The Cranleigh Boutique — Hotel in Great Britain

We've been to Bowness on several occasions and have always stayed in another hotel which wasn't available for this visit, so we opted for the Cranleigh instead. It's situated just above the town, an easy couple of minutes on foot down a gentle slope from the church, although they have a few other properties dotted around the area so check when you book where you're actually staying. Parking was a little snug, with maybe half a dozen spaces at the front of the hotel and the same around the back, but they have an overspill car park available a short distance away, just by the Belsfield hotel.

On arrival we were met by Alice, the friendly receptionist, who told us about the place and showed us to our room. We were in room 2, which had just been refurbished and was stunning, lots of mood lighting, crushed velvet, and impressive features like a Bose Bluetooth speaker by the bed. The bathroom was nicely kitted out, with a corner shower, and useful touches like bathrobes, and various toiletries. In the bedroom we also found a complimentary box of truffles, a voucher for a boat cruise on Windermere, and another for champagne and cake at the Fizzy Tarte bar in Bowness. Considering the room was on the front of the hotel we didn't notice much road noise, especially if we closed the bathroom window and door, but then again the road outside is narrow and hardly busy. The room was also at a nice temperature, not too hot, not too cold, and a thermostat on the wall allowed guests to change things. The wardrobes were very odd though - extremely shallow, so clothes hung flat against the wall, and there wasn't much room inside.

Breakfast was very pleasant. The dining room was very fancy, and the selection of food was good. Serving times are 8.30 til 10 each day.

The hotel has wifi if you're so inclined, but reception is patchy and it's quite slow. Tip: You're on a break, so disconnect for a while :-)

We did have a couple of criticisms. Firstly, we found the pillows were very thin and hard, and we didn't sleep very well while we were there. Secondly, it's quite expensive compared to other accommodation in the area, but the rooms are lovely so you get what you pay for.

All in all, the Cranleigh is a lovely hotel, and we thoroughly enjoyed using it as our base while we had a nice weekend in the Lakes. I'm sure we'll go again, but next time we might pack our...

It was ok. The room was different and nicely done with a few nice touches but it doesn’t warrant the price of the room per night.

We did mention the issues we had in reception but we we were told the issues we have had is all down to the building being listed. I don’t like leaving reviews unless I’ve given the said business a chance to put the issues right but sadly in this case they didn’t want to know.

1. Pillows are far to soft with no medium or hard pillows as an alternative. We both woke with stiff necks and shoulders which are still sore three hours after leaving.

2. The room was far to hot and it took a while to get to sleep. When we told reception in the morning they advised they’re is a fan in the wardrobe, they’re isn’t, I checked. Sadly because the window needs to be open fully to combat the lack of A/C/fan you can hear the traffic from the road outside and people coming back not only to this hotel but other hotels after a few drinks in the pub. We had the joy of listening to a drunken couple at 3am (the man was called Alan as his female companion shouted his name several times making all aware who they had woken up)

3. You can hear every word and every activity from the rooms close by. We were on the top floor of three rooms and could hear everything and I mean everything from the couple below. ( we nearly went for popcorn)

4. From the the very moment you walk into the room they are trying to sell you something. Teddy bears and toiletries seem to be the main ones which make you very unsure if you can actually use the shampoo and shower gel provided just in case you get a added bill.

All in all it isn’t for me as it isn’t a proper hotel really, more a upmarket b&b with only security at the end of the phone after 10pm if you occur any problems or need a fan or harder pillows, I won’t...

I had a 2 night stay in the Sanctuary Suite last week for my 40th Birthday and it was outstanding. The Sanctuary Suite is a detached little cottage, just a few metres from the back of the hotel, but it feels so private and secluded. They have thought of every detail when decorating and the place is gorgeous, from the mood lighting with the different colour options, to the bathrobes and slippers, the hot tub and the Bluetooth speakers. We also got a couple of premade cocktails in the fridge as a welcome gift. The breakfast was fantastic with so many options, and it was delivered to the suite at the time we selected. The smoked salmon bagel with poached eggs was the nicest I've ever had. We got a really good deal which included £24 per person towards food at various locations and an afternoon tea at the Fizzy Tarte which was also fab. We ate at the Lakeview Garden Bar on both nights to use up our vouchers and the food was fantastic. Awesome cocktails here too. It is about a 5 minute walk away and had live music on every night.

The only issues I had with the stay were that the hot tub was far too hot. It says it is set to 38 and there's no way to change it, but it was always up at 40 for a good hour before it started to come down. We didn't complain about this at the time so can't blame the hotel for not fixing it, but maybe something for them to look into.

Only other issue was that the weather was poor for both nights of our stay and with the rain blasting off the roof due to there being no loft space or insulation, it was a really interrupted sleep. Again, nothing the hotel could do about this but something to keep in mind of you're a light sleeper.

I would highly recommend the Cranleigh Boutique Hotel and would return in...