Our first choice is located a few hundred feet above perhaps the most beautiful lake in Britain - Windermere. This small gem of a hotel is The Samling.

This remarkable hotel is set in sixty-seven beautiful acres of its own grounds. The Samling describes itself as a luxury hotel in the country (not as a "country house hotel"). To offer luxury like this, with fine wines and a great cellar, outside a major connurbation, is a great achievement. But what we like most about the Samling is the service: it's that kind of quiet and efficient service which seems to meet your needs almost before you are aware of them!

But there are other gems in Lakeland. One we especially like is Gilpin Lodge. While it's probably not quite true to say that the food and wine are the most impressive things about this hotel, they do form one of its greatest attractions! With so many respected awards, a Michelin star, and a long line of experience, the owners, the Cunliffe family, know how to bring the finest style and quality to this corner of Lakeland. As far as the accommodation is concerned, the elegant and luxurious suites offer private hot tubs and outdoor areas, and the rooms have king sized beds. Total luxury, and perfect for exploring the southern Lake District.

For a family oriented experience, or a luxury holiday for a couple, you could hardly do better than the Langdale Hotel and Country Club. Langdale is really a country estate, offering a whole range of accommodation in a private woodland park criss-crossed with streams and tarns, and local flora and fauna.

In the nineteenth century the Langdale estate was a gunpowder works, a factory built here because it was remote and less dangerous in the event of an explosion. Nowadays that remoteness is one of the great features - in the heart of the Langdale valley, you are close by some of the Lakes' greatest walks.

The atmosphere is relaxed, the accommodation luxurious. There's a conventional hotel, as well as comfortable wooden lodges, spread out in a pleasant village-style layout, making a total of 57 en-suite luxury rooms, elegantly and very tastefully furnished.

All around the Langdale estate you'll find a whole range of facilities, which offer something for all tastes. There's a solarium, not just one but two swimming pools, providing for the needs of serious swimmers and more relaxed paddlers alike. There's a gym and fitness spa. And to meet the needs of the inner man and woman, there are several fine restaurants.

Purdey's Restaurant provides some high class cordon bleu cuisine with an extensive wine list. A less formal venue, which also offers great food, is the Terrace Restaurant and the pool Café-Bar, open all day long. And for traditional Lakeland "pub grub", a brief stroll will take you down the road to the village of Chapel Stile, where you can find Wainwright's Inn, an old Lake District pub offering the best of Lakeland food and drink.