Hotels in Keswick (Lake District)

Keswick is one of the larger towns in the Lake District, it is towards the northern end of the Lakes on the shores of Derwentwater, and overlooked by Skiddaw, the Lake District’s third highest mountain. It is a good place to visit, and it a lot less busy and touristy than the more southern towns of Windermere and Ambleside.

There are a bewildering array of hotels, guest houses, bed & breakfasts and self catering accommodation in Keswick, so it can be difficult deciding where to stay. One of the difficulties in researching where to stay is that places advertised as being in Keswick are actually many miles away in the middle of nowhere. So always check on a map where the hotel is before booking. In this article I will just be looking at hotels and guest houses within walking distance of Keswick town centre.

Keswick, as with all of the Lake District, has vastly more small Bed & Breakfast (B&B) establishments than hotels, but there are some decent hotels in both the centre of Keswick and in the surrounding area. These are some of the hotels in Keswick town centre, or within a few minutes walk of the centre.

Skiddaw Hotel, Main Street, Kendal, CA12 5BN. – 43 en-suite bedrooms, plus a 2 bedroom ‘cottage’ with lounge, bathroom and fitted Kitchen. The Skiddaw Hotel is on the main street, and has a restaurant and a lounge bar. It doesn’t have a swimming pool or leisure complex, but guests can use the facilities of a sister hotel 10 minutes drive away. You can pick up bed & breakfast for two people from around £100 per room per night, best prices seem to be from third party sites such as Expedia or Booking.com rather than their own website. Rated good/very good.

Lairbeck Hotel, Vicarage Hill, Keswick, CA12 5QB – The Lairbeck hotel is set in its own scenic grounds, but only 10 minutes walk into Keswick town centre. The Lairbeck is a real country hotel, 14 bedrooms (including one four poster room and one family room) in a grand, elegant country mansion built in 1875 for a local barrister. It has a lounge bar and Dining Room, open exclusively to hotel guests and with an excellent menu. Prices start at £56 per person per night, bed and breakfast. Rated 4.5 stars (excellent) by Trip Advisor members.

The Keswick Country House Hotel, Station Road, Keswick, CA12 4NQ – Close to the town centre, the Keswick Hotel is set in 4 acres of landscaped gardens. It has 74 rooms including suites and family rooms. It has it’s own restaurant, The Lonsdale. Average rating 4/5 on Trip Advisor. From £85 per room per night, bed and breakfast for two people.

Oakthwaite House, 35 Helvellyn Street, Keswick, CA12 4EP – Oakthwaite House is the top rated B&B in Keswick on Trip Advisor (1^st out of 150!). It is in a large Victorian terrace in the town centre. It has just 4 rooms, and prices start from £31 per person per night bed and breakfast, based on two sharing. Breakfast is a 2 course affair, with cereal/porridge as well as the full English breakfast. They generally only accept 2 nights minimum (3 on weekends and bank holidays).

Seven Oaks Guest House, 7 Acorn St, Keswick, CA12 4EA – Rated 6^th out of 150 B&Bs on Trip Advisor with many people commenting on how friendly it is, a real home away from home. They have a wide variety of breakfast options available and offer packed lunches too. Prices are from £30 per night, and unlike most B&B’s accept one night stays (from £39 per night).

Howe Keld , 5-7 The Heads, Keswick, CA12 5ES – Howe Keld has been featured is numerous guide books and magazines, and is rated 17/150 on Trip Advisor. It has recently had a half million pound refurbishment. Go for one of the new ‘Chalet style’ rooms, each with hardwood flooring made by a local craftsman, choose from elm, beech, oak or cherry! There is lots of choice for breakfast, even vegetarians have a good choice, something that doesn’t happen many places. There is a dining room and spacious lounge area which guests have use of all day and evening. There is also a good range of books, maps etc. for guests to enjoy. Prices start from £40 per person per night.

Stonegarth – 2 Eskin Street, Keswick, CA12 4DH – A lovely little guest house in the centre of Keswick, there is a variety of rooms including a very nice Four poster room with Jacuzzi bath. Trip Advisor rates it 8 of 150 hotels in Keswick and reviews are overwhelmingly very favourable. Prices start from £30 per person per night for bed and breakfast.