Hotels in Bowness-on-Windermere

Bowness-on-Windermere has one of the highest concentrations of hotels anywhere in the Lake District, reflecting its long history as the region's principal lakeside resort. Grand Victorian and Edwardian hotels line the shore and the hills just above it, many converted from the country houses built here when Windermere first became fashionable after the railway arrived in the 1840s; several retain private jetties, landscaped grounds and lake-facing restaurants, and a number have spa facilities aimed at walkers looking to unwind after a day on the fells.

Away from the grander properties, there's a wide choice of smaller hotels, inns and guesthouses tucked into the lanes above the bay, many run as family businesses and offering a more personal, often better-value alternative within a short walk of the pier and the shops. Self-catering apartments and holiday cottages are also plentiful, particularly useful for families or longer stays, with many clustered around Glebe Road and the streets leading up from the waterfront.

Booking ahead is strongly advised for anything from Easter through to the end of the summer holidays, when Bowness is at its busiest and the best-located rooms — especially those with a direct lake view — are snapped up early. Rates drop noticeably outside the main season, and many hotels offer walking or dining packages through the autumn and winter months that make a stay considerably more affordable.