Why You’ll Appreciate a Luxurious Stay at the Wateredge Inn in the Lake District

I have heard about Ambleside’s Lake District in the song The Lakes by Taylor Swift. It sounded nice, but I didn’t have an extreme desire to go until 1.5 months before my birthday trip.

 The Lake District kept getting brought up in conversations with people and in books I was reading. I felt like this was a sign from the Universe saying I needed to go, but I wasn’t sure if I could since my friend was still figuring out her schedule. But the Universe provided, and we went!

Wateredge Inn was the only hotel available during the two days we planned to be there. It was a popular weekend since it was a bank holiday (similar to a federal holiday in the States). We finally made it after our 3.5-hour train ride from London and a long wait for our bus (599 to Ambleside). From the bus stop, it is a two-minute walk to the Inn.

This short walk is mind-blowing because you can see epic views of the largest lake in England and the Fells (Fells is their name for mountains). That was the moment I fell in love with the Lake District.

Wateredge Inn has two buildings. The first is the bar, restaurant, and check-in on the water. The second building is across the street, where you stay. Having to go to the bar area to check in at first felt confusing, but it made sense.

Once checked in, we partook in a couple of Pimm’s Cups with lunch and enjoyed the stunning views. It was especially nice that they had plenty of tables and chairs outside to soak up the sunny day!

After lunch, we headed down to Waterhead Pier, near the bus stop, to see if we could catch a boat tour of the lake. Luckily, we made it in time. After exploring other parts of the lake, we wandered back to our hotel before walking into town for dinner.

After returning from dinner, I was excited to enjoy the room. The inn was spacious, with the world’s biggest and deepest bathtub, a shower/ tub combo. When I mean the biggest, I mean it—especially for a combo. I am 5’8, and I could lay completely flat in it! It was pure heaven, and I took a bath every night we were there. My friend laughed at me, but I was in heaven. I loved taking baths; this bath was the best one I have ever seen in an inn!

The manager told us later in our stay that they had reopened three weeks ago after a significant renovation. They did an excellent job of redoing the inn. He also mentioned that he plans to make the bar/ restaurant more of a hangout or nightlife area and make the inn a relaxing place to escape. I am excited to see how he will expand the site.

Another cool feature on the property is these large tents that can hold bigger parties. They have a spot for you if you want to host a big party along the lake in a separate area to make it feel like you have part of the lake to yourself.

The staff was so polite and loved to joke around with you; they gave great recommendations for trying food and drinks and even provided suggestions for places to eat in Ambleside, which is about a mile’s walk away (15–20 minutes). I enjoyed the manager; he was running all over the place, answering questions, checking in people, and bartending. Despite the fact he was doing ten jobs, he always took the minute to ask everyone how are they doing, their stay, and if they needed anything. What a sweet guy!

In town, you can find a bunch of restaurants and pubs. We went to Ambleside Tavern, which is like Wateredge Inn since both places fall under the Inn Collection Group that manages the inn and the restaurants.

Another cool thing that Wateredge Inn does is provide packed lunches if you are going for a hike or taking tours. You get a packed lunch with water, fruit, a sandwich, and crisps. We opted not to take the packed lunch because my friend doesn’t like cold-cut sandwiches.

Since they are located on the lake, if you choose to take a swim, you can jump off the dock! I was too nervous about doing that during breakfast, so I went to the lake on the other side; the water was refreshing and felt great. And it’s cool that I dipped into the largest lake in the Lake District!

I suggest you stay here. The location, the people, the views . . . they are all worth your time and money. And I can’t wait to come back here to explore more of the area and hike in the Fels!

Thank you, Wateredge Inn, for making our stay wonderful!