Borrowdale Gates Hotel

The accommodation provides exceptional service, delicious breakfast, modern amenities, comfortable rooms, and stunning views. Ideal for nature enthusiasts seeking a peaceful retreat.

As very regular visitors to the Lake District my wife and I would usually book accommodation in Grasmere and it would be fair to say we have sampled just about every single hotel or guest house in the village over the last 20 years or so, however, on this occasion we decided to try the Borrowdale valley for a change of location and in turn chose to book the Borrowdale Gates Hotel, not least because of the very positive reviews it receives. Choosing a Classic room for two nights bed and breakfast check-in was from 3pm. On arrival the parking provided for hotel guests is extensive so I’d say you’d be very unlucky indeed to struggle for a spot even when the hotel is at full capacity. My wife and I were allocated room 7 which was on the ground floor and I must say it benefits from some great views onto the surrounding fields, valley and fells. As well as the actual room window a nice addition was a full opening door to the outside so it was great to have that facility to just step outside or at the very least have plenty fresh air circulating if you wanted it. The room itself was pleasant and quite nicely appointed, of ample size and had a comfortable king sized bed. The bathroom was again nicely appointed, a good size and with the shower over the bath. Given a choice we would have preferred a shower cubicle but in fairness the shower itself was powerful and had a rainfall head as well as a wall mounted hand shower head to use. Everything in the room appeared clean and reasonably well maintained with ample tea and coffee making facilities so overall all good for what is classified as an entry level room so to speak. The rest of the hotel internally is very good, with a pleasant bar and lounge for drinks with an adjoining restaurant area used for breakfasts and evening meals. My wife and I didn’t sample dinner but by all accounts the food comes highly recommended. Staying on the subject of food the one disappointing aspect of our stay was the breakfast. Wherever my wife and I stay we always choose the full English breakfast option and based on our extensive experience of hotels in Lakeland I would have to rate Borrowdale Gates full English as well below average. Now perhaps a bit of background information is required to explain the reasoning for that rating. I happen to follow a YouTuber called Black Crag that features videos of him hiking the Lake District with overnight stays at various places of accommodation, and on one occasion being at the Borrowdale Gates Hotel. I was very impressed the breakfast presented to him on his day of departure so I guess my wife and I had not unreasonably expected the same or similar but unfortunately what we received literally paled by comparison, and the photos I have included in this Trip Advisor submission demonstrates my point. One image is a screen-shot of Black Crags breakfast from his video on YouTube and the other being what I received. I think you’d agree quite a difference because one is noticeably fa

What a delightful find The Borrowdale Gates hotel is. We had a truly memorable 2 day break. We enjoyed the peace and calmness of this hotel, the fine dining restaurant with its superb Menu of well presented well cooked dishes served by courteous and attentive staff who made sure quests were happy at all times. We will return soon and stay longer...please DO NOT change a thing.