The Riverside Hotel at Under Loughrigg, Ambleside, has been listed among the top ten B&Bs on the globe based on reviews posted on the TripAdvisor website.

It was placed ninth best internationally and among the top three in Europe in the Traveler’s Choice Awards.

Meanwhile, the Summer Hill Country House, also in Ambleside, finished tenth in Europe in the best B&B category.

“We were really surprised and delighted with it,” said Dave Milne, who runs the Riverside with his wife Brenda.

“It’s a bit of a reward because we’ve been here nine years and it’s taken that long to refurbish Riverside and build up its reputation.

“It was pretty run-down when we first bought it. It was stuck in the 70s and 80s. It’s a lovely Victorian house so we’ve tried to give it a blend of bringing it up to date while keeping its character.”

It is this character which has given the Riverside such a fantastic reputation. Out of 246 reviews on TripAdvisor, 241 gave the B&B the maximum rating of five stars out of five.

These sparkling reviews have led to a lot of repeat business.

“The comments we receive are mainly to do with how friendly and homely Riverside feels,” said Mr Milne. “People always mention the location because we are right on the river but we’re also only ten minutes walk away from Ambleside.”

The couple bought the B&B in 2001 – the year when the foot-and-mouth crisis began.

“When the first case of foot-and-mouth happened we thought: ‘What on earth have we done here?’ “It was a very difficult start because we left a comfortable life in London to come here.”

Another feature of a stay at The Riverside is the food which includes fresh fruit and smoothies for breakfast and home-made bread.

Leaving a busy urban life to set up a B&B in the country seems to be a theme developing in Ambleside. Mike and Patsy Derry joined forces with their close friends Robert and Zoe Ashworth to set up the Summer Hill Country House.

“Mike and I were teachers and Robert was a GP, so we were used to urban life,” Patsy said.

“It was one of those things you talk about and never really do, but we decided to bite the bullet and move to the Lakes.

“We’re very thrilled and excited to be up there among the best in Europe, particularly because we have only been open for two years.”

The success of Riverside and the Summer Hill is expected to increase tourism in Cumbria.

“This is not only a boost to domestic, but also overseas tourism,” said a spokesperson for Cumbria Tourism.

“It will raise our profile at this crucially important time of year as people begin to plan their short breaks and holidays.”

A Lake District campsite has been given the go-ahead to make major improvements.

The National Trust applied to the Lake District National Park Authority to make the changes to Low Wray Campsite on the west shore of Windermere.

The trust applied to relocate the shop/reception to an existing building in the centre of the site; convert the existing reception/shop into an additional staff bedroom; and connect two halves of the site by a new footbridge across the river.

The trust also proposed to relocate vehicle barriers to alleviate congestion around the existing hamlet of Low Wray; improve access within the site by a boardwalk to the new reception; improve existing parking areas adjacent to Vic’s Meadows; and relocate the children’s play area closer to the new reception.

Mairi Lock, the planning officer who dealt with the application, said that all the proposed works were “closely integrated with existing uses” and all were part of required improvements to the camp site “to upgrade facilities and assist in the operation of the site.”

The only new build was the bridge and the board walk.

Ms Lock added that it would not have an adverse impact on neighbouring properties but, because of the improvements, “could result in benefits to residents of properties close to the entrance of the site.”

Hiking enthusiasts seeking a luxury break on some of Britain’s most beautiful walking trails may wish to book a stay at a hotel that has won back its place in the prestigious Michelin Guide book.

The Samling Hotel in the Lake District has been awarded a star by the hotel and restaurant reviewer, the News & Star reports.

Hollywood icon Tom Cruise and David and Victoria Beckham are said to be some of the establishment’s most famous fans.

Michelin Guide editor Derek Bulming tells the newspaper: ‘There is now a greater geographical spread of starred restaurants and the inspectors will continue to seek out establishments serving particularly good food, wherever they are situated.’

The Samling could be perfectly located for people who wish to relax in luxurious surroundings by night while taking an Ordnance Survey map out and hitting the walking trails of the National Park by day.

Covering 2 292 sq km, the Lake District is Britain’s largest National Park.

Read more about the Samling Hotel here

Ordnance surveys

The picturesque Lake District is one of few places in the UK that never loses its charm all year round.

In fact, the winter months bring an almost mystical appeal to the stunning north-west region with fascinating walks and attractions still going strong in January.

As England’s largest National Park, the area provides the perfect environment for a host of activities from rock climbing and paragliding to more gentler activities such as a boat trip on lake Windermere, England’s longest lake – an Windermere hotels are never short in abundance.

Boasting Scafell Pike – England’s highest mountain, and Wastwater – England’s deepest lake, ‘The Lakes’ offers some of the UK’s most stunning scenery, inspiring artists such as Turner and Ruskin to some of the country’s best loved writers, such as William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.

With such a wealth of beauty, culture and hospitality it isn’t hard to see why the Lake District remains the perfect setting to explore and enjoy – even in the crisp winter period. If the magical fell walks aren’t your thing, there’s still so much to do outdoors so don’t let the snow put you off!

Lake District hotels feature some fantastic off-season discounts so here are a few ideas for things to do whilst there.

Go Ape!

Climb the trees, slide across high wires, crawl through tunnels, cross rope bridges, walk the planks and zip down to the ground! Go Ape!, in the Grizedale Forest, is an award-winning high wire forest adventure course of rope bridges, tarzan swings and zip slides up to 40 feet up in the trees! Opening in March 2008, the new Go Ape Whinlatter, go on give it a try!

Aquaseiling

Those in search of a serious rush to the head should try aquaseiling – abseiling down a fast-flowing waterfall. Aquaseiling is a sheer adrenalin activity in awesome surroundings and can form part of a longer scrambling journey.

Via Ferrata

At the Honister Slate Mine, high up in the Borrowdale Valley, the new Via Ferrata lets you experience the mountains in a novel way. Secured to a fixed cable, you follow a Victorian miner’s route along the craggy cliff-face of Fleetwith Pike using steel ladders and solid bridges to reach the 2126ft summit, where you can gaze at uninterrupted views.

Ghyll scrambling

Another physically challenging organised activity is ghyll scrambling. Wearing protective clothing, you slide, jump, scramble and slither your way along the course of a stream, tackling all the obstacles you come across. Expect to get wet!

An appeal for Cumbrian hoteliers to let rooms cheaply received scores of responses after just a few hours.

The Open for Business campaign aims to convince holidaymakers that the Lake District is still able to provide good holiday accommodation despite recent poor weather.

The scheme will offer readers of regional newspapers the chance to book a room at participating venues for a fee of £9.99, to cover administration fees.

Organisers, the Lakes Hospitality Association and Cumbria Tourism, said more than 50 hoteliers signed up to the campaign after an appeal for participants was launched on Wednesday.

Lakes Hospitality Association chairman Jonathan Denby said: “The Open for Business campaign is a gesture of goodwill from the Lake District.

“It will welcome customers back and show that the roads are clear, the shops are open and the hotels and attractions are ready to welcome visitors again.”

Mr Denby added: “We are very pleased that the whole industry seems to be behind the campaign. We still have the beautiful countryside and the wonderful attractions. The Lakes are at their loveliest this time of year and we are looking forward to welcoming our customers back.”

HF Holidays, the UK’s largest walking and leisure activity holidays provider, and the National Trust have completed extensive restoration projects at Coniston in the Lake District.

At Monk Coniston on the Coniston Estate, HF Holidays – who have leased this lakeside property from the Trust since 1945 – have just finished a £600,000 restoration programme including roof repairs and exterior and interior renovations.

HF Holidays operates the property as Country House Hotel base for its walking and leisure activity holidays and the work represents a significant investment over 12 months.

At the same time, National Trust volunteers have finished a three year project to restore Monk Coniston’s Victorian Walled Garden and the footpaths leading from the garden to Coniston Water and Tarn Hows. The extensive works were supported by £450,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other investors.

A garden celebration event was organised by the National Trust with a presentation held in the 17th century dry stone wall barn at Monk Coniston Hall to mark the success and achievements of the restoration project.

The event culminated in the presentation by Lord Cavendish of an award from the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA).

John Croxford, House Manager of Monk Coniston said: “We are delighted to be able to help the National Trust celebrate this spectacular project at the time when our year-long renovation is also complete. As one of the HF Holidays Country Houses owned by the National Trust, we are in a very privileged position to be able to share the National Trust’s vision and see our guests benefit from this joint investment into the Estate.”

Members of the public are able to access the Monk Coniston grounds via a permissive path from the head of Coniston Water

The decision has been announced as to which self-catering cottage in the Lake District and in the wider region of Cumbria is to be officially named the self-catering holiday of the year for 2009. This is a prestigious award coveted by all self-catering cottages in the Lake District and Cumbria, and an award that can only be won once. This year the award has been given to Hall Hills, which has a cluster of self-catering cottages just to the east of the Lake District National Park.

Situated a 15-minute drive outside the Lake District town of Keswick, Hall Hills is a recently developed business. The cottages only opened for business 12 months ago, after a painstaking conversion of the stone buildings of what used to be Hall Hills Farm. These are buildings that date back to the 17th century and had been an important local farm in that part of Cumbria.

Prior to the announcement, the proprietors of Hall Hills, Jude and Tim Walker, had been delighted with the news that they were among the three finalists, but because they are not quite within the official boundaries of the Lake District National Park they assumed there was no chance of getting any further in the competition for the self-catering holiday of the year. Hence the overwhelming joy when they heard the name of their business announced as this year’s winner.

Cumbria Tourism is to be commended for choosing a self-catering holiday resort outside the Lake District, and supporting less well-known Cumbrian destinations. The location of Hall Hills may not be within the hills and vales of the English Lakes, but it has its own beauty and at peak periods in the tourism calendar it has an unrivalled tranquility.

Hall Hills (http://www.hallhills.co.uk) had already been given a Gold Award for its 4 star self-catering cottages as recognition of the high standard of holiday accommodation on offer.

Being the winner for Cumbria, Hall Hills will now be automatically entered for the regional final to find the self-catering holiday of the year for the north west of England.

Holidaymakers are set to flock to the Lake District this summer, a new report has claimed.

According to a new Travelodge survey, the Lakeland national park in Cumbria is set to be one of the top destinations for domestic tourists – potentially meaning many hotels and restaurants in the region could be looking to recruit new staff to meet customer demand.

Hoteliers in popular tourist towns such as Bowness-on-Windermere, Ambleside, Keswick and Coniston will all hope for high occupancy rates based upon the report.

Cornwall, the Yorkshire Dales and the Scottish Highlands and Isles were also identified as likely honeypots as the UK tourism industry prepares for a bumper summer.

Paul Harvey, of Travelodge, said that with the Met Office predicting glorious weather and a majority of holidaymakers looking to stay at home, the resorts and destinations of the UK will be “jam packed with British tourists” this year.

“It is also clear that people are looking to have an affordable break, cutting back on how much they are looking to spend when compared to the summer of 2008.”

The tourism destination of the Lake District reported an excellent Easter period this year.

The success of Easter in the Lake District is very much hoped by the tourism operators there to continue throughout the rest of the year. The euro exchange rate, rising transport costs, costs when abroad and the need to return to the traditional values of a holiday, all seem to be drawing holiday makers back to the UK.

Self catering in particular has risen in the last year throughout the whole of the UK. Some operators recording a 50% rise in bookings on the same period last year. Self catering operators have been busy renovating and refurbishing holiday properties and there is a huge choice of luxury Lake District self catering properties to choose from. There are many operators offering late deals and weekend breaks too.

For years, self catering properties have had to be booked months in advance and for only full weeks. With late deals being such a widely used method of booking holidays and trips today, all sectors of the tourism industry have had to change. A large change is the ability to be able to book a short break in a Lake District self catering property whether it be for a long weekend or mid week break. A full week isn’t always required and many consumers can be put off booking for the thought of wasting part of a week they have paid for.

The South Lakes is the busiest and most popular area of the Lake District as it includes such famous and picturesque locations as Ambleside, Grasmere and Coniston along with many of the famous Lakeland walks. For a quieter Lake District cottages holiday, areas further west such as Cartmel and the Lake District Peninsulas are must stay destinations. Cartmel is the oldest and most picturesque village in South Lakeland, famous for its cobbled streets and alleyways, sticky toffee pudding, Cartmel Priory (circa 1189), and 6 times a year the glorious Cartmel races held at Cartmel’s village steeplechase racecourse set against the backdrop of the beautiful English Lake District, also a popular venue for Lake District weddings. Lake District self catering properties range from town centre flats to remote cottages and barn conversations so the appeal is wide. Many of the refurbished or recently renovated properties have luxury fitting in the bathrooms and kitchen with modern appliances and wood burning stoves.

So whether it is the hustle and bustle of Ambleside or the serenity of Cartmel, Cumbrian cottages are definitely worth a go this year.

THREE tourism businesses are likely to lure more visitors to a hidden corner of Cumbria after setting new standards in offering quality accommodation for guests.

A hotel, a farm and a B&B all within a short distance of each other in the Millom area of Cumbria have been awarded prestigious four star ratings from VisitBritain; the national tourism office.

Wayside Hotel at Whitbeck near Bootle; Bank House Farm at Hallthwaites near The Green; and Newstead House at Silecroft near Millom, have all been independently inspected by VisitBritain and found to achieve an “excellent standard throughout.”

Stars are awarded to indicate cleanliness, ambience, hospitality, service and food. The more stars, the higher the level of quality. As an added bonus, inspectors also gave special gold and silver awards to the businesses for exceptional service and hospitality.

All three businesses are members of Cumbria Tourism which has been doing special work with accommodation businesses in the area as part of its long-term campaign to help the county’s tourism industry drive-up the quality of accommodation offered to visitors.

Richard Greenwood, Director of Development for Cumbria Tourism, said: “To have three businesses within a very short distance of each other all achieving this four star standard outside of the Lake District National Park is very significant. The evidence clearly shows that investing in quality and good service is worthwhile for businesses like these. Guests are happier and more likely to make a repeat visit and businesses with three or more stars also tend to be more profitable and successful than those which aren’t independently graded or don’t invest in their offer.”

Alyson Rhind runs the idyllic Newstead House B&B situated between the lower slopes of Black Combe and the beaches of Silecroft. The business won four stars and a special gold award after scoring 100 per cent from the inspector for its hospitality. Mrs Rhind was also complimented on her use of local produce which helps sustain other local businesses and gives guests a real flavour of the area.

Mrs Rhind said: “When visitors come to stay in Cumbria their expectations are very high and it has never been more important to make a long lasting good impression. Businesses really have to get it right at every level.”