Another Place, The Lake
A relaxed contemporary hotel on the shores of Ullswater, combining stylish rooms, suites, cottages, shepherd huts and a treehouse with the Swim Club, lakeside dining, watersports, an Ofsted-registered Kids' Zone and dog-friendly stays.
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About Another Place, The Lake
Another Place, The Lake is a relaxed contemporary hotel at Watermillock on the western shore of Ullswater. Set within 18 acres of parkland with direct access to the lake, it is designed around good food, outdoor adventure and easy-going time together, making it a strong choice for couples, families and active breaks. Accommodation spans the original Georgian house and a contemporary wing. Choices include standard, better and best rooms, lake-view suites, family suites and cottages, secluded shepherd huts and a two-bedroom treehouse with floor-to-ceiling views, an outdoor bath and a wood-burning stove. Outlooks, room sizes and facilities vary considerably, so check the exact category before booking rather than assuming every room has a lake view. The Swim Club is the hotel's take on a spa.
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It includes a 20-metre indoor heated pool with a shallow family area, an outdoor hot tub, sauna, cardio room and treatment rooms. It is open to hotel guests from 7am until 9pm daily, with adult-only swimming from 7am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm. The sauna and hot tub are for guests aged 16 and over. Treatments are also available to non-residents, while local memberships and day experiences are subject to availability. There are several places to eat and drink. Rampsbeck serves breakfast and seasonal evening menus in a more formal lake-view setting. The Living Space offers relaxed, family-friendly all-day dining, while The Glasshouse serves wood-fired pizza beside the water on selected days. The Brackenrigg Inn, the hotel's nearby Cumbrian pub, is a short walk away. Restaurant access for non-residents, opening times and booking requirements can change when the hotel is busy, so reserve ahead for dinner and check current details before travelling. Activities make full use of the lakeshore and private jetty. Depending on season, weather and availability, guests can book stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, open-water swimming, sailing, wing sports, archery, walking and cycling experiences. Many sessions have minimum ages or experience requirements and should be arranged in advance. Families are particularly well catered for. The Ofsted-registered Kids' Zone has indoor and outdoor play spaces, a family games safari tent and supervised sessions for activities such as crafts, outdoor play and forest skills. Family suites, cottages, children's menus, travel cots, babysitting by arrangement and dedicated family swim times help make longer stays easier. Many rooms welcome dogs, and dog-friendly dining is available in The Living Space, The Glasshouse and The Brackenrigg Inn. Dog-friendly rooms must be selected when booking, and individual rules and charges should be checked in advance. Accessibility is good across the main ground-floor areas. The hotel has two accessible parking bays, two fully accessible ground-floor bedrooms, accessible bathrooms, hearing loops and a pool hoist that can be prepared before arrival. There are no lifts. Parts of the gardens and lakeside field have rough terrain, while the gravel route to The Glasshouse is unsuitable for wheelchairs, so discuss specific requirements with the hotel before booking. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is at 11am. Hotel parking is free for residents, and five untethered electric-vehicle charging points are available in the lower car park. Penrith is the nearest mainline railway station, around 15 to 20 minutes away by taxi. Local buses stop near The Brackenrigg Inn, and the seasonal Ullswater Hopper has a request stop at the end of the hotel drive.
Our local note
One of Ullswater's best all-round destination stays, particularly for active couples and families who want to swim, paddle and eat well without leaving the grounds. Choose the room type carefully, then pre-book dining, treatments and activities for popular dates.
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We treated ourselves to Skate By the Lake at Another Place near Ullswater as a Christmas day out, and it turned out to be a truly special family experience. We booked the 4pm session, which was perfect timing; skating as the sun dipped behind the mountains and reflected across the lake was nothing short of magical. Tickets were £20 per adult and £15 for our teenager, which is admittedly quite pricey for a 45-minute session. That said, as a seasonal treat, it felt worth it, especially for the setting alone. We visited after Christmas, but the atmosphere was still wonderfully festive, with music playing and a real sense of winter cheer lingering in the air. If you’re a novice skater, don’t be put off, most people on the ice were in the same boat! There are plenty of supports available for children, and adults too. Mrs Guru may have completely fallen in love with the Polar Bear skating aid to help her make it around the rink… and she certainly wasn’t the only adult clinging to one! For younger children, there are also reindeer skating aids to sit on, which were very popular, and little penguins to skate with. Skates are included and provided by the hotel, which makes the whole experience feel easy and well organised. The location of Another Place is just breathtaking. The grounds are stunning and the hotel itself looks absolutely beautiful. Unsurprisingly, Mrs Guru is now desperate for us to stay there one day. After skating, we warmed up with hot chocolate, and honestly, it was the nicest we’ve had anywhere. Smooth, rich, and wonderfully warming. At £5.50 for a small cup it was on the expensive side, but the quality really showed. Beer, champagne and mulled wine were also available, but as an alcohol-free family we happily stuck with the hot chocolate. We headed to The Glasshouse afterwards for pizza, which was cosy, casual and welcoming, though again, on the pricier side. We ordered two pepperoni pizzas (£15 each) and a festive pizza (£16.50). All three were phenomenal. Watching them being handmade and cooked in the pizza oven right in front of us was a treat in itself, and they tasted as good as they looked. In hindsight, booking the Skate and Pizza combination ticket for £30 would have saved us a fair bit, and that’s definitely something to remember for next year. All in all, it was a perfect treat day. Crisp, cold weather, bright stars overhead, helpful and attentive staff, and a truly unforgettable setting. Skate By the Lake is absolutely an experience we’d repeat, and very likely will, next year.
