Journal reviews of Aphrodites Themed Hotel in the Lake District
Life Magazine, Blackpool Gazette’s – 2 May, 2009 Travel & Holidays
"Wordsworth would have loved it here"
I wandered lonely as a cloud ... With crowded peaks and teeming streets, Wordsworth would have been hard pressed to find a little solitude in the Lakes these days. But he could find a haven, as we did, at a 'boutique' hotel.
Often described as 'the hip hotel' in the Lake District, Aphrodite's Hotel transcends the tradition concept of bed and breakfast. Perched on a hill above Bowness, Aphrodite's goes some way towards escaping the hustle and bustle below. Set in lush gardens, complete with dancing fountains, the first glance tells you it's going to be something a little different. With an amazing selection of themed rooms, we were booked into the Parisian Room, having opted for restful surroundings. The four poster bed with it's duck down duvet, huge spa bath and sumptuous sitting area - all decorated in subtle creams - exuded an instant air of calm and opulence.
French windows opened on to our own private patio, complete with hot tub, and the patio opened on to the surprisingly large outdoor heated swimming pool.
Pool? Not before August, thank you. But the hot tub beckoned and in a few minutes we were putting the memory of the hour and a bit's trundle up the M6 behind us and we relaxed with a bottle of wine and listened to the birdsong and fountains. It gave a chance to ponder how other residents had reacted to their rooms ... Who would be in the Austin Powers suite, complete with round bed and bright furniture, would the Flintstones cave, sporting fake animal skins and wobbly walls have lived up to expectations? And how about the Cleopatra suite, the Western pine cabin, the Tarzan and Jane suite, Robin Hood suite and a host of other imaginative themes ..
Enough!
Our stomachs told us it was high time to dry off, dress up and be out in search of food. Aphrodite's does breakfast and a range of light meals, but as our yearning was for something a little more substantial, we headed off to it's sister hotel, 21 The Lakes, a short taxi ride away in Windermere. A warm welcome and browse of the menu saw us opting for the same starter: miniature spicy Cumberland sausage served on a bed of creamed mash with a red wine and cranberry jus. Husband had selected local prime fillet steak with herbed mash for his main course with caramelised carrots and red and black pepper sauce. He pronounced the large serving of steak perfectly cooked and polished it off with delight.
My pan fried wild salmon with crushed pesto potato and red pimento coulis was everything I'd hoped for. For dessert, dark chocolate torte was the highlight of my meal. Petal soft, velvety dark chocolate encased in a meltingly crisp, buttery case, served with a pot of sharp, tangy dark fruit and another pot of superb vanilla pod ice ice cream. Magical. Other half declared his classic lemon tart with iced lemon sorbet and raspberry coulis equally delicious.
Back at Aphrodite's the double spa bath was fantastic, relaxing away the trials of the day. Breakfast was served in the sunshine-filled light and welcoming dining room with a superb view of the dancing fountains which are synchronised with music played indoors. In warmer times French doors open out on to a patio area, with fountains lit at night. Tasty Cumberland sausages were on offer again, with delicious locally reared bacon, perfectly poached eggs and buffet table groaning with fresh milk, muesli and organic offerings, of which the hotel is justly proud.
After breakfast we wandered down to the lakeside and took a trip on one of the boats to Ambleside, a wonderful way to drink in the scenery. One popular destination is Beatrix Potter's house near Ambleside. And after the hustle and bustle of the day where better to relax than your own hot tub on the patio or sprawled on a squashy sofa watching the sun go down over the swimming pool? Yep, I think Wordsworth would have liked it too.
The Good Property Guide – March/April 2009 The Good Property Guide
Experience The Dream
IMAGINE COMBINING THE LAKE DISTRICT'S NATURAL BEAUTY WITH THE ROMANTIC ADVENTURE OF SPENDING A NIGHT IN A THEMED ROOM OF YOUR DREAMS.
Well, that's what awaits guests at Aphrodite's Hotel at Bowness-on-Windermere, where a mini break becomes a truly unique experience. The new boutique hotel offers 17 different themed rooms, ranging from classic suites like the Parisian and Italian to period ones such as Tudor and Victorian.
For those wanting total seclusion, there is the American West Pine Cabin or Aphrodite's Log Cabin, both of which have log-burning stove, outdoor hot tub and their own private garden. And for those with a real sense of fun and excitement, the more imaginative bedrooms include The Flintstones Suite, Tarzan and Jane's Jungle Room, The Snow Queen Room and Robin Hood's Den. As if that wasn't wacky enough, there is even the Austin Powers Suite, complete with giant circular bed, mirrored ceiling, glitterball and spotlight! All the rooms have large aqua spa massage baths, with some boasting the rare old-fashioned feature of an open fire.
But it is not just the rooms at Aphrodite's - named after the Greek goddess of love - that makes it stand out from all the independent hotels dotted around the Lake District. Besides being just a few minutes' walk from Lake Windermere, the hotel serves organic food and has many award-winning environmental features, which help to make it carbon neutral. There are also extensive gardens, with a heated open-air swimming pool and a dancing fountain, which stages a computerised music and light show in the evenings in front of the outdoor food and drink gallery.
Owner, Will Howarth, who has run the hotel with his wife Lynn for four years said: "I had stayed at themed hotels abroad and was trying to find something unique in the Lakes where people can enjoy an exciting and adventurous stay at affordable prices. That is what we have created here at Aphrodite's."
The Sunday Times Travel - March 2009
Thanks to a selection of themed rooms, you could be almost anywhere once you’ve checked into Aphrodite’s Lodge, near Lake Windermere.
The Arabian Suite has a tented silk ceiling; the Egyptian Room’s bed is surrounded by hieroglyphic-inscribed pillars; and the Jungle Room comes with leopard print bedcovers and verdant wallpaper.
Stay for a few nights and you could take a round-the-world trip.
The Arabian Suite
The Egyptian Room
Lake District Life - September/October 2007
THERE is more tourist accommodation in the Lake District than just about anywhere else but although the décor and the view might change, it's fair to say that a lot of the rooms are very much alike. But that's certainly not a charge that could be levelled at Aphrodite's Lodge. Every room there is different and comes with a guarantee that you won't find anything else like it in the Lakes.
There are themed hotels at some of Britain's busiest tourist hotspots, but most are in seaside towns such as Blackpool and Brighton, not on quiet roads on the outskirts of places like Bowness. So why do this here? Precisely because no-one else is, says owner Will Howarth.
‘There are lots of hotels and bed and breakfasts all over the Lake District where most of the rooms are pretty standard, even in the nicer hotels. We wanted to offer something a little different,’ he said. ‘We are trying to give a bit of the wow factor and a bit of fun rather than create another standard hotel.’ And boy, has he managed it.
Take the Tarzan and Jane suite for instance. With more bamboo than you could shake a stick at, leaf-print wallpaper, even a panther, it really is like stepping in to the jungle. And if the weather outside doesn't live up to the tropics, simply step into the sauna. There's no need to wash in a jungle stream, though, all rooms have stylish modern en suite bathrooms complete with Molton Brown cosmetics and some also have outdoor hot-tubs.
But if you don't fancy yourself as a Tarzan or a Jane (maybe you don't look good in a loin cloth) there are plenty of other options; everything from the chance to live the caveman lifestyle in the Flintstones suite to the more opulent Parisian or Victorian suites. And even Robin Hood's den, the Cleopatra suite and the Tudor suite are equipped with modern creature comforts such as televisions and DVD players. 'We have only taken it so far with the themes,' Will said.
'People are happy to stay in the Flintstones suite for instance but they don't want to sleep on a stone bed - the first thing you want from holiday accommodation is a comfy bed and we have some of the best. People want creature comforts and modern facilities like televisions and we decided not take the themes into the bathrooms for the same reason.' The lodge has 16 rooms, including one non-themed single room, and was formerly a hotel with a restaurant.
Will and wife Lynn have transformed the building over the last seven years - at a cost of around £750,000 - and they have big plans for the future, too, including a music, light and dancing fountain feature in the garden, but the main theme will be going green.
In January Aphrodite's will switch from a B&B to a hotel and will once again have its own restaurant, which will be supplied with fruit and veg grown in the grounds. The whole place will be carbon neutral with electricity coming from renewable sources.
‘We're having a biomass boiler fitted and we're coming off-grid for gas,’ Will said. ‘We applied for a wind turbine but were told it would not be viable, so we are sourcing our electricity from renewable sources elsewhere.’ They'll even be harvesting rain water being to flush toilets and wash laundry. Just like Tarzan and Jane would want.
LoveLeisure - Evening Mail June 19, 2009
APHRODITE'S boutique hotel in Bowness offers guests rooms designed around a variety of themes. FRANK CASSIDY checks into the Victorian suite.
Few people need reminding that the uncertain world in which we live is becoming increasingly stressful - almost by the hour. And it's not much fun tugging at the oars, day after day, without the prospect of a decent break. But when the rare opportunity for a breather arises, we sometimes make unwise choices about where we go to recharge our batteries.
Uncomfortable memories linger. There was that never-to-be-forgotten 'holiday' with the kids in a trailer on a desolate patch of muddy ground in Yorkshire with a stiff breeze from Norway swiftly cooling our enthusiasm. A few days at the Butlin's (now demolished) Pwhelli camp in North Wales in the early 1990s still brings a rueful shudder when it is recalled, and there have been other similar disasters.
It does not have to be like that. A short ride away from your door is an interesting oasis of peace and pleasure where you can enjoy a truly remarkable and refreshing holiday.The burgeoning reputation of the Lake District Shangri-La of which I write has attracted leading footballers and TV actors to its individually-styled bedrooms, its first-rate cuisine and its warm welcome, like moths to a flame. But you don't need the bank account of a Premier League striker or the purse of a soap star to visit Aphrodite's Hotel, which nestles in sublime woodland on the quiet fringe of lively Bowness.
Essentially, the hotel is a collection of themed and classical suites, some with outdoor hot tubs, and each of them oozing character and personality. The tubs of ultra-relaxing, bubbling hot water have to be experienced to be fully appreciated; no words of mine can adequately described the nirvana of having your entire body massaged by jets of hot water while your head is exposed to the fresh air of the English Lake District. Among the themed rooms is the luxury Flintstones' Suite, replete with a king-sized bed, draped with 'dinosaur skin' wraps, and a spa-bath in one of its cave-like features.
Alternatively you can check into the Parisian Suite, tastefully adorned with fin-de-siècle accoutrements (including a four-poster bed) and French windows which lead to a patio, with the open air pool a short distance beyond. Or if ancient Egypt floats your boat you might wish to try the Cleopatra Suite. It is so authentic (including a Valley of the Kings sarcophagus) that you half expect to see Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor come strolling by. (With my tongue firmly in my cheek I had asked the PR company, which provided the one-night break, if we could have the Miss Whiplash Suite - they gave a mildly embarrassed chuckle and installed us in the Victorian Suite, which was quite superb).
The mighty Aphrodite is the brain-child of Will Howarth and his wife, Lynn. Will hails from south Lancashire, and fell in love with the Lake District after spending camping holidays at Coniston when he was a youngster. He made a vow to himself that when he grew up, he would work in the Lakes so he could be among some of the finest natural features anywhere on earth. Some 32 years ago he sold his car to help raise the capital to buy a modest bed and breakfast in Ambleside, which he ran successfully for several years.He sold the B&B to fund his next project, which was a bigger guest house.
In 1988 he bought 21 The Lakes which was the first boutique hotel in the national park and eight years ago he acquired a run-down hotel called Boardriggs. Now not even Boardriggs' own mother would recognise it, and after years of tender loving care it has been transformed into Aphrodite's. The couple have taken considerable care in crafting the hotel into an eco-friendly haven.
The food they serve is (whenever possible) sourced locally, from farmers who do not use pesticides or fertilisers, a worm farm breaks down any waste, and the heating is generated by the burning of wood from Grizedale Forest. After a stroll in the Langdales, we took a taxi into Bowness, a ride of no more than five minutes, to eat our evening meal at 21 The Lakes, which is Aphrodite's sister hotel. The home-made mushroom soup, accompanied by crusty bread and butter was a true delight. My main course of steak plus all the trimmings was impeccably cooked while my wife plumped for salmon which she said was the best she had tasted.
Afterwards we walked through Bowness before retiring to the Aphrodite. For a while we watched the dancing fountain light show before resting our heads on the pillows filled with duck down, and enjoying the best night's sleep we have had for many a month.
A hotel with attitude - Yorkshire Post June 2009
From the outside it looks disarmingly like a normal Lakeland hotel. There are pleasant lawned gardens with a fountain gently dancing, heated swimming pool and white rendering glistening in the sunlight. So far, so traditional for one of the larger holiday establishments overlooking Windermere. So check in at the reception desk, pick up your key, unlock the door and step into your….er cave.
Or ancient Egyptian palace. Or perhaps your American pioneer's log cabin. Or if you are feeling particularly adventurous, there is the magnificently tasteless Austin Powers Suite. With its pink fun fur circular bed, mirrored ceiling complete with glitter ball and geometric designs in bright green, pink and orange it is everything a Sixties super spy could wish for in a seduction pad. Provided, of course, that his partner was not susceptible to sudden migraine attacks.
Aphrodite's Hotel, high above bustling Bowness claims to be the national park's only themed hotel, and owner Will Howarth admits that some more staid Lakes hoteliers have turned up their noses at a style they probably view as more Las Vegas than Langdale. But he says there is no shortage of guests looking for more than daffodils, mint cake or even the Lake District itself on a mini-break.
The idea of themed rooms took root after he and his wife, Lynn, visited hotels in Dubai. He says: "A lot of hotel rooms in this country are very sterile and we thought why not offer guests a completely different experience?"
First came the Cleopatra suite, complete with sunken bath, pillared bed, Pharaoh's sarcophagus, and sacred cat, then a naughty, lacy Parisian boudoir and an oriental suite. They were quickly followed by a jungle-themed Tarzan and Jane jungle room before the most ambitious of all, the Stone Age Flintstones suite complete with sculpted cave walls, rock pool bath, and acres of animal skins.
Designed to bring out the caveman in any guest, it can apparently work too well. One couple arrived for breakfast in the dining room wearing animal skins and armed with a club. Other options include the American pioneer's log cabin – albeit with luxuries never dreamed of in the Little House on the Prairie, like a Jacuzzi and giant television – Robin Hood's den or a Victorian suite.
It's certainly different and with so much offbeat décor to enjoy, many guests treat the hotel as a destination in itself and do not get much further than their room even though it means missing out on that magnificent Lakeland scenery all together.
Will says: "We do frequently find that guests stay in their rooms rather than getting out and about. We get a lot of people who are coming from very stressed backgrounds, they work long hours and are just looking for somewhere to totally relax for three or four days, often just staying in their rooms and drinking champagne."
Many are repeat visitors who have a favourite suite, while others are steadily working their way through the list, flitting from suite to suite. Other rooms go in an out of fashion, which means a constant need for fresh themes and ideas to maintain the novelty.
Quite how often anyone could relax in the garish Austin Powers suite is another matter. The hotel has already had to disable the rotating mechanism on the circular bed. No complaints from the occupants apparently, but it was very noisy for the people downstairs.
Fun & frolics in the Lakes - Sunday Express August 2009
CATHERINE BOYLE of the heads to Cumbria to sample traditional delights, as well as a quirky new hotel guaranteed to bring out the wild side in guests.
In the shadow of a waxy palm leaf, a jet-black panther bares its sharp teeth. Out of the corner of my eye I see a flash of leopard spots. You would be forgiven for thinking that I am on safari in South Africa or trekking through the rugged terrain of the Amazon rainforest. In fact, I'm a little closer to home; in the Lake District to be precise.
A picturesque rural destination, the Lakes are more commonly associated with poet William Wordsworth and dramatic hillscapes than exotic animals. Until now that is. Surrounded by a plethora of faux fur and bamboo, my fiancé Iain and I are at Aphrodites Lodge, a quirky hotel tucked away in Bowness-on-Windermere.
On arrival, the solitary goldfish bowl at reception and the outdoor swimming pool framed by Grecian statues are the first hints that this hotel might be a little different. Forget twee floral bedspreads and net curtains; this is more Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. The hotel offers 18 themed rooms, which include everything from an American-style log cabin with hammock and private garden to a Flintstone suite complete with cave and open fire.
We were spending our long weekend in the Tarzan and Jane suite. Entering the "jungle" I notice the bold green wallpaper with exotic plants and row upon row of bamboo covering cupboards and doors. In the corner is a small sofa with a fur rug.
I excitedly go to explore the lower floor of the suite. The large double bed has an Austin Powers-style leopard print throw and matching curtains. Squeezed between the door and a panther statue atop the bamboo wardrobe is the room's crowing glory: a sauna. Although a little snug, it does fit two people. I manage a meagre three minutes before rushing into the bathroom to soak in the hot tub. The only thing missing from the room, it seems, is a vine to swing from.
Combined with the off-the-wall décor and surprising touches of luxury, it is no wonder the hotel attracts so many couples looking for an alternative to traditional Lake District accommodation. Having adjusted to our exotic surroundings we tear ourselves away from the fantasy world of Aphrodites Lodge to explore nearby Windermere.
With evening drawing near, dinner plans are on our minds. Our first instincts are to explore the hotel's offerings. I wonder if its food is as unusual as its décor? Sadly not. Although it does have a snack menu of organic and locally sourced food, guests looking for a wider variety can always head to sister hotel 21 The Lakes, which offers a three-course à la carte menu.
I sink my teeth into a freshly made red onion, cheese and tomato sandwich and watch enviously as Iain makes his way through a cheese ploughmans platter of chutneys, creamy and crumbly cheeses and rustic homemade breads.
We decide to have a night cap in the hotel's cosy bar. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an assortment of knick-knacks give the impression that you are still outside; it is dominated by elephant-shaped plant pots, pretty hanging baskets and winding plants wrapping their tendrils along the wall of windows.
Relaxing on the sofa I look out over the manicured gardens and swimming pool. Stifling a giggle, my bemused gaze falls on the jets of water that spring up and down, left to right, in an array of colours flickering from green to pink, blue and purple. A dancing fountain. Just when I thought Aphrodites Lodge held no more surprises.
TV Coverage
BBC - Filming in the Austin Powers suite, the Flintstones suite plus the restaurant and gardens, including the dancing fountain.
Border & North East News - Filming for the 6 oclock news showing the unique dancing fountain, organic restaurant, biomass boiler, Flintstones suite and Austin Powers suite.
