switches installed and had clearly not been updated after changes were made.|- The app had a phone number to text reception that didn't work.|- 2 of 3 room service orders were missing at least one item, and only one was corrected after a significant wait.|- One issue with food quality where we ordered the same soup twice over the course of our stay and something was clearly wrong the second time. Extremely bland with overpowering acidic flavor.|- Several other items that just show a lack of attention-to-detail. At some point the nit-picks add up to take away from the experience.||Issues I cannot look past:|- No guarantee of being able to dine on property. While they do not state that the restaurants are reservation-only, that's essentially how they functioned. That is understandable and typical of a Michelin-starred restaurant (the Source), but the "normal" restaurant (the Spice) turned out to be the same. By the time we checked in there were no reservations available during our stay, and we were turned away when we attempted to walk-in on the last night of our stay. There was no attempt to accommodate us after a wait or at the bar, and we were turned away and had to decide between driving off property or waiting over an hour for room service. I don't really think it's fair to be forced to leave for dinner when there's two restaurants and a bar on property.|- They add an optional 7% service charge to your final bill (including on all food) that is not quoted in the original price or disclosed until after you book and receive your confirmation email. This is not uncommon at restaurants in big cities, but I've never encountered this at a hotel before.||Overall it feels like this property was beautiful upon completion and really peaked about 5 years ago but is now resting on its laurels a bit. There's some obvious wear-and-tear, and it felt like the staff were not properly supported and probably stretched too thin. I don't blame them as our interactions were always pleasant, but they didn't seem to have enough resources.||In the end I would seek out other properties in the Lake District for my next stay that are more polished for the price.

Hi Gilpin Team,||Just wanted to say a big thank you for organising such a memorable stay.. just wow! From start to finish everything was perfect, the staff were absolutely amazing, everyone was so helpful.||I work in a hotel myself and know how stressful busy periods can be, everything felt so well organised, the hotel really does live up to its reputation.||It was my first time dining Michelin I’ve never tasted food so incredible, each dish was beautifully presented and felt like a work of art.||The restaurant team were so passionate and knowledgeable, it really shows! Special mention to Elle, Salam, Francis Co in the restaurant (apologies if I’ve misspelled any names!) and Rob who kindly shown us to our lovely spa suite and escorted us round in the buggy when the typical Lake District rain set in.||Please thank all the staff on our behalf for all their hard work.||Kind regards,|Nicole & Poppy

Stunning setting for a delicious afternoon tea. Once we’d found the Lake House ( little road opposite Wild Boar) we had a wonderful time. Professional and discrete waiting staff, friendly though. Tea was beautifully presented and very tasty. Warm sausage roll was fabulous as were the exquisite coronation chicken bites. Sandwiches were well filled with the filling rather than the bread the dominate flavours. Warmed fluffy scones and homemade raspberry jam. Squishy brownie and creamy lemon posset. | Beautiful, tranquil view. |A very enjoyable afternoon!

We stayed at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House for a special occasion, and it absolutely exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warmth and professionalism that made us feel like treasured guests rather than just customers. The setting is pure Lake District magic—peaceful, secluded, and beautifully landscaped, offering both countryside charm and modern luxury. We stayed in one of the Spa Suites, and it was simply exceptional. Floor-to-ceiling windows with serene views, a private hot tub, steam room, infrared sauna, and even a massage chair—it felt more like a personal wellness retreat than a hotel room. The service was consistently flawless. Every staff member was attentive without being overbearing, and the attention to detail was second to none. They managed that rare balance of being incredibly professional while still feeling genuine and relaxed. Dining was a highlight. We had the tasting menu at Source, the Michelin-starred restaurant, and it was a true culinary journey—beautifully presented dishes with depth of flavour and a seasonal focus. We also tried Gilpin Spice, which offered a more casual yet equally impressive menu with bold pan-Asian flavours. The Lake House, which we visited for a spa treatment, was equally stunning—peaceful, intimate, and ideal for anyone wanting to truly disconnect and unwind. The grounds are lovely for a stroll, and everything about the environment encourages rest and reflection. If I had to note anything, it would be that this isn’t the place if you’re looking for nightlife or bustling town energy—it’s very much a calm, restorative experience, and that’s exactly what we wanted. Final Verdict: Whether you’re celebrating something special or simply want to indulge in world-class hospitality in the heart of the Lakes, Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is as good as it gets. We left feeling rested, pampered, and already planning our return.