The most romantic hotels in the Lake District for a relaxing retreat

A romantic’s dream, this hotel in the Langdale Estate brings something different to the Lake District’s luxury market. The local stone exterior gives way to brilliant ski lodge-like indulgence – blazing fires, spa bathrooms, private balconies, help-yourself boot room and a reading lounge with free snacks and drinks. From the glowing, glass-fronted stove to the double shower, enormous spa bath and bi-fold doors opening out to Lakeland views – it’s impossible to find fault with bedrooms as well designed and delightfully indulgent as these. In the restaurant, order the sharing lamb shoulder, served in a deep oven dish with lashings of veg and shallot gravy.

The gabled house dates from the late 18th century and was once owned by Wordsworth’s landlord. It still has the air of a stately country manor: tall windows framed by ruched curtains, lounges filled with antique armchairs and pianofortes, walls decorated with Wedgwood and watercolours. The quintessentially English ambience makes it popular with celebs: Nicole Kidman, Stella McCartney and the Beckhams have all stayed here. Five rooms and six cottage suites are all different: some plump for Oriental fabrics, some for tartans and gingham, others for modish tones of slate and taupe. The cottages offer the most luxury: the best are Lethera and Hovera, split over three floors and richly decorated using local stone, slate and timber.

A relaxed country house hotel without the swags and fuss but with plenty of stylish warmth and comfort – and a Simon Rogan restaurant. Close to the honeypots of Bowness and Windermere but cocooned in gardens and with stunning views, you need never leave. For real peace and privacy, opt for one of the six suites in the chalet-style buildings set in the grounds, a five-minute walk (or quick buggy ride) from the main hotel. With floor-to-ceiling windows – the best glimpsing the lake through trees – these are sleek, Scandi-style affairs with oak floors, textured wool upholstery, and coffee and cream tones; the biggest with real fires.

This tiny, extravagantly decorated bed and breakfast, set in fabulous rolling countryside at the heart of Beatrix Potter country, offers three luxury suites and the best bathrooms in the Lake District. The Dawson suite is probably the best of the bunch, with a nickel bateau bath big enough for two, double sinks plus a walkthrough shower. The whole place is decorated in a brilliantly lavish, humorous style – expect gilt-framed mirrors, metallic tiles, floor-length swag curtains. It’s full of character and doesn’t take itself too seriously: a fun and memorable couple’s retreat.

All 15 of Applegarth’s rooms, plus the seven suites, have been meticulously put together with a luxurious sense of modern style: think bold wallpapers, designer furniture and statement lampshades, with an undercurrent of bling. One room has a circular bed, another a bath on a dais. The seven apartment-sized suites, in the separate coach house, are in another, sumptuous, league — perhaps a jungle or Bollywood theme — with outdoor hot tubs, and high-tech sound and lighting systems.

The Gilpin is undoubtedly one of the most romantic hotels in the Lake District. A stylish and characterful Georgian house with a well-deserved reputation for being beautifully run; décor is glamorous boutique meets country pile. Classic rooms have views over the moors, six opulently-decorated spacious garden suites have private hot tubs, but splurge on one of the new spa suites, with your own hot tub, sauna, steam room and Sonos system for music. The floor-to-ceiling window means you wake up to views across the fells. Aromatherapy treatments are performed in a wooden cabin overlooking the water. Try a hot stone massage in the early evening, as the mists roll in.

This hotel is a great choice for a romantic break in rooms that combine bold, modern décor with king-size beds and designer lighting. If you can afford to, fork out for one of the hotel’s two showcase suites: the Hideaway and the Sanctuary. The former features dark, sultry fabrics, a 50-inch television, underfloor heating and a shower built for two. The latter is a detached bungalow with its own outdoor hot tub, a gigantic glass bath, eccentric, coloured lighting (optional) and a terrifically gaudy bed with an eight-feet headboard. No restaurant but plenty of eating options close by, and excellent breakfasts relying on fresh local produce.

This grand hotel, the medieval family home of the Earls of Lonsdale, offers authentic country house living in stately surroundings: vast rooms, scattered antiques and a well-worn but comfortable, informal and inviting air. There’s a vaulted library with an honesty bar, plus a self-operated sauna. Outside there’s a small, heated pool, but the real joy is the gardens with lawned terraces, colourful borders, vast topiary, a tangle of woodland and a substantial kitchen garden. Monthly dinners are held in the panelled, candle-lit private dining-room. Guests can fish on the rivers Eden and Lowther, borrow walking routes or book a spa treatment. All rooms have decent views.

A bold and unashamedly sexy b&b with lashings of black and silver. Glass tables and white or silver-leaf-painted designer furniture – including baroque-style beds – add bling while bathrooms are dark affairs for getting steamy in with huge air-baths, mood lighting and wall televisions. Lazy breakfasts are served in-room, and there are restaurants nearby for evening meals. At the edge of Windermere town, on the main road to the lake, it’s out of the tourist busy-ness yet within easy reach if you don’t mind walking: five minutes to Windermere; 20 minutes to Bowness and the lake.