Lakeland luxury at its finest comes courtesy of Gilpin, with its Michelin-starred dining, private hot tubs in the majority of its indulgent rooms and attentive staff. Its flagship rooms are extravagantly large glass-cube spa suites that extend over a pond and offer a private garden, spa room and circular bath. Elsewhere in the wooded grounds are smaller cedar-clad spa lodges and Scandi-style garden suites with hot tub and sauna. Choose the main Edwardian building for smart country-house rooms, which have access to the spa. About a mile from the main hotel, the Lake House offers six stylish rooms; guests share an indoor pool and woodland spa. Dining, too, offers choices: Michelin-starred Source might feature dishes such as smoked eel, dashi and cucumber ketchup and aged Herdwick hogget with sheep's yoghurt, while Spice features Pan-Asian small and large plates. There's a vast sitting room plump with sofas, a modern cocktail bar plus a peaceful sheltered terrace. Gilpin is different, say readers, because of its long ownership by the Cunliffe family who 'just keep making it better every year'. It is a member of Relais & Châteaux.