Cragwood Country House Hotel

We stayed at this hotel when attending a wedding around ten years ago and remembered it being of a particularly high standard, so naturally our expectations were set quite high on returning. Unfortunately, this visit left us somewhat disappointed. The principal issue is that the bedrooms appear not to have been refurbished since our previous stay a decade ago. While the room was perfectly functional, the furniture was showing its age and there were several details that detracted from the overall impression. The towel radiator, for example, was noticeably marked with rust spots, which was rather unsightly and made it unappealing to place a towel on it. The extractor fan in the bathroom also appeared to be in need of a thorough clean. We stayed midweek when the hotel was exceptionally quiet, and consequently there was very little atmosphere in the bar or public areas. This may well be quite different at weekends or when the hotel is hosting a wedding or other event. The setting, however, remains the hotel’s greatest asset. The gardens are beautiful and extend down towards the shores of Lake Windermere, providing a wonderfully tranquil backdrop. I can see why this would be an excellent wedding venue, particularly for photographs. The grounds offer plenty of attractive opportunities for photographs and the lakeside setting is a real selling point. There is very little immediately outside the hotel, so a taxi would be required to reach either Windermere or Ambleside. For those looking for a secluded retreat this may be an advantage, but it does mean the hotel is somewhat dependent on its own facilities. Service was pleasant enough, although I felt the staff lacked some of the polish and refinement I would expect from a hotel at this price point. There were no major issues, but the overall experience did not quite have the level of attention to detail that we remembered from our previous visit. Breakfast was a definite highlight. It is cooked to order and the quality of the ingredients was excellent. This was one area where the hotel delivered very well. Overall, this is a hotel with a genuinely beautiful setting and considerable potential, particularly as a wedding venue. However, after remembering it so fondly from our previous stay, the lack of investment in the bedrooms and some of the finer details was disappointing. I would stay here again, but probably only if the price was competitive or if I were returning for a wedding or special occasion. At the current price point, I would expect the accommodation and service to feel considerably more polished.

Cragwood Country House Hotel will always hold a very special place in our hearts. We held a small micro wedding here in August with close family and friends and we truly wouldn’t change a single thing about our day! A massive thank you to Alice, our incredible wedding coordinator, who made sure everything ran flawlessly on the day itself. We also want to thank the rest of the fantastic team behind the scenes—the food was absolutely impeccable, and the service from start to finish was top-tier.Our guests could not stop talking about how stunning the beautiful rooms and manicured grounds are. It was the perfect backdrop for our perfect day. We cannot recommend this venue highly enough! We highly recommend Cragwood country house hotel and can not wait to return soon 🫶🏻

The staff were brilliant. Especially when my phone broke and reception staff helped me to get it fixed. Most of all Grace was the star of the show. From the moment i walked in with my little dog she was so welcoming and friendly. I saw her with others customers too. She goes above and beyond to help peoppe have a nice stay. She is exceptional. A real natural at hospitality. The walk down to the lake and woodlands made our stay so special. My dog just loved swimming in the lake. You can just stroll down there for half and hour before dinner. Its so beautiful,quiet and relaxing. Im so relaxed its gonna be a real effor to leave tomorrow! I stayed 4 nights. Was plenty of time to explore. The boat trip at Bowness pier was the highlight for me

I spent a fabulous weekend at Cragwood Country house attending a wedding. The location was breathtaking. The room we stayed in (19) was great, had a lovely view of a small pond and trees. It was clean and comfortable. Everything we needed was there, tea/coffee, hair dryer, shampoo etc in the bathroom. Even a sewing kit and bottled water. The food we ate was delicious and also the breakfast. Staff were so kind and friendly especially Grace! If we were in the area again we would definitely stay again.