Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa
Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa is a 4-star lakeside hotel on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere in the Lake District, run by the same Cumbrian family since the 1950s. It has its own watersports centre with private jetties onto the lake, a marina, two restaurants and a spa voted the best in the North West. Families come for the watersports, the fell walks straight from the door and the Windermere setting.
On this page
Is it worth it?
Who the hotel suits, how the money works and the facts to skim before the detail.
Low Wood Bay is a strong base for active families who want to get out on Lake Windermere. Its own watersports centre, with private jetties straight onto the water, is the thing that sets it apart from other family hotels in the Lakes, and there are fell walks from the door, a spa voted the best in the North West and two restaurants. It's a comfortable, well-run 4-star hotel from a long-established Cumbrian family firm, on a bed-and-breakfast basis with dinner-inclusive and spa-break packages if you want them, so lunches, watersports and the spa are paid on top rather than folded into one price.
It works less well for the youngest children. The indoor pool is open to children in the mornings only, and there's no children's pool, splash pad or toddler pool on site, so it isn't a resort to plan around pool time with a baby or young toddler. The watersports that are the main draw suit older children and teenagers more than the very young. There's one room set up for families, the Hazel Family Room, and both restaurants have a children's menu, but there's no kids' club or crèche.
Best for
You want a lakeside base with real watersports on Windermere, fell walks from the door, good food and an award-winning spa, for older children and teens or a mixed-age family.
Maybe not for
You'd plan the holiday around pool time with a baby or toddler, or you want a splash pool and a kids' club on site.
Best ages
Older children and teenagers for the watersports; babies and young toddlers are less well served by the pool setup.
What stands out
Direct access to Lake Windermere from private jetties, a full watersports centre and a spa voted best in the North West.
What to check
The pool's children's hours, whether cots and highchairs are available, plus the watersports season and minimum age for what you want to do.
Where is it?
On the A591 between Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside, on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere in Cumbria.
Quick facts for families
A lakeside hotel, a spa wing and the watersports centre
What the resort is, how it's laid out and what that feels like with children.
The resort sits directly on the A591, the lakeside road along the eastern shore of Lake Windermere between Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside, at Ambleside Road, Windermere, Cumbria LA23 1LP. The main building is a traditional Lake District stone hotel facing the water, with a newer spa and Winander Club wing alongside and gardens and lawns running down towards the lake. It looks across Windermere to the Langdale Pikes. For the wider area, see our Lake District guide.
The Winander Club is a distinct wing rather than a separate hotel, 29 rooms and suites added in 2019, with its own bar and lounge, a breakfast lounge and a roof terrace; it has a noon checkout and doesn't take dogs. The rest of the bedrooms, the Resort Rooms, are spread through the original house and the newer parts of the building, and the resort doesn't publish a total room count.
At the northern end of the site the watersports centre sits on the lakeshore lawns, with private jetties reaching into the water, and there's a separate marina with floating jetties and winter hard standing where you can moor a boat and walk up to dinner at Blue Smoke. One thing to know with young children is that the A591 is a busy road running between the hotel and the lawns and jetties, so it's worth keeping them close when you move around the grounds.
The Spa is its own wellness area, physically separate from the main hotel pool: the pool is the leisure facility that comes with every stay, while the spa's thermal suite is a paid extra. There's no beach here in the seaside sense, just a narrow lakeshore of grass, lawns and jetties. The shops of Windermere town and Ambleside are a short walk or bus ride away.
Low Wood Bay is part of English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, run by the Berry family, who have been in Lake District hotels since 1953, and the hotel has been open on this site since 1958.
Every restaurant and bar
The two restaurants, the lounges and bars, plus how families with young children fit around them.
There are four ways to book a stay: bed and breakfast on its own; B&B with a £75 a day allowance to spend around the resort, on the Best Flexible Resort Rate; Dinner B&B, which adds a £39 per adult allowance towards dinner in The W or Blue Smoke, with children's dinners charged separately; and a Spa Break, B&B plus one three-hour Thermal Journey in the spa included in the price. Nothing here is all-inclusive, so lunches, watersports and any spa time beyond a Spa Break package are paid on top. There are two restaurants, a couple of lounges and bars, plus room service.
The W is the main restaurant, serving seasonal British and continental cooking. Breakfast runs 7.30am to 10.30am, and there's a dedicated Sunday Lunch from 1pm to 3.30pm. Dinner starts in the early evening, from around 6pm, though the restaurant's own listings give slightly different start times, so it's worth confirming the exact time when you book on 015394 33338. The dress code is smart casual, children are welcome and there's a children's menu; dogs aren't allowed apart from guide dogs.
Blue Smoke is the casual alternative, a wood-fired grill built around a three-metre double grill and an open kitchen, and it doubles as the dining venue for spa-day guests. Lunch runs 11.30am to 3pm and dinner from 6.30pm, with a children's menu here too. Its Wood-Fired Afternoon Tea is served daily from noon to 4.30pm. You can moor at the marina and walk up to eat here. Dogs aren't allowed here either, aside from guide dogs.
The Langdale Lounge is the bar and lounge in the heart of the resort, with views across to the Langdale Pikes and cocktails mixed to order. The bar is open from noon to midnight and food is served noon to 9pm, and accompanied dogs are welcome.
The Atrium and Norman's sit at the entrance: the Atrium is a lounge with picture-window views over the lake and the fells, a central fire and a rotating art exhibition, and Norman's is the coffee shop within it, open 9am to 5pm for drinks, cakes and pastries. Children and dogs are welcome in the Atrium.
Winander Club guests have their own Bar and Lounge and a separate Breakfast Lounge, kept for that wing. Room service runs noon to 9pm for a small tray charge. Every Friday at 5pm a cannon is fired from the end of the jetty, with money off cocktails in the Langdale Lounge from 4pm to 6pm, which tends to go down well with children.
Vegetarian and vegan options are always on the menus and there's an allergy process in place.
Rooms and suites
The two tiers of room with their official sizes, which suit a family and what the Winander Club adds.
Bedrooms come in two tiers: the Resort Rooms through the main hotel, and the more luxurious Winander Club wing. Both run on a naming order of Oak, Lime, Hazel and Willow, roughly largest to smallest, and every room has a king bed unless it's set up otherwise. Check-in across the resort is from 3pm. The tables below are the full line-up with the official sizes; the guidance after them is which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
| Resort Room | Size | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Suite | 30–32 m² | The largest Resort Room, with a lounge and separate bedroom; king bed |
| Lime Lake View Room | 22–25 m² | A lake view; king bed |
| Lime Room | 22–25 m² | In the original house, with no dedicated lake view; king bed |
| Hazel Lake View with Balcony | 20–22 m² | A balcony and a lake view; king bed |
| Hazel Lake View Room | 20–22 m² | A lake view over the marina; king bed |
| Hazel Family Room | 20–22 m² | The room set up for families, near the courtyard; bed made up as a super king, a double or twins |
| Hazel Room | 20–22 m² | In the courtyard or the original hotel, with no dedicated lake view; king bed |
| Willow Room | 18–22 m² | The base room, in the courtyard; king bed |
The one room built for a family is the Hazel Family Room, near the courtyard, where the bed is made up as a super king, a double or twins depending on who's staying. The other Resort Rooms are doubles with a king bed, so with a baby who needs only a cot the choice comes down to whether you want a lake view: the Hazel Lake View rooms and the Lime Lake View look over the water or the marina, while the courtyard Hazel, Lime and Willow rooms don't. Maximum occupancy is usually four, with a note to call the hotel if you need more. Children aged 15 and under sharing a room with two full-paying adults are charged a nightly supplement rather than staying free, and a child given a room of their own pays the full adult rate.
| Winander Club room | Size | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Duplex | 44–49 m² | Two levels: a double shower downstairs, and a soaking bath and private fell-view balcony upstairs |
| Oak Suite | 44–49 m² | A large living space and balcony, with a soaking bath and a separate shower |
| Lime Lake View Room | 36 m² | Third floor with lift access, a lake-view balcony and close to the roof terrace |
| Lime Room with Feature Bath | 38–42 m² | First and second floors, with a fell-view feature bath |
| Lime Room | 38–42 m² | First and second floors, with extra space |
| Hazel Room | 38–42 m² | Ground floor, with a separate shower and bath |
The Winander Club is the premium wing, 29 rooms and suites added in 2019 and larger across the board. On top of the standard fittings, which run to a king bed, room service, an LCD TV, robes, free Wi-Fi, a refreshment tray and ESPA toiletries, Winander rooms add a mini bar, a smart TV, underfloor heating and full air conditioning, plus the exclusive bar, breakfast lounge and roof terrace, with a noon checkout in place of 11am. Dogs can't stay in the wing. Its rooms are aimed at couples and adults more than families, since none is configured like the Hazel Family Room.
If you need two rooms that interconnect, ring reception on 015394 33338 to check what's possible before you book.
The spa treatment discount is for everyone
Hotel guests get 25 per cent off spa treatments from Monday to Thursday. The same line appears on the Winander Club page, which makes it easy to read as a Winander perk, but it applies to everyone staying at the resort, not only that wing.
The pool and the spa
The indoor hotel pool and its children's hours, then the award-winning spa and how you get into it.
The hotel has one indoor pool, included in every stay, and this is where the biggest limitation for families sits. Children, meaning anyone up to 15, can use the pool only in the morning, from 7.30am to 10am with last entry at 9.30am, and always with an adult. The evening session, 5.30pm to 8pm, is adults only. There's no separate children's pool, splash pad or toddler pool anywhere on site, so that morning window is the whole of a child's pool time here. The resort doesn't publish the pool's size or depth.
The Spa is a separate, adults-focused wellness area, and it isn't included in a standard bed-and-breakfast or dinner-inclusive stay. It comes with a Spa Break package, which includes one three-hour thermal journey per stay, or you can add a session as a paid extra by calling 015394 39303. Children aren't allowed in the spa; young adults of 16 and over are.
Between the indoor thermal suite and the outdoor terrace, the Good Spa Guide counted seven heat experiences in total. Indoors there's a thermal and vitality pool, a relaxation lounge, a herbal lounge, a coconut steam room, a dry salt sauna and an experience shower, along with an indoor lounge looking out to the fells. The outdoor terrace is the part reviewers rate most: lake-view infinity pools, hot tubs, a fellside slate sauna, a fire pit and an outdoor bar, with views over Windermere and the fells.
Spa opening hours depend on how you book it rather than a single daily window, so check the timing for the package you want. The spa was voted Best Spa in the North West at the 2025 Good Spa Guide Awards and was the first in the region to reach the guide's Five Bubble Luxury standard; it works with ESPA and has its own Berry and Birch range. The Good Spa Guide's own reviewer singled out the outdoor slate sauna, with panoramic windows over the water and fells, as quite possibly the best sauna view in the UK, along with a sound bath in the relaxation lounge played by a live harpist. Spa-day guests can also eat in their robes at Blue Smoke, watching the chefs work the wood-fired grill from the table.
The lake and the watersports centre
What you can do on the water, when the centre runs, the age rules and the marina.
Direct access to Lake Windermere is what sets Low Wood Bay apart from other family hotels in the Lakes. The watersports centre on the lakeshore lawns has private jetties straight onto the water, with changing rooms, showers, equipment hire and a shop.
You can hire paddleboards, canoes and kayaks, take out a self-drive motor boat for two or four hours, hire a fishing boat or book waterskiing, wakesurfing and kneeboarding through Wake on the Bay, sailing hire and instruction, a yacht charter or a guided wild open-water swim in the lake. Privately owned craft can be launched for the day. The centre runs from April to October, 9am to 5pm and until 7pm in the school and bank holidays, and closes from November to March. Guests staying at the resort get 10 per cent off activities, though not the Wake on the Bay sessions or the yacht charter, and cancellations made more than 72 hours ahead are refunded.
The age rules are worth reading before you plan. Motor boats can only be driven by over-16s, and anyone under 18 has to be accompanied and supervised throughout. The centre doesn't publish a minimum age for the non-powered activities like kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding and sailing, so ring it on 015394 39441 to check for a younger child before you build a day around it. The wild open-water swim is a guided, charged activity run through the centre, not a free swim off a beach, and the lake stays cold even in summer, so it suits older, stronger swimmers.
The marina, with its floating jetties and winter hard standing, is separate from the activity zone; you can moor there and walk up to Blue Smoke.
Babies and toddlers
What's set up for families, what isn't, and the things to check before you book.
What's built for families is fairly specific. The Hazel Family Room is the room set up for children, with a bed made up as a super king, a double or twins, and both restaurants have a children's menu and welcome children, as does the Atrium. Ground-floor accessible rooms and lifts to every floor make getting around with a pushchair easier, though it's worth checking the step-free route down to the lakeshore lawns on arrival if a pram is your main way around.
The two things to weigh with very young children are the pool and the lack of a club. Children can use the indoor pool in the mornings only, and there's no splash or toddler pool, so this isn't a resort to plan around pool time with a baby. There's no kids' club or crèche either, so the resort's offer for children is the watersports, the fell walks and the on-site experiences, which suits families happy to fill the days themselves. The Friday cannon fired from the jetty is a reliable hit with children, and it's worth remembering the A591 runs between the hotel and the lakeshore, so young children need keeping close in the grounds.
If you need a cot or a highchair, ring reception on 015394 33338 to check availability before you book.
On siteThings to do at the resort
Beyond the lake and the spa, the resort has a complimentary gym, the Fitness Lounge, with treadmills, cycling machines, dumbbells and a multi-gym, open 7.30am to 8pm daily.
A set of bookable experiences run on site with instructors: falconry with a handler, from £135 a person, closely supervised clay pigeon shooting, archery with progressively harder targets and axe throwing. Two free trails run through the resort as well, a rotating art exhibition in the Atrium and the Low Wood Bay Print Trail. For a family where one parent wants the spa and another the lake, the resort runs combined days that pair the two, like a Morning Paddle and Spa, an Ultimate Activity Spa Day or an Open Water Swim and Spa, and the spa can also be booked for exclusive use by a group.
The area and days out
The fell walks from the door, the boat trips and the family days out within a short drive.
You can walk straight up Jenkin Crag from the resort, a short fell climb with views over Windermere that makes a gentle first hill for children, and Orrest Head, near Windermere town, is another easy walk with wide lake views, the fell said to have first inspired the fell-walker Alfred Wainwright.
A few minutes down the A591, Bowness and Windermere have the Windermere Lake Cruises piers for a boat trip, the World of Beatrix Potter, the Windermere Jetty Museum with its boat collection and Blackwell, an Arts and Crafts house. Mountain Goat runs guided Lake District tours from here. Ambleside, a short drive or bus ride north, has independent shops and cafes, the tiny 17th-century Bridge House, the Armitt Museum, the Stock Ghyll Force waterfall a short walk from the town and an indoor climbing wall. Grasmere, a little further north, has its famous gingerbread shop, Wordsworth's Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum, Rydal Mount and Rydal Water with its caves.
About 30 to 45 minutes south, the Lakes Aquarium at Lakeside is a walk-through with otters, sharks and rays that works well for young children, next to the Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam railway. Also that way are Holker Hall and Gardens, the National Trust's Hill Top (Beatrix Potter's farmhouse) and the Lakeland Motor Museum with its 30,000 exhibits. Further out, an hour or more by car, are the big fell walks including Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain, and the Honister Slate Mine with its Via Ferrata for older children and adults.
Loves and gripes
What the research points to, what to weigh and how the hotel stacks up against the alternatives.
What guests love
- Direct access to Lake Windermere from private jetties, rare among Lakes hotels.
- The range of watersports on the lake itself.
- The award-winning spa, and its outdoor terrace and views in particular.
- The lakeside setting, with the Langdale Pikes across the water.
- The food, with recent diners praising both restaurants.
- Fell walks straight from the door.
Common gripes
- The morning-only children's pool window, the biggest limitation for families with young children.
- No children's or splash pool anywhere on site.
- The spa isn't part of a standard stay and is booked and paid for separately.
- Watersports close from November to March, so a winter visit loses the main outdoor draw.
- Children's dinners are charged separately even on a dinner-inclusive stay.
The most detailed independent review of the hotel is the Good Spa Guide's, which is glowing about the spa. Recent TripAdvisor reviewers go further, calling it the best spa they've visited and rating The W as good as any Michelin-starred restaurant in the Lakes. Ratings for the family side of a stay, the pool and children's service, are thinner, so weigh the pool setup yourself against what your children need rather than relying on an overall score.
Against the alternativesHow it compares
Another Place, The Lake on Ullswater is the stronger choice for babies and toddlers: it has an Ofsted-registered Kids' Zone from six months, supervised sessions for under-threes and unrestricted family pool time from 9am to 6pm. Low Wood Bay has the bigger watersports offer and sits on the more famous Windermere. Our guide to Another Place goes into it in full.
Lakeside Hotel at Newby Bridge, at the southern end of Windermere, has a children's pool area and lends toddler floats, and sits next to the Lakes Aquarium and a cruise pier, so it's easier for family days out; Low Wood Bay has the better watersports and lakeside setting. Our Lakeside Hotel guide covers it.
Landal Whitbarrow, a self-catering village near Penrith, has a dedicated children's splash pool alongside its adult pool, which Low Wood Bay doesn't; Low Wood Bay leads on dining, the spa and watersports. Our Landal Whitbarrow guide has the detail.
Getting there and when to go
How you reach the resort, whether you need a car and the best months for a family.
The resort is on the A591 between Bowness and Ambleside, straightforward by car, and parking is free for guests who book direct: a £12 a day charge is added to the bill during the stay and removed again before checkout. Third-party bookings keep that £12 a day charge. By train, Windermere is a little over three hours from London, usually with a change at Oxenholme onto the Windermere branch line, and the resort is about 1.8 miles from Windermere bus and train station. There's no hotel transfer, so it's a short taxi from the station.
A number of bus routes run along the A591 linking Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside, so the shops of both are reachable without the car; check Traveline or Stagecoach for the current timetable and the nearest stop. Manchester is the nearest large airport, a couple of hours away by car.
For families, June to September is the window, when daytime highs reach 17 to 19°C, the sunshine is more reliable and the watersports centre is open, though rain is possible in any month. The resort runs Christmas and New Year breaks, but the watersports close for winter, so an off-season stay leans on fell walks and days out rather than the lake.
When to goWeather, month by month
The Lake District is one of the wettest parts of England, and Windermere is no exception, so pack waterproofs and layers whatever the month. Daytime highs climb from around 7°C in winter to 19°C in July and August, and nights stay cool all year, down to about 2°C in February and around 12°C in July, so take layers even in summer.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7° | 1° | 218 mm | 18 |
| February | 7.5° | 1° | 192 mm | 16 |
| March | 9° | 2° | 167 mm | 15 |
| April | 12° | 3° | 114 mm | 14 |
| May | 15.5° | 5.5° | 114 mm | 13 |
| June | 17.5° | 8.5° | 109 mm | 14 |
| July | 20° | 10.5° | 108 mm | 12 |
| August | 19.5° | 10° | 133 mm | 13 |
| September | 17° | 8° | 153 mm | 14 |
| October | 13.5° | 6° | 242 mm | 19 |
| November | 9.5° | 3° | 216 mm | 20 |
| December | 7° | 1° | 230 mm | 18 |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. The resort runs Christmas and New Year breaks; the watersports centre runs April to October.
Questions
The things families ask most, the pages worth a bookmark and when this guide was last refreshed.
Can our children use the pool all day?
No. The indoor pool takes children, meaning anyone up to 15, only between 7.30am and 10am, with last entry at 9.30am, and the evening session is adults only. There's no separate children's or splash pool, so if a holiday leans on pool time with a toddler, plan the mornings around that window or look at a resort with all-day family swimming.
Is the spa included, and can children use it?
The thermal spa isn't part of a bed-and-breakfast or dinner-inclusive stay. It comes with a Spa Break package or as a paid add-on you book on 015394 39303, and it's for adults and over-16s only. For a spa afternoon with older children about, one parent can take a thermal session while the other is out on the lake.
What age do children need to be for the watersports?
Only over-16s can drive the motor boats, and any child under 18 must have an adult supervising them throughout. The centre doesn't publish a minimum age for kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding or sailing, so ring it on 015394 39441 to check for the activity and age you have in mind before you build a day around it.
Is parking free?
It's free if you book direct with the hotel. A £12 a day parking charge shows on your bill during the stay but comes off again before you check out. Book through a third-party site and that £12 a day charge stays on the bill, so booking direct is the cheaper route if you're driving.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes, up to two dogs per room for a nightly charge, though not in the Winander Club, the restaurants or the spa. Dogs can come on most of the watersports craft but not the paddleboards or the Wake on the Bay boats, so check the specific activity if the dog's coming on the water.
Is there a kids' club?
No, there's no organised club or crèche. What the resort offers children instead is the watersports centre, fell walks from the door and the on-site experiences like falconry and archery, so it suits families happy to fill the day themselves rather than hand the children over for the morning.
When can we do the watersports?
It runs daily from April to October, staying open until 7pm in the school and bank holidays, then closes for the winter from November to March. A winter stay loses the resort's main outdoor draw, so if the lake is why you're coming, book in the warmer half of the year.
Can we get there by train?
Yes. Trains from London to Windermere take a little over three hours, usually with a change at Oxenholme, and the resort is about 1.8 miles from Windermere station. There's no hotel transfer, so it's a short taxi from the station, and you'll still want a car or the local buses for days out.
See more Low Wood Bay photos
Open the Low Wood Bay photo gallery →Useful links
- Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa: the resort's own site for rooms, dining, the spa and the watersports centre.
- To book direct, call the reservations line on 0333 2203 105, or email [email protected] with any questions before you book.
- Windermere Lake Cruises: timetables and piers for a boat trip on the lake.
- The Lake District with little ones: our guide to the wider area and when to go.
Last updated 16 July 2026.
