The best hotels in Keswick

What are the best hotels in Keswick?

Keswick is a lively Lake District market town, set between the shores of Derwentwater and the fells of Borrowdale, with independent shops, traditional pubs and a popular market every Thursday and Saturday. It’s a brilliant base for hiking, mountain biking and water sports, with plenty to keep you busy on rainy days, too. For the best place to stay, Fellpack House gets our vote, thanks to its characterful bedrooms, views towards the surrounding fells and friendly team. Just a short walk from both the lake and the town centre, it’s an ideal base for exploring the Lakes.

Scroll down the page for our full selection of recommended hotels in Keswick or, for a look at different areas, read our guide to the best places to stay in Cumbria.

The Best Places to Stay in Keswick

For the Views

• Howe Keld Apartments is well positioned between the market town bit of Keswick and Derwentwater, with wonderful views of the hills and fells surrounding the whole area. The property has been converted from a row of residential homes, and it now offers apartments. The designer has plumped for bright, cheerfully coloured feature walls in many of the rooms, but has otherwise stuck to simple wooden furnishing and plenty of white.
• Set in a Victorian townhouse with views towards the craggy Borrowdale fells, Fellpack House is a five-minute walk from Derwentwater and Keswick’s Market Square. Inside, expect bold wall colours, jazzy headboards and colourful touches. Bedrooms look out towards the hills or over the rooftops, while the neighbouring restaurant serves flavour-packed dishes inspired by Middle Eastern and Asian cooking.

For Pubs with Rooms

• The Royal Oak is a former Georgian mail inn and magistrate’s court, turned cosy pub-with-rooms. The pub is still the heart of the property, but it’s been seriously updated, and is now more of a smart gastro pub, with spacious, low-ceilinged dining rooms, and large open fireplaces. It’s owned by Thwaites, so this is a good opportunity to sample the Lancashire brewer’s ales. The 18 guest rooms are on the cosy side, but are well arranged to make use of the space, and decorated with country house hotel style.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• If you’re travelling to Keswick by air you have several choices: Manchester Airport is often the most convenient airport for the Lake District, and is about two hours away by car or taxi, or about three and a half hours away from Keswick by public transport. Newcastle International Airport may also be worth considering, it’s about about an hour and a half by road, or about four and a half hours by public transport. Keswick is about four and a half hours away from London by train, via Penrith, and about three hours by rail from Edinburgh.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Keswick is warmest and driest in the spring and summer, from about March through until September, but it’s very easy to argue that it's beautiful in all seasons, and Wordsworth definitely did... There’s enough indoor activity to hold off boredom on wetter days — take a cruise on the lake, visit the local National Trust properties, or one of the lake’s museums, have afternoon tea overlooking the lake, or just walk in the rain.

Still not sure?

• Expand your search to our recommendations for the best hotels in the Lake District,
• Refine by the kind of hotels you’re looking for and consider just the best country house hotels in the Lake District, the best spa hotels or the best family hotels in the Lake District,
• Consider some of Windermere’s neighbouring towns: the best places to stay in Grasmere, Ambleside or Windermere,
• Or, contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.