The Best Inns of England's Lake District

Gilpin Lodge, Windermere

In the summer, boats lazily ferry visitors around Lake Windermere, and canoeists paddle among its tiny islands. The town itself is buzzing with restaurants, cafés, and shops. Just outside of town, Gilpin Lodge (doubles from $725 including dinner and breakfast), a family-run Victorian hotel, has added six new garden suites that have a bit more privacy than the 14 rooms in the main house. The suites’ bathrooms are huge, with dinner plate–size showerheads; rooms come with beds that are wider than they are long.