Love at first sight for The Ullswater Inn after Valentine's Day reopening

A Lake District hotel that infamously flooded three times in the space of two weeks back in 2015 has reopened following a multi-million-pound refurbishment by The Inn Collection Group.

The Ullswater Inn is the new identity bestowed upon the former Glenridding Hotel, following works which have transformed it into a vibrant new pub with rooms at the heart of the village. Taking 13-months to complete, the inn reopened on Valentine’s Day with residents and visitors to Glenridding falling instantly in love with the new-look venue.

Building on a heritage of providing hospitality of more than 160 years, it was straight back to that purpose when the doors opened at midday, with eager customers packing the bar within minutes.

Over the course of the first day back, food and drink from the inn’s bill of fayre was extensively tasted, with more than 120 meals ordered between Noon and 9pm and more than 500 drinks enjoyed too.

Almost 20 per cent of the alcoholic beverages sold showcased local flavours too, with pints of Tirril’s Ullswater Blonde, Bowness Bay’s Fell Runner and measures of spirits from The Lakes Distillery all proving popular.

It is also set to be a busy week with staying guests too, with more than 90% of available rooms booked for stays on Friday and Saturday. The enthusiastic response was warmly received by general manager Diane Lee-Lyons, who was delighted by the mix of hotel guests and village residents calling in.

She said: “We had a good blend of customers coming by to see us on our first day, from people staying with us at the inn, day visitors to the village and locals who ventured down to see our new look first-hand. Having been shut since January last year, there was a definite air of anticipation as we got closer to the reopening, and it was lovely to hear people chatting warmly about the new look and what changes have been made.”

“It really is a beautiful inn and I am just delighted that the doors are now open and we can get back to being somewhere that everyone in Glenridding can come in and enjoy.”

Carried out in conjunction with the Newcastle studio of national architects GSSArchitecture, and BXB Interior Design, the works have totally transformed the Glenridding Hotel into a traditional-style pub open to all.

Converting the former reception and lounge space on the village side of the building into the new main bar, the installation of a new main staircase links this with the old Beckside bar, creating space for 254 covers.

Complete with log-burning stoves and a mix of high and low seating, feature windows throughout make the most of the stunning views offered by the inn’s superb location. With the new look pub combining all food and beverage offerings into one area, The Inn Collection Group have taken the opportunity to make alterations to the inn’s room stock.

Fully refurbishing the existing bedrooms, the removal of a redundant spa area and the former Let It Brew coffee shop has also created additional bed spaces, taking the total number of rooms from 36 to 57.

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