The Lake District isn’t short of hotels or bed-and-breakfasts, but there are few that can compete on the level of Linthwaite House. Take a setting as striking as any (in this case an Edwardian manor house surrounded by fourteen acres of woodlands and gardens, looking out over the picturesque Lake Windermere), add the kind of style credentials many a city hotel would kill for, and what you’ve got is something special indeed. With just thirty-six rooms, it’s intimate enough, and yet with a professional edge as well — splitting the difference between formal and casual. The interiors, for example, show a designer’s hand, but they’re loose and eclectic enough to feel lived-in as well. CD players and satellite television are standard, as are luxurious modern bathrooms. The restaurant, Henrock, is the work of restaurateur Simon Rogan, and combines ultra-local ingredients with global flavors, while the conservatory and lounge serve cocktails with a view of Lake Windermere. Conference facilities and business services are available, but Linthwaite House’s guests are more likely to be couples on a romantic weekend than busy executives — the Lake District lends itself more readily to romance than to business, after all.