Following a major renovation, a Lake District inn has reopened.
The Wateredge Inn in Ambleside was purchased by The Inn Collection Group for an undisclosed sum in March 2021.
It has been undergoing renovations since October of last year, and it joins The Angel Inn in Bowness and The Swan in Grasmere in having undergone multi-million pound makeovers.
As part of the renovation, The Wateredge Inn absorbed the adjacent Regent Hotel, which is now operating as an annexe of the main site and renamed Windermere Rooms.
Following in the footsteps of Oakbank House in Bowness, The Regent’s redundant reception and public areas have been replaced by new room spaces, with guest services such as check-in and breakfast now hosted at The Wateredge Inn.
Working with national architects GSSArchitecture, the new-look inn has undergone extensive work on its bar and restaurant areas, as well as a total refurbishment of its guest bedrooms, which is still ongoing.
The new look of the property was created in collaboration with Design North, and it retains a distinct personality befitting of its prominent location at the head of England’s largest lake.
It is the third time they have used their expertise to revitalise an existing site, having previously collaborated with The Inn Collection Group on The Northallerton Inn and The Angel Inn.
Fitzsimons Ltd provided external project management and employer’s agent services, Sine Consulting provided mechanical and electrical design, and Northpoint Consulting provided civil engineering design.
Due to the extensive nature of the work, the first stage of the reopening saw the return of both the bar and restaurant, as well as a selection of rooms with stunning views of Windermere.
Visitors enjoyed these for the first time in six months during the bank holiday weekend that saw King Charles III crowned at Westminster Abbey, with general manager Andy Black praising the return of visitors.
“We’ve had a really good few days, and it’s been a real homecoming for both staff and customers,” Andy said. We have a happy team that is overjoyed to be back at their Inn, and we have very satisfied customers.
“They have all praised the quality of the refurbishment, which looks fantastic, and we have had a good mix of first-time visitors and people who have been coming to us for years.”
“We’re now looking forward to a fantastic summer and the rest of the rooms reopening in the coming weeks.”
The Wateredge Inn has a sprawling waterside beer garden with views of the lake and the bustling steamer pier, as well as its own private jetty, making it the ideal refreshment stop for boaters on the water.
The Wateredge Inn will have 70 rooms across its associated buildings when finished in mid-July.
Kath Beattie studied Journalism at The University of Central Lancashire and now writes for several Travel publications. She recently moved to The Lake District and enjoys walking her 3 dogs every day across the fells.
