Hotel rooms with a spectacular view
LEE SWETTENHAM enjoys a weekend retreat at a Laura Ashley hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere...
LAUNCHES and steamers slowly shuttle across the glass-like water, the banks are a riot of autumnal golds, greens and browns, and the Langdale Pikes rise into a bright blue and cloudless sky.
As hotel room views go, it’s pretty much unsurpassed.
Majestic vistas are a given wherever you go in the Lake District, but it’s not often you can enjoy such a glorious spectacle from the window of your very own room.
If you’ve ever been to Bowness-on-Windermere, the tourist trap that’s known as the gateway to the Lakes, the chances are you’ll know exactly where that room is.
The Hotel Belsfield overlooks the town, sitting right opposite the piers where the cruises depart to various spots around Lake Windermere.
Originally built in the 19th century as a private residence for the Baroness von Sternberg, its distinctive design and cream frontage make it one of the area’s most imposing buildings.
It became a hotel in 1892, but in recent years has been given a spectacular makeover, after being taken under the wing of one of the world’s best-loved names in fashion and design.
When you think of Laura Ashley you might think of quintessentially English, chintzy furnishings that are - dare I say it, old fashioned? But, cannily, the brand saw hotels as a way to blow preconceptions out of the water.
And what better way to showcase all of the quality and originality that are the hallmarks of the modern Laura Ashley than to acquire your own landmark hotel, and fit it out from top to toe in your products.
So everything at the Belsfield is Laura Ashley, all the furniture, fabrics, lighting and wallpaper - and they’re all available for you to buy in the latest catalogue which you’ll handily find a copy of in your room...
And the fact that everything comes from that same source gives a uniformity that runs through the entire building - the design of each public space, restaurant, lounge and bedroom feels like it’s had great thought put into it, mixing the original Victorian Italianate architecture with more modern elements. Everywhere feels elegant and sophisticated, but with contemporary touches that make it feel warm and welcoming, and a million miles from the old reputation of overly-floral fussiness.
That means that each of the Belsfield’s 62 bedrooms have that sense of elegance, while giving you all of the facilities and comfort levels that a 21st century guest would expect. If you find yourself in a suite with that breathtaking view, you’ll struggle to pull yourself away to explore the rest of the building.
And the rest of the property is a delight. The sophistication runs throughout, with lots of little enclaves and lounge areas where you can curl up on giant sofas in front of a window or a fire and relax. The high-ceilinged Regency drawing room has you channeling your inner Jane Austen.
Outside is just as stunning - the Belsfield is set in six acres of beautiful landscaped gardens which offer the perfect place to watch the activity on the lake. A path meanders through those gardens, taking you straight out onto the lake, so you can literally walk from your room and onto a Windermere pleasure cruise in about two minutes.
A building of such class deserves a similar food and drink offering, and the Belsfield doesn’t disappoint.
You can choose to dine in the Brasserie or the higher-end Belsfield Restaurant, but the quality is such that we didn’t find much of a discernible difference in level of the meals we had in each - both were highly enjoyable.
The Brasserie offers a la carte dining with refined versions of British classics (you can also order meals here to enjoy in the Lounge Bar or outside on the Garden Terrace), while in the restaurant you can enjoy a fivecourse fine dining tasting menu, with an emphasis on using local Cumbrian produce where possible, and that philosophy pays off if the sumptuous Lakeland lamb dish we sampled was anything to go by.
The restaurant is a stunning room with huge crystal chandeliers and enormous windows overlooking the garden and lake - which makes it pretty much the perfect venue for an afternoon tea.
There’s a trend these days for these teas to be given various ‘twists’, but The Belsfield keeps it traditional. It’s triangular sandwiches, scones and macaroons all the way, and when they taste as good as they do, it makes sense that they don’t mess around with a classic.
Staying in a place of such class can sometimes feel a little intimidating if the staff come across as stuffy, but at the Belfield nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone we spoke to, from the reception staff to the terrific team at the restaurants, were friendly, welcoming and chatty.
The day we arrived there was a wedding, and the bride and groom couldn’t have been more gushing with the praise they had for the way they and their guests had been catered for.
The Belsfield is in such an enviable position – it’s in a location that’s ideal for exploring England’s most beautiful region, but it’s also a destination in itself, one to immerse yourself in and enjoy the decadence.
Go out and explore, or stay a while? A tough choice, but when you’ve got that view from your window, you’ve got the best of both worlds.