This review covers the hotel only - the onsite restaurants have separate entries on Google Maps (and were excellent).We would struggle to recommend The Gilpin. It does not compare favourably to other hotels we have stayed in the same price bracket - mainly in South East England. Next time we are in Cumbria we would try The Samling or Another Place.As other reviewers have mentioned, the rooms and grounds are a bit tired. We had a garden suite. On arrival there was a pair of shorts in the wardrobe from previous guests along with paperwork on the desk from which it was possible to identify them (a security risk?).The control on the hot tub did not work. Two enquiries and both times told I was not pressing the button correctly (with no demonstration of how to press it correctly - probably because there was no way!). I then gave up. I would have been fine if the staff had acknowledged up front they couldn't fix it and offered us a small token as an apology. However, I got the impression they knew it was broken and had been told not to give an inch by senior management.
Elizabeth Nailen
Our second stay at gilpin , booked 3rd before leaving .An absolutely magical experienceThe staff are amazing , they go above and beyond ,they cannot do enough for you , The gilpin experience is like no other.Spa is a mustMichelin star restaurant, source at gilpin, meal was outstanding with the wine pairing .Spice on the grounds of gilpin is a fabulous resturaunt also, would recommend staying at least two nights to experience both restaurants, from breakfast , afternoon tea , lunch , even the sandwiches ,if you are a foodie, your taste buds will be dancing .The rooms are amazing,you I'm sure like us you will want to try them all ?
A A
Didn’t stay here yet, called in while staying at Linthwaite House. Definitely a place to go and stay if coming to the Lake District. Very good friendly service from the staff and very reasonable prices.Food & drinks: Very reasonable
FarAway64937811778
Third attempt to stay here - previously disrupted by pandemic so really looked forward to an exceptional experience - sadly it was not to be!! Overall the hotel complex is not conducive to a totally relaxing stay using the spa and dining facilities. The building are a bit tired although the bathrooms in the suites have been refitted to a high standard recently. We booked to dine in the Grill and Spice but were bounced before we arrived as the hotel decided to close the Grill despite Source and Spice being packed both evening. We ended up dining al a carte at Source, which in effect was three courses from the Tasting menu - service was slow and preference given to those on the tasting menu - one main had to be sent back as it was under cooked. The lobster starter was good but rest was nondescript and deserts were minuscule!! Not worth £90pp. By contrast Spice was very good - great service and wide choice of dishes all well prepared and beautifully presented. Overall not worth the cost or the 5 Star and Michelin rating!
X1426QQpetel
We stayed in a spa suite for a 'mini-moon' break which allows you to dine at all 3 amazing restaurants within the package as well as a boat trip on the lakes. You don't need to lift a finger, including walking to the onsite restaurants because branded vehicles pick you up and bring you back for your convenience! The room, the staff, the service and the food are of the highest calibre. The attention to detail and the personal touches are incredible. If your idea of fun is having your own music playing through every room, and outside, while you chill in a hot tub, looking out over the most amazing views while Llamas come wandering past, then you won't find a better place than this in the UK!
JaneZOB
We were extremely lucky to be bought a Spa Lodge weekend experience as a Christmas gift in 2022. From trying to book this voucher to leaving the hotel I really would have to say the customer experience wasn't great. Starting with being told our voucher wasn't for what it said to "oh the earliest you can book is November 2023" this was on 28th December 2022!! The Gilpin Grill was closed three days before we arrived, but there was nothing proactive from the team to help us organise our other options. I had to call to find out what was on offer. Checking in was fine (although room was 1.5 hours late and our champagne was sat in luke warm water!). Staff are all lovely and very kind but there's a severe lack of consistency and training. Our lodge was lovely but pretty tired. Doors didn't lock. Hot tub didn't work for 24 hours (and nobody seemed to care!). Food in Spice really wasn't great and service was rushed and we were made to feel like we were not really wanted. Food in Source was sublime. Absolutely delicious but just little details of the service that didn't make it feel Michelin star (people walking through the communal area with towels, pints of milk etc). Our table also wasn't great. I felt like I was sat in a corridor. Sommelier was amazing, We absolutely loved her and she really cared. Breakfast was fantastic but again service was hit and miss. Overall The Gilpin has obviously been absolutely amazing in it's day but it's feeling tired and like they are struggling with staff. Which everyone knows is a challenge in the Lakes. However...there were plenty of managers who felt to me like they were a little frantic and nobody looking from a helicopter view. I mean sitting on Sunday evening for 30 mins waiting for our table to be told "oh yes..you should've been taken through". You've got some amazing staff but training needs to be improved. Would absolutely visit to go to Source or for breakfast but wouldn't stay there again.
Miquel Laroiya-bick
Beautiful place, absolutely incredible staff that can't do enough for you. They made us feel at home. Complete contrast to the bad experience we had at the belsfield.
DLNY
We should have stayed at The Gilpin in January for My 60th Birthday, but due to unforeseen circumstances we had to cancel & rebooked for 2 nights 10/11 September. Our stay was exceptional from the moment we were greeted on arrival at the car park. We chose to stay in a junior suite Troutbeck, within the hotel itself & it was phenomenal!! So spacious both inside & outside onto our own private terrace... Love the Cat... My Wife was lost for words!! We dined at both the Source & Spice. Although we enjoyed the tasting menu at Source, dining at the 'Chefs pass' in Spice edged our overall experience. The best Asian inspired cuisine we've eaten. Overall. The whole hotel was spotlessly clean with a really good chilled out atmosphere in the lounge/bar areas. All the staff we encountered were genuinely friendly & helpful & accommodating Apologies for not remembering everyone by their names but thanks to Charlotte on reception(what a happy & uplifting personality) Callum, Billy(Chef in Spice), Isobel(Bean girl). Again thanks to EVERYONE for a FABULOUS STAY?? Dave & Susie
Wanderer88644
The Source Restaurant at The Gilpin Hotel deserves its Michelin Star. The taster menu was exciting, delicious, scientific, and novel. We enjoyed it immensely. The service was excellent at all times and the paired wines with an informative sommelier sublime. Thank you for giving us a wonderful evening.
baxsamm
We stayed for our wedding anniversary and had a fabulous time. The hotel, rooms and food were lovely and the staff were amazing. We stayed in a garden suite which was beautifully appointed and the hot tub was great to dip into. We also had afternoon tea which was brilliant and very generous Definitely worth a visit!
We stayed at the Lake House. Service levels were extremely high, from the moment we arrived, which was well before official check in time. It is a great idea to allow guests to book such things as the hot tubs, rowing boat, and swimming pool for your personal use. You can walk around the lake in 20 minutes, but it can be a bit soggy in places after rain! The breakfast was a great experience, being able to personalise the selections. We ate dinner at the main hotel, using the very efficient and timely concierge transport for the mile or so journey. It is worth noting the Lakehouse is a completely separate property, on a different site.
lyntonb2017
We had a great stay at the Gilpin Hotel from parking my car to my buggy ride to the car park the experience exceeded our expectations. The food was excellent and the atmosphere in the hotel was professional but relaxed. Our Master bedroom was fully equipped and the shower room / bathroom were of the highest quality. The cost of our stay was not cheap but we felt it was a price worth paying. Thanks to all the staff for making our stay so memorable.
Julie Green-Jones
Having been to Gilpin many times before on this ocassion we were extremely disappointed! Apart from the food which was great, every other part of our stay was horrendous, from arrival to departure. The worst part is I wrote a detailed complaint, expressing all our issues and did not even get the courtesy of a reply. Clearly they believe their 5 star status is impervious to poor service! Only time will tell, but we won't be back!
Ian Snell
My wife and I booked in for the taster menu at the Michelin starred source restaurant and we weren't disappointed, we knew award winning lincoln chef kearno had joined Ollie's team and the dishes they put out were superb, from arriving to leaving we were looked after perfectly
Lisaesh
This property has the potential to be really wonderful, but feels as though it has undergone too much recent turnover to hit the mark. Prior to arrival, communication and response to my questions was excellent and I had high hopes for a beautiful quiet getaway. The bartender offered no suggestions when asked, waitstaff at Spice didn't offer water or wine list, dinner at Source took an excessive amount of time for the abbreviated tasting menu. All of the staff were pleasant and apologetic, but to have continued misses indicated that training and/or staffing is inadequate. We asked the concierge for help with a dinner reservation one night and he was unable to find anything. We walked in to one of our choices and they seated us immediately. On the positive side, our dinner at Spice was wonderful. The variety of dishes served and the quality was wonderful. We'd have eaten there again had we known it was so good. The meal at Source was also very good as were our breakfasts. Our room in the hotel was cozy, we loved the hot tub and the privacy, but the room needed attention to repair. The shower door didn't shut, the drain was clogged and cleaning staff left dirty linens from another room in our suite. Again, apologies from staff, but for the cost per night our expectations were higher. We arrived thinking we might add another night, but realized quickly that there were better options.
This review covers the hotel only - the onsite restaurants have separate entries on Google Maps (and were excellent).We would struggle to recommend The Gilpin. It does not compare favourably to other hotels we have stayed in the same price bracket - mainly in South East England. Next time we are in Cumbria we would try The Samling or Another Place.As other reviewers have mentioned, the rooms and grounds are a bit tired. We had a garden suite. On arrival there was a pair of shorts in the wardrobe from previous guests along with paperwork on the desk from which it was possible to identify them (a security risk?).The control on the hot tub did not work. Two enquiries and both times told I was not pressing the button correctly (with no demonstration of how to press it correctly - probably because there was no way!). I then gave up. I would have been fine if the staff had acknowledged up front they couldn't fix it and offered us a small token as an apology. However, I got the impression they knew it was broken and had been told not to give an inch by senior management.
Our second stay at gilpin , booked 3rd before leaving .An absolutely magical experienceThe staff are amazing , they go above and beyond ,they cannot do enough for you , The gilpin experience is like no other.Spa is a mustMichelin star restaurant, source at gilpin, meal was outstanding with the wine pairing .Spice on the grounds of gilpin is a fabulous resturaunt also, would recommend staying at least two nights to experience both restaurants, from breakfast , afternoon tea , lunch , even the sandwiches ,if you are a foodie, your taste buds will be dancing .The rooms are amazing,you I'm sure like us you will want to try them all ?
Didn’t stay here yet, called in while staying at Linthwaite House. Definitely a place to go and stay if coming to the Lake District. Very good friendly service from the staff and very reasonable prices.Food & drinks: Very reasonable
Third attempt to stay here - previously disrupted by pandemic so really looked forward to an exceptional experience - sadly it was not to be!! Overall the hotel complex is not conducive to a totally relaxing stay using the spa and dining facilities. The building are a bit tired although the bathrooms in the suites have been refitted to a high standard recently. We booked to dine in the Grill and Spice but were bounced before we arrived as the hotel decided to close the Grill despite Source and Spice being packed both evening. We ended up dining al a carte at Source, which in effect was three courses from the Tasting menu - service was slow and preference given to those on the tasting menu - one main had to be sent back as it was under cooked. The lobster starter was good but rest was nondescript and deserts were minuscule!! Not worth £90pp. By contrast Spice was very good - great service and wide choice of dishes all well prepared and beautifully presented. Overall not worth the cost or the 5 Star and Michelin rating!
We stayed in a spa suite for a 'mini-moon' break which allows you to dine at all 3 amazing restaurants within the package as well as a boat trip on the lakes. You don't need to lift a finger, including walking to the onsite restaurants because branded vehicles pick you up and bring you back for your convenience! The room, the staff, the service and the food are of the highest calibre. The attention to detail and the personal touches are incredible. If your idea of fun is having your own music playing through every room, and outside, while you chill in a hot tub, looking out over the most amazing views while Llamas come wandering past, then you won't find a better place than this in the UK!
We were extremely lucky to be bought a Spa Lodge weekend experience as a Christmas gift in 2022. From trying to book this voucher to leaving the hotel I really would have to say the customer experience wasn't great. Starting with being told our voucher wasn't for what it said to "oh the earliest you can book is November 2023" this was on 28th December 2022!! The Gilpin Grill was closed three days before we arrived, but there was nothing proactive from the team to help us organise our other options. I had to call to find out what was on offer. Checking in was fine (although room was 1.5 hours late and our champagne was sat in luke warm water!). Staff are all lovely and very kind but there's a severe lack of consistency and training. Our lodge was lovely but pretty tired. Doors didn't lock. Hot tub didn't work for 24 hours (and nobody seemed to care!). Food in Spice really wasn't great and service was rushed and we were made to feel like we were not really wanted. Food in Source was sublime. Absolutely delicious but just little details of the service that didn't make it feel Michelin star (people walking through the communal area with towels, pints of milk etc). Our table also wasn't great. I felt like I was sat in a corridor. Sommelier was amazing, We absolutely loved her and she really cared. Breakfast was fantastic but again service was hit and miss. Overall The Gilpin has obviously been absolutely amazing in it's day but it's feeling tired and like they are struggling with staff. Which everyone knows is a challenge in the Lakes. However...there were plenty of managers who felt to me like they were a little frantic and nobody looking from a helicopter view. I mean sitting on Sunday evening for 30 mins waiting for our table to be told "oh yes..you should've been taken through". You've got some amazing staff but training needs to be improved. Would absolutely visit to go to Source or for breakfast but wouldn't stay there again.
Beautiful place, absolutely incredible staff that can't do enough for you. They made us feel at home. Complete contrast to the bad experience we had at the belsfield.
We should have stayed at The Gilpin in January for My 60th Birthday, but due to unforeseen circumstances we had to cancel & rebooked for 2 nights 10/11 September. Our stay was exceptional from the moment we were greeted on arrival at the car park. We chose to stay in a junior suite Troutbeck, within the hotel itself & it was phenomenal!! So spacious both inside & outside onto our own private terrace... Love the Cat... My Wife was lost for words!! We dined at both the Source & Spice. Although we enjoyed the tasting menu at Source, dining at the 'Chefs pass' in Spice edged our overall experience. The best Asian inspired cuisine we've eaten. Overall. The whole hotel was spotlessly clean with a really good chilled out atmosphere in the lounge/bar areas. All the staff we encountered were genuinely friendly & helpful & accommodating Apologies for not remembering everyone by their names but thanks to Charlotte on reception(what a happy & uplifting personality) Callum, Billy(Chef in Spice), Isobel(Bean girl). Again thanks to EVERYONE for a FABULOUS STAY?? Dave & Susie
The Source Restaurant at The Gilpin Hotel deserves its Michelin Star. The taster menu was exciting, delicious, scientific, and novel. We enjoyed it immensely. The service was excellent at all times and the paired wines with an informative sommelier sublime. Thank you for giving us a wonderful evening.
We stayed for our wedding anniversary and had a fabulous time. The hotel, rooms and food were lovely and the staff were amazing. We stayed in a garden suite which was beautifully appointed and the hot tub was great to dip into. We also had afternoon tea which was brilliant and very generous Definitely worth a visit!
Restaurantji Recommends
We stayed at the Lake House. Service levels were extremely high, from the moment we arrived, which was well before official check in time. It is a great idea to allow guests to book such things as the hot tubs, rowing boat, and swimming pool for your personal use. You can walk around the lake in 20 minutes, but it can be a bit soggy in places after rain! The breakfast was a great experience, being able to personalise the selections. We ate dinner at the main hotel, using the very efficient and timely concierge transport for the mile or so journey. It is worth noting the Lakehouse is a completely separate property, on a different site.
We had a great stay at the Gilpin Hotel from parking my car to my buggy ride to the car park the experience exceeded our expectations. The food was excellent and the atmosphere in the hotel was professional but relaxed. Our Master bedroom was fully equipped and the shower room / bathroom were of the highest quality. The cost of our stay was not cheap but we felt it was a price worth paying. Thanks to all the staff for making our stay so memorable.
Having been to Gilpin many times before on this ocassion we were extremely disappointed! Apart from the food which was great, every other part of our stay was horrendous, from arrival to departure. The worst part is I wrote a detailed complaint, expressing all our issues and did not even get the courtesy of a reply. Clearly they believe their 5 star status is impervious to poor service! Only time will tell, but we won't be back!
My wife and I booked in for the taster menu at the Michelin starred source restaurant and we weren't disappointed, we knew award winning lincoln chef kearno had joined Ollie's team and the dishes they put out were superb, from arriving to leaving we were looked after perfectly
This property has the potential to be really wonderful, but feels as though it has undergone too much recent turnover to hit the mark. Prior to arrival, communication and response to my questions was excellent and I had high hopes for a beautiful quiet getaway. The bartender offered no suggestions when asked, waitstaff at Spice didn't offer water or wine list, dinner at Source took an excessive amount of time for the abbreviated tasting menu. All of the staff were pleasant and apologetic, but to have continued misses indicated that training and/or staffing is inadequate. We asked the concierge for help with a dinner reservation one night and he was unable to find anything. We walked in to one of our choices and they seated us immediately. On the positive side, our dinner at Spice was wonderful. The variety of dishes served and the quality was wonderful. We'd have eaten there again had we known it was so good. The meal at Source was also very good as were our breakfasts. Our room in the hotel was cozy, we loved the hot tub and the privacy, but the room needed attention to repair. The shower door didn't shut, the drain was clogged and cleaning staff left dirty linens from another room in our suite. Again, apologies from staff, but for the cost per night our expectations were higher. We arrived thinking we might add another night, but realized quickly that there were better options.