The Hotel

What the hotel and food guides say

The AA Hotel Guide 2006

AA 3 Red Stars, 3 Rosettes for food
AA Top Ten Small Hotels, AA Top Ten Country Retreat, AA Top 200 Hotels in Britain and Ireland

This smart Victorian residence is set amidst delightful gardens leading to the fells, and is just a short drive from the lake. The individually styled bedrooms are stylish and a number benefit from private terraces; all are spacious and thoughtfully equipped. The welcoming atmosphere is notable and the attractive day rooms are perfect for relaxing, perhaps beside a real fire. Vibrant, exciting cuisine is served in one of four intimate dining rooms.

The AA Restaurant Guide 2006

AA 3 Red Stars, 3 Rosettes for food

PLACE: Four dining rooms – all smart, intimate, tasteful and typically country house (though each has its own individual style) – share the hall mark of warm hospitality, subtle colours, antique furnishings, white damask napery, and, most importantly, the same repertoire of enticing, skillfully prepared food. Gilpin is set amid delightful gardens, a whitewashed, turn-of-the-century Lakeland hotel situated high up in the fells, delivering lovely scenic views and an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquillity.

FOOD : A classically based repertoire, though with a lighter modern focus, delivers skillfully prepared dishes using locally sourced produce, simply cooked with precision and passion. The freshness of ingredients and clear, clean flavours might be showcased in a best end of local Herdwick lamb with fondant potato and confit vegetables, or perhaps a starter of lobster tortellini with wilted baby spinach, sea lettuce and a lemon grass infusion that might almost taste of the sea. The appealing repertoire of fixed-price menus is backed up by discreet, friendly and professional service.

Alistair Sawday's Special Places to Stay 2006

One of the loveliest places to stay in the country, simple as that. Staff are delightful, the house is a treasure trove, and the food, Michelin-starred, is heavenly. Run by two generations of the same family, Gilpin delivers at every turn. Clipped country-house elegance flows throughout: smouldering coals, Zoffany wallpaper, gilded mirrors, flowers everywhere. Afternoon tea, served wherever you want it, comes on silver trays. You’re in 20 acres of silence, so throw open doors and sit on the terrace surrounded by pots of colour or stroll through the garden for magnolias, rhodedendrons, cherry blossom, climbing roses and a fine copper beech. Bedrooms are predictably divine with crisp white linen, exquisite fabrics, wonderful upholstery, delicious art; simply nothing is left to chance. Some have French windows that open onto the garden, others have private gardens complete with hot tub, all have sofas or armchairs. As for Chris Meredith’s food – the foie gras with Sauternes jelly was faultless, while a three-page breakfast menu includes nine different teas and strawberry sorbet served with pink Champagne. Out of this world.

Harden's UK Restaurants 2006

Perhaps the best in Cumbria – the dining possibilities of this romantic hotel (in an Edwardian Country House) seem, if anything, to have improved under chef Chris Meredith. You can tell the place is family-run by the service and attention to detail.

The Good Hotel Guide 2006

…Set well back from the road, with charming gardens, ponds, croquet lawn, moors and woodlands. No weddings, no conferences, just the… relaxation… with well-trained young people from around the world…spacious rooms… good views… Everyone enjoys the cooking of Chris Meredith, served in the beautifully designed restaurant. Inventive and tasty dishes… The proprietor came round to every table to chat, very welcome… Afternoon teas are a work of art… Heavenly packed lunches.

Signpost 2006

A charming family-run small hotel near Lake Windermere in the matchless surroundings of the Lake District… opposite the challenging Windermere Golf Course and at the heart of the Lake District’s wealth of sightseeing, history and activities. Several days are needed to do justice to the area. Gentle car tours or slightly more energetic walks bring guests to some of England’s finest scenery. At the end of each day’s exploration, the promise of extreme luxury and comfort awaits. Gilpin Lodge is meticulously run by the Cunliffe family and a team of dedicated, long serving staff, whose experience shows in every corner of the hotel. There are no conferences or weddings. This is the art of relaxation – perfected. Exquisite food and wines.

Johansens 2006

This elegant, luxurious family-run country house hotel… with long-standing staff as much a feature of the house as the Cunliffe family, ensure a relaxed ambience alongside friendly, personal care and attention to detail. All the sense are delicately pampered; the profusion of fresh flowers, picture-lined walled, antique furniture and log fires in winter, are all part of Gilpin hospitality. The sumptuous bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms and every comfort; some have patio doors, split level and whirlpool baths. The exquisite food … has received 3 AA Rosettes and 4 RAC Dining Awards… The beautiful gardens are the perfect place in which to muse whilst savouring the beautiful Lakeland scenery. This is Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter country and there are several stately homes, gardens and castles nearby. Our inspector loved the superb service and the Garden Dining Room.

Karen Brown’s England, Wales & Scotland 2006

Family holidays for John Cunliffe meant coming to stay with grandma at Gilpin Lodge. Whe he saw the former family home for sale in the 80s, he and his wife forsook their restaurant with rooms in Bath and purchased the property, moving to the Lake District and bringing their longtime manager, Richard Marriott. Wings of bedrooms have been added and a brigade runs the kitchen, but John and Christine, joined by son, Barney, and his wife, Zoë, still keep the integrity of a luxurious, family home. Enjoy spacious lounges and sitting nooks, and dine in one of four lovely rooms that make up the restaurant. Bedrooms range in all shapes and sizes, from traditional to contemporary décor. All are beautifully decorated and appointed, as one would expect from a top-of-the-line country house hotel. It’s a peaceful spot overlooking rolling, sheep-dotted hills. A stone’s throw away is Windermere golf course and just down the road is the bustle of Windermere. A ferry takes you across the lake to Near Sawrey and Beatrix Potter’s home, Hill Top Farm. Wordsworth fans head for Rydal House and Dove Cottage, while walkers head for the hills. Gilpin Lodge can arrange for a private car and driver to escort you on your sightseeing.