The Daffodil Hotel

With a plum position on the shores of Grasmere lake, this well-known Victorian hotel has been brought into the 21st century with boldly contemporary rooms, handsome public spaces and a spa with vitality pool. This Lake District landmark hotel on the edge of Grasmere is deceptive. Not only does its solid Victorian exterior belie its smoothly contemporary interiors but all main rooms and top-level bedrooms face away from the entrance side to overlook the lake. Its terrace and lawns also share the same view. The style is sleek and metropolitan with colours of dove-grey, gold and bitter-chocolate, velvet sofas and slinky bead curtains. Airy bedrooms share the same light, smooth looks with pale walls and uncluttered furnishings while boldly-patterned carpets, feature walls and headboards add accent colours. Most rooms have bath as well as shower. Throughout the hotel there’s a spectacular collection of artworks, including iconic book covers and digital prints of photographs from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of well-known figures and celebrities. Relax on the terrace or in the spa, the latter includes a massage pool and five treatment rooms. And you’ll never go hungry; as well as an all-day menu covering all tastes from pizzas to brasserie dishes, there’s a whopping afternoon tea. You can walk that off with a stroll into Grasmere or around the lake.