Lake District's Ullswater Inn reopens after renovation | News and Star

Glenridding Hotel has been renamed The Ullswater Inn following the renovation which took 13 months.

The revamped inn opened its doors on Valentine's Day and served more than 120 meals and more than 500 drinks between 12pm and 9pm on its first day back.

Drinks like Tirril’s Ullswater Blonde, Bowness Bay’s Fell Runner and spirits from The Lakes Distillery were a hit among customers.

About 90 per cent of available rooms have already been booked for stays on Friday and Saturday.

Diane Lee-Lyons, the general manager, 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."

The refurbishment involved transforming the Glenridding Hotel into a traditional-style pub.

The former reception and lounge areas were converted into the new main bar, a new main staircase was installed connecting this area with the old Beckside bar.

Log-burning stoves and a mix of high and low seating were added, along with feature windows.

The existing bedrooms were completely refurbished, while a redundant spa area and the former Let It Brew coffee shop were removed.

This increased the total number of rooms from 36 to 57.

With the reopening of Ullswater Inn, all ten of The Inn Collection Group’s Lake District properties are now back in business after a year that also included renovations at The Swan, Grasmere and Ambleside’s The Wateredge Inn and The Waterhead Inn.