Hotel of the week: Holbeck Ghyll, Cumbria

Lake District hotels are a strange breed, says Fiona Duncan in The Sunday Telegraph. The traditional ones lack “heart”; and the few that aim to be “contemporary” seem “oddly out of kilter with their surroundings”. Enter Holbeck Ghyll – a wonderful exception to the rule thanks to the “hands-on endeavour” over two decades of its owners, David and Patricia Nicholson.

A former hunting lodge, its location is “secluded” and its views “spectacular”. Within, it is graced by pleasing “arts-and-crafts flourishes”, good food and an excellent spa. Only the rather steep prices are, sadly, typical of the region.

Holbeck Ghyll (015394 32375) - doubles from £210 incl. breakfast.