It's the time of year when we start dreaming of escapes to more exotic locations. But there's a hotel in the Lake District which might make you think you're in a far-flung spa hotel on a foreign island, rather than just over 90 minutes away from Manchester.
The Gilpin Hotel at Bowness-on-Windermere is a five star hotel that's so luxurious it can't seem to stop racking up the awards. It's the only hotel in the entire Lake District to have achieved the coveted Five Red Star award from the AA, sitting in an exclusive club with the most luxurious hotels in the UK.
And, walking around the place, it's not exactly hard to see why. It's all set in sprawling grounds on a hillside location, with the option of staying in the historic old Gilpin Hotel itself, or in one of the luxurious modern spa suites dotted around the hilly 20 acre grounds.
