Rothay Manor Hotel

About Rothay Manor Hotel

Rothay Manor is a Regency house on the southern edge of Ambleside, built in the 1820s and run as a hotel since the 1960s. It holds four AA red stars and is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, but the feel is that of a well-kept country house rather than a corporate operation. The building is Grade II listed, with a colonnaded frontage and gardens on both sides.

The twenty-three bedrooms and suites are individually decorated, mostly in warm, earthy colours, and vary a good deal in size and outlook. Some look over the garden towards Loughrigg, others across to the fells behind the town. A number are on the ground floor, and eight are dog-friendly, with a dedicated dog washroom off the back of the house for the state most Lakeland walks leave an animal in.

Rowan, the hotel restaurant, is a serious part of the offer rather than an afterthought. The kitchen works to a seasonal menu using Cumbrian suppliers, and the same room does afternoon tea and a well-attended Sunday lunch. Breakfast is cooked to order and included. There is a lounge and a small bar, and the hotel keeps a decent wine list without pushing it.

Ambleside town centre is a five-minute walk, which makes this one of the more practically located hotels of its class in the national park. Windermere is a mile away at Waterhead, with the steamer pier and rowing boats, and the Fairfield Horseshoe starts effectively at the door. It suits walkers who want comfort at the end of the day, couples, and dog owners who dislike being confined to a pub with rooms.