The location
There is no place more magical than the Lake District, famed for its gorgeous rolling hills, running streams and of course, gorgeous lakes. Nestled within those natural landscapes and overlooking the famed Lake Windermere, you will find the iconic Gilpin Lake House and its sister Gilpin Hotel, with its newly opened Spa Suites.
The vibe
As Gilpin itself puts it, 'is an elegant, relaxing haven of luxury, with no weddings or conferences or children under seven to disturb the peace, just warm smiles, fabulous food, fresh flowers, real fires and friendly, unpretentious service'.
That is exactly the peace you need, especially after the tough year we've all had. But most importantly, you need all the TLC you can get, and you receive every bit of that and some at Gilpin, as at the heart of the hotel is a very passionate family and team dedicated to nurturing its guests.
The rooms
It's hard to put into words just how amazing the new Spa Suites are, they will honestly surpass all expectations. But for the purpose of the review, we will at least try.
Designed by interior decorator Sarah Jane Nielsen with Christine Cunliffe, and with architecture by Ben Cunliffe Architects, the spa suite is not only gorgeous, it's functional too.
It is the ultimate private spa sanctuary for two, and at 100m2, they're a fair bit larger than their predecessors and provide increased privacy thanks to the indoor/outdoor themed décor of stone, bark, cork, banana leaf and concrete wall coverings, fern and lily pad decorative details, and a lush display of live plants suspended from a lightwell.
Rooms back onto woodlands with a stream and opens out onto a gorgeously private south facing decked garden with fountain water features and living wall of ferns, making sure you drink in all that beautiful nature.
Now onto the spa side of things. Each suite of course boasts and outdoor jacuzzi as well as fresh water plunge pond for the more daring guests. But the true sanctuary lies within: your very own personal spa room, with all bells and whistles. These include a steam room, tulipwood sauna, a tranquil treatment area with infrared lounge bed, and a state-of-the-art Japanese automated massage chair.
Then you have all the mod cons that will make you want to never leave the room. A lounge and dining area with a hanging fireplace in the corner window, a fully equipped cocktail bar and wine fridge and a pivoting 65" TV, as well as a beautiful huge circular stone bath and walk-in shower in the middle of the space.
Food & drink
Loosen your belts because you're going to want to make room for all the delicious food. You have two options: the Michelin starred HRiSHi, or the more laid-back Gilpin Spice, and we recommend you try both.
Both are inspired by Cumbrian cuisine and its rich heritage within the spice trade. At HRiSHi, Hrishikesh Desai combines great Lake District produce and classic methods to deliver unbelievable textures and flavours for a modern take on British cuisine.
Meanwhile, Gilpin Spice has an open kitchen serving tapas-style pan-Asian dishes inspired by countries along the spice trail – spanning the Philippines, the Indian sub- continent, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and China.
If you want to hunker down in your room though, don't worry, you have a whole experience lying in wait for you. Gilpin has designed a special food and drink menu to work with the essential oils in the spa products. Delights include iced green tea with bird’s eye chillies to help you detox with a salt scrub in the Lusso stone bath, soft poached chicken with coconut, mango and marinated avocado to complement the enriching shea and coconut butter hair mask, as well as plenty of nibbles.
How to book
Book online on the Gilpin website.
Gilpin's Spa suites start from £850 per night based on two sharing.