The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group

4.0 star property
Lakefront hotel with a restaurant and a bar

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Photo gallery for The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group

Bar (on property)
Property entrance
Property grounds
Lake
Lake
The Waterhead Inn sits by a peaceful lake, offering a tranquil retreat. The garden has stunning views, and the on-site bar and restaurant serve drinks and meals all day. Travelers appreciate practical amenities like luggage storage and high-speed WiFi that enhance their stay.

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Housekeeping
  • Pet friendly
  • Parking included

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 5 of 5 rooms

Double Room

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
(8 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Hair dryer
Shower/tub combination
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Digital channels
Desk
  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Classic Double or Twin Room, Lake View

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
(5 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Hair dryer
Shower/tub combination
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Digital channels
Desk
  • 20 sq m
  • Lake view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Superior Double or Twin Room, Lake View

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Hair dryer
Shower/tub combination
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Digital channels
Desk
  • 22 sq m
  • Lake view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Classic Double or Twin Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(5 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Hair dryer
Shower/tub combination
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Digital channels
Iron/ironing board
  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Family Room

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)

Highlights

Heating
Flat-screen TV
Hair dryer
Shower/tub combination
Private bathroom
Electric kettle
Digital channels
Iron/ironing board
  • 20 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

About the neighborhood

Map
Lake Road, Ambleside, England, LA22 0ER

What's nearby

  • Lake Windermere - 1 min walk - 0.0 miles
  • Ambleside Pier - 1 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Brockhole - the Lake District Visitor Centre - 4 min drive - 2.1 miles
  • Rydal Mount - 6 min drive - 2.7 miles
  • Wray Castle - 8 min drive - 4.3 miles

Getting around

  • Windermere Station - 8 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Wateredge Inn - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪The White Lion - ‬15 min walk
  • ‪Rothay Manor Hotel - ‬13 min walk
  • ‪Freshers’ Cafe - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪The Royal Oak - ‬15 min walk

About this property

The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group

Upscale hotel near Lake Windermere
You can look forward to a terrace, a garden, and a bar at The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group. In addition to a restaurant, guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
Other perks include:
  • Free self parking
  • Full breakfast (surcharge), smoke-free premises, and luggage storage
  • Guest reviews say great things about the helpful staff
Room features
All guestrooms at The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group feature comforts such as free WiFi and safes.
More conveniences in all rooms include:
  • Free tea bags/instant coffee and electric kettles
  • Bathrooms with shower/tub combinations and hair dryers
  • 24-inch flat-screen TVs with digital channels
  • Heating, daily housekeeping, and desks

Similar properties

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Daily full breakfast available 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Conveniences

  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • On a lake
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 24-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle
  • Tea bags/instant coffee

More

  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 11:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:30 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets allowed for an extra charge of GBP 15 per pet, per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
2 total pets
Specific rooms only, restrictions apply; pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Pet fee: GBP 15 per pet, per night
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly)

Property is also known as

Waterhead Boutique Hotel Ambleside
Waterhead Boutique Hotel
Waterhead Boutique Ambleside
Waterhead Boutique
Waterhead Hotel Ambleside
Waterhead Ambleside
Waterhead
Waterhead Hotel Ambleside Lake District
Ambleside Hotel Waterhead
Hotel Waterhead
Waterhead Hotel
The Waterhead Inn
The Waterhead Inn The Inn Collection group
The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group Hotel
The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group Ambleside
The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group Hotel Ambleside

Frequently asked questions

Is The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows pets (limit 2 total). There's a fee of GBP 15 per pet, per night. Service animals are exempt from fees. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.

How much is parking at The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group?

Self parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group?

Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 11:00 PM. After-hours check-in is not available.

What time is check-out at The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group?

Check-out is at 10:30 AM.

Where is The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group located?

Situated on a lake, this hotel is steps from Ambleside Pier and Lake Windermere. Borrans Park and Ambleside Climbing Wall are also within 10 minutes.

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Reviews

The Waterhead Inn - The Inn Collection group Reviews

8.8

Excellent

9.4

Cleanliness

9.6

Location

9.2

Staff & service

8.4

Eco-friendliness

9.0

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 185 out of 322 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 95 out of 322 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 27 out of 322 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 8 out of 322 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 7 out of 322 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Sanjay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice location and great breakfast
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Brian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
excellent good choice of breakfast room nice and clean staff very helpful view excellent lift needed
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property and the staff was outstanding.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dave

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel in a great location with excellent staff
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Rachael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property to stay at, i think we just got unlucky with our family room. Room really too cramped to be a family room with 1 very small window in the corner. Unable to keep the window open at all due to the noise from either a generator/kitchen below. However, super friendly & helpful staff. Good choice of food & great breakfast. Lovely lake front location!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

alexander

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

First class accomodation.

First class room, very clean with excellent decor. Staff were very attentive.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mike

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Overnight stay

Great service great location and charming hotel
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Amenities
Fabulous stay! The staff were exceptionally welcoming and attentive. The grounds were clean. The Waterhead Inn was wonderful, conveniently located to bus transportation and the waterview was great. I would highly recommend this property.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

JungMin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Overall convenient given the surroundings- close to the pier for cruises. Food is very good at the restaurant. Complementary English breakfast was amazing.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sharon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Amazing hotel, location, food and staff

Amazing hotel, staff, food, service, location. This hotel and its staff made my mum and I’s stay just absolutely perfect. Thank you
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Hilary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Amazing. Could not have asked for more!

This hotel made the trip for us! The hotel is beautiful and situation just across the road from the Lake giving you stunning views. From the moment we arrived and the hotel Manager checked us in, they were excellent for the entire weekend. The Breakfast selection was amazing and freshly prepared. The dinner and house wine, delicious! All the staff were friendly, cheerful and helpful. The bedroom was gorgeous, spacious, clean and comfortable. I didn't want to leave. We would love to go back. Hopefully next year! Thank you!
Bedroom view
Dinners view
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Antony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A lovely Inn with views across lake Windermere.

Location: Fantastic Room 19: Fantastic, clean, roomy, really good bathroom and quite. King-sized bed was realy comfortable. The Inn was well presented, a really nice place for a meal, however, the menu was limited, could be better but the food we had was really good. Breakfast was a serve yourself buffet or continental. The buffet was nice english breakfast food but not very hot. Staff were excellent, very helpful, chatty and keen to be of service. Overall, an excellent location and a good hotel. The memu for the bar meals could be improved!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Gunasagaran

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Well situated next to the lake. Housekeeping was below standard. Beds were not well made. One day the room was not made either.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A lovely 2 nights in the lake district

A lovely stay at The Waterhead Hotel with a lake view. We heard very little noise from other guests moving though the hallways. Heating was provided by 2 large radiators with adjustable thermostats which was ok for us. Bed was very comfy. Bathroom was clean and a lovely bath and fab shower. The hotel is a bit of a warren with stairs leading all over, there was a lift in one part but could not see one near our part. If I'd had more than a couple of pints I'm sure I would have got lost. Parking is tight so get there as close to check in as you can. The public car park next door is £8.50 for 24 hrs at present and wasn't so far to walk but is up a load of stairs or steep incline for some. Food was lovely we had breakfast both mornings a lovely fry up each time. We also had a main evening meal the 2nd night price seemed in line with other hotels food quality was good. No children with us but the kids menu was reasonable also.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Lyndsey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Really enjoyed the stay, just a couple of things let down the stay. Booked for two people and there was a big towel short. We asked 4 times for another towel and got told they would sort it, the young lady who we mentioned it to last did ask us (several hours later, after returning from day out) if it had been put in our room which it hadn’t . As this was the evening of day 2 we thanked her for asking and checking but said it didn’t matter. She seemed to be really efficient at her job, very friendly and remembered those she spoke to previously. We had food on the first evening in the hotel and ordered burgers. The portion size was tiny for the price, the burger was really bland so left half . When asked if everything was ok we said it was bland and the guy just said sorry and walked off. We went for breakfast the next morning which was lovely and fresh with lots of variety and choice of cooked breakfast items aswel as continental teams. Service was excellent . Overall the stay was lovely, room was nice, clean and cozy. Bed was comfy and extra pillows provided in the wardrobes.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

4/10 Poor

Rod

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Room with balcony was excellent, staff were friendly and helpful, where possible, location at lakeside was lovely. Didn't like check-in. It wasn't clearly signed, we arrived with many others from around the country in the pouring rain around 2.30 but we were firmly advised that we all had to wait until 3.00 before checking in (discretion?). Didn't like the fact that one evening we were told at 8.30 (when the kitchen closure time was 9.00) that no desserts were available for anyone as the kitchen was "swamped".
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

ANDREW

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

Poor food service

Our bathroom hot tap took atleast 4/5 minutes to produce hot water, which was frustrating. We had supper on our first night and my wife's choice of curried cauliflower with coconut rice with almonds and raisins was a disappointment, as was the waitresses reaction. There were no almonds or raisins and a very weak coconut flavour. The waitress spent her time making excuse after excuse when we mentioned this, from "you must have had a batch without too much milk" to telling us "how interested she was in food,as she used to be a chef" Eventually she agreed to talk to the chef, who she called Dave. The excuses now included " its a new menu" to " he forgot to add the almonds and raisins " Her attitude throughout was indifference and was clearly suprised when i stated that we would not be eating at the hotel the following night. Not once did she offer a practical sollution to this issue but made embarrassing reasons why the food was not as advertised. Our dinner with drinks cost £58, so they lost atleast that amount for our missed night. Things go wrong, but its how you deal with them that are remembered .
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

4/10 Poor

Simon

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
We were placed in a room next to a fire exit that was being used by people all night going outside to smoke. Didn't get any sleep. We complained and were told "sorry about that". They ran out of sausage and bacon with 20 minutes left of the breakfast serving. It is overpriced for the room we were given. It's main advantage is the location.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great Hotel, really friendly staff, meal choices good. Parking is a bit restricted and tight albeit there is a public car park next door, whicjh I didn't need to use.Chris when serving us was outstanding. Will use again, highly recommended
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

Darin

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Conveniently located, also has a wonderful supper.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Alam

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent location facing the lake. I wish they had elevators.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful building, great food in the restaurant, delightful location.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Excellent hotel in great location

Excellent hotel in great location Very good breakfast too
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely hotel in a lovely location

Really lovely place. We stayed 6 nights and couldn't really fault it. None of the negatives in other reviews were the case for us. Notably, the breakfast buffet was extensive, fresh and very tasty! We ate several other meals there and they were all absolutely delicious and, though not served speedily, they were very fresh. The location is gorgeous, the terrace beautiful, being so near the water was wonderful. The buses to Ambleside & Grasmere are right near the Inn, or a pleasant 15 min walk to Ambleside. Yes, there's a busy-ish road between the Inn and the lake and I am a light sleeper, but I brought earplugs. My partner slept soundly. Huge bed which was amazing. Very firm but I got used to it. Ours was a large room on the top floor far from the bar, no neighbour noise. Brilliant offer whereby if you don't want your room serviced every day, they will give you both a free drink each night. The bar/eating area was lovely. Would definitely return and recommend. Only thing that puzzled us was that we seemed to be the youngest there, and we are middle-aged.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025

6/10 Okay

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

Great except the food

A great location and room 11 we stayed in has a balcony looking over Lake Windermere. Lift not working. Staff friendly and helpful. Holiday let down by the food. We had dinner on the first night - veg was cold and chips half cooked. Pie crust was like concrete and gravy very thin. Not a nice experience so ate out of the hotel for the rest of the holiday
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025