Lakes Hotel & Spa sits about as close to the water as a hotel in Bowness can get, on the site of the old Burnside Hotel and rebuilt around the idea that the lake should be the point of the stay. Half the rooms have their own hot tub on a private balcony; the rest still get the view. It's a spa break first and a touring base second for a lot of guests — which is exactly why the touring part is worth getting right, since a single well-chosen day out is the difference between "we had a lovely relaxing time" and "we saw the Lake District". This guide covers both halves of that stay.
Quick Facts
Most Bowness hotels are near the water. This one is arranged around it — the spa looks over it, a good number of the rooms look over it, and the hotel's own watersports offering (wakesurfing, paddleboarding, bike hire) puts you on it within minutes of checking in. If your idea of a Lake District stay involves treatments and a hot tub as much as fell walking, you've picked well. The village itself, with its restaurants, gift shops and the evening promenade along Bowness Bay, is a level two-minute stroll away — close enough that you don't need the hotel's car at all for the essentials.
Windermere Lake Cruises depart from Bowness Pier, a few minutes' walk from the hotel, and a slow loop of the lake — Ambleside for lunch, back by mid-afternoon — is one of the easiest good days out in the Lakes, spa robe optional. Rowing boats and motor launches for hire sit right along the same shore if you'd rather set your own pace.
A spa hotel is a wonderful base and a limited window onto the Lake District — you'll see Bowness and the lake in front of you, and very little else, unless you build in at least one proper touring day. Scheduled departures leave Windermere station, Bowness Pier 1 and Ambleside library, all close by; private days can collect you at the hotel door.
The grand sweep: ten lakes, the high passes between them, and an Ullswater Steamers cruise exclusive to this tour. The full-day introduction most guests wish they'd booked first.
See dates & bookCollected at the door, your party only, the day shaped to you — literary landscapes, hidden valleys, or simply the most beautiful roads we know. Well-behaved dogs are welcome aboard in our vehicle crate.
Enquire about a private dayDove Cottage at Grasmere — entry included as standard — and the valleys that made the poems, with Dora's Field carpeted gold in daffodil season.
See dates & bookAcross the lake to Hill Top and Near Sawrey, with our illustration-matching walk through the village lanes — back for a long lakeside lunch.
See dates & bookThe afternoon version crosses the lake by boat rather than by road — worth choosing if you'd like the crossing itself to be part of the day.
See dates & bookA slow start, then eight lakes and their valleys at a seven-seat pace — one of the most civilised ways to spend a Lakeland afternoon.
See dates & bookThe same eight lakes as the afternoon tour, run the opposite way round in the morning — ideal if you'd rather keep your afternoon free.
See dates & bookA full literary day east to Haworth — the Parsonage, the cobbled village, and the moors that gave Wuthering Heights its weather, newly magnetic with the recent film. Oxenholme pickup available.
See dates & bookInto the Dales for Grassington's "Darrowby", the Wensleydale Creamery, Kilnsey Crag and Bolton Abbey — filming locations brought to life around you.
See dates & bookSpa breaks work in any season here, which is part of the appeal — but the lake itself changes character a great deal. Summer brings crowds to the village and the best conditions for wakesurfing and paddleboarding; spring and autumn thin the crowds while keeping the water usable; winter turns the whole scene into something closer to a private spa retreat, log fires and a near-empty promenade, with short bright walks the order of the day rather than long fell routes.
For a couples' spa break, a private day is often the better fit — no fixed departure time to work around a treatment slot, and a route built entirely to your pace. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to come along in our vehicle crate, though do check the hotel's own pet policy for the stay itself.
Not sure which route suits your plans, or celebrating something specific? See our guide to celebrating a special occasion for ideas, or get in touch directly.
Without a car: very comfortable — the village, the pier and the cruises are all a level walk from reception, and tour days handle everything further out.
If you drive: Bowness parking fills by mid-morning in season; Braithwaite Fold and Glebe Road are the sensible fallback if the hotel's own parking is full.
Timing: book your tour day when you book the room — seven seats, and summer dates fill two to three weeks out.
Ages: our tours suit adults and older children, about seven and up.
Bowness Pier 1, one of our three main pickup points, is a couple of minutes' walk from the hotel; Windermere station and Ambleside library are the other two, both a short taxi ride away. On private tours we can usually collect you at the hotel itself.
Yes — most guests build their tour day around a morning or afternoon treatment slot rather than a full spa day, and a private tour gives you the most flexibility to fit both in.
Couples often choose the 10 Lakes Full-day Tour for the grand sweep, or a private day collected from the hotel and shaped around a lighter, more relaxed pace.
Very easily. The village, the pier and the lake cruises are all a level walk away, and guided tour days cover the valleys and passes further afield.
We are an independent local tour operator. This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by Lakes Hotel & Spa.