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The Waterhead Hotel - Ambleside

Located on the shores of Lake Windermere, with superb views across Waterhead Bay to Coniston Old Man, this contemporary four star town house hotel offers families a stylish base from which to explore the beautiful Lake District.

With friendly ducks and geese crowding the lakeside, and an inviting ice-cream shop just across the road, the Waterhead Hotel combines an idyllic setting with chic décor and luxurious comforts. Service is first class, and families are made to feel very welcome, with goody bags for children on arrival.

Rooms are sophisticated and contemporary – decorated in neutral colours, with huge beds, sumptuous fabrics and stylish wooden furniture. Bathrooms are spacious and sparkling. The reception area, bar and restaurant are light and airy – all wooden floors, pale walls and leather sofas. Minimalist in style, the design is enlivened by vibrant accent colours, original artworks and vases of freshly cut flowers.

Dining is as elegant and stripped-down as the décor would suggest. The Bay Restaurant serves simple modern cuisine, including roast duck with damson sauce, pan-seared salmon or red onion and smoked cheese tart. Children are welcome in the restaurant, and can choose from their own special selection of dishes, or smaller portions from the main menu.

At breakfast, relax in the restaurant, or on the garden terrace in warmer weather, and watch the steamers cruise past on the lake as you fill up on a range of tasty treats. The continental buffet includes fresh bread and pastries, cereals, yogurt, fruit, meat and cheese, or choose from an array of cooked breakfasts to suit all tastes and dietary requirements.

The Waterhead’s sister hotel, located a few minutes down the road, has an indoor pool open to all guests, offering splash times with pool toys and inflatables, as well as a toddler-friendly pool with shallow steps and a beach, to tempt little ones into the water.

With so much to explore on your doorstep, you may not wish to venture far from the hotel, but if you wish to broaden your horizons, the tourist information centre, located next door, has plenty of information on attractions in the area.

Adventure Details

• Room Rate: £92 – £244 per night, including breakfast (based on 2 adults sharing double room). Usually a minimum of 2 night stay at weekends.
• Children's Rate: Children sharing a room with 2 full paying adults pay £15 per night, including breakfast. Children of any age in their own room pay full adult rate.
• Rooms: 41 rooms. House Rooms, Classic Rooms (lake views) and Luxury Rooms (larger, with lake views).
• In Room: Flat-screen TV, DVD player, internet access, tea and coffee making facilities, fresh gingerbread, selection of Gilchrist & Soames toiletries.
• Baby Monitor: The hotel operates a baby listening service via room phone which is checked by hotel staff every 20 minutes. Parents are encouraged to listen in themselves through any hotel phone. Baby monitors are unlikely to work due to the thickness of the walls.
• Children's Meals: Yes
• Swimming Pool: Guests are welcome to use the large indoor pool at the sister hotel, Low Wood Hotel, 1 mile away. Regular splash sessions for children with pool inflatables and toys.
• Other Facilities: DVDs available from reception. Complimentary membership of health and fitness facilities at Low Wood Hotel. Children can learn to canoe, water-ski and sail at Low Wood Watersports Centre.
• Room Service: Yes
• Adult Treats: Book a treatment at the sister hotel’s beauty salon, a few minutes down the road, or relax in the sister hotel’s indoor pool, Jacuzzi, and sauna.