‘Nothing compares to this special place,’ says a Guide reader in 2017 after a return visit to the Cunliffe family’s glamorous country house hotel. ‘They reinvent themselves constantly, and the staff couldn’t be nicer.’ Among the choice of accommodation ‘to appeal to all guests’: ‘well-equipped’ bedrooms in the Edwardian house; modern spa lodges in the grounds, with an outdoor hot tub and views of the Lake District moors; open-plan suites in the secluded Lake House that look over the water into peaceful woodland. In the Michelin-starred restaurant, chef Hrishikesh Desai cooks contemporary British-with-a-twist dishes (perhaps chilli-glazed lobster, claw fritters, confit lime and grapefruit). A new, informal dining room serves plates pepped up with Asian spices (tikka masala-marinated grilled whole fish, say). The cooking is thought ‘superb’, though a guest this year wished for larger portions. Bowness is a ten-minute drive away, but there’s plenty in the ‘lovely grounds’ to fill the day, including strolls through the Victorian flower gardens and a peek at the llama paddock. (Joan Campbell, and others). Gilpin Hotel and Lake House is also a member of Pride of Britain hotels.