Best Lake District Hotels with Swimming Pools

Compare the swimming pools first

A pool can make a wet afternoon easier or give you a reason to stay an extra night. The useful question is whether you can swim when you want to. A warm thermal pool with jets may suit a quiet soak, but it does not replace space for lengths or an afternoon swim with children.

These six choices cover the Lake District. Compare the facility and timetable below, then choose the location. There is little benefit in booking a beautiful pool if every day out takes you to the opposite side of the region.

Hotel and base	Swimming facility	Published resident access	Main booking check
Another Place, Ullswater	20-metre indoor heated pool	Swim Club available to hotel guests	Adult sessions and family hours
Lakeside, southern Windermere	17-metre indoor heated pool	Included for residents	Confirm evening closing time; official pages differ
The Swan, Newby Bridge	Indoor Health Club swimming pool	Complimentary resident Health Club access	Family swimming is separate from Holte Spa
Low Wood Bay, Windermere	Main indoor swimming pool	Included with overnight stays at specified times	Thermal spa is a separate booking; January closure
Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite	16-metre indoor infinity pool	Spa access from check-in to check-out	Restricted morning window for children
Brimstone, Great Langdale	Langdale Estate leisure pool with swimming lane	Estate leisure access included	Adult hotel; shared pool has family periods

The shortlist above is ordered to put straightforward swimming and family options first. It is not a ranking of water quality, value or accessibility. We have not tested these pools or compared live room rates.

Six hotels worth comparing

Another Place, The Lake — for swimming on an Ullswater break

Another Place is a useful starting point when swimming is part of the holiday rather than an occasional spa extra. Swim Club has a 20-metre indoor heated pool, with adult-only periods currently published as 7–9am and 6–9pm. That gives adults a clear timetable to plan around; families should build their swim into the intervening hours.

The separate sauna and outdoor soaking tub are restricted to guests aged 16 and over. Do not promise younger children those facilities because they can use the pool.

Choose it for: an Ullswater stay with a substantial indoor pool and distinct swim periods. The trade-off: the Watermillock base calls for a transport plan if your days centre elsewhere. Check the official FAQs before arranging dinner around an evening family swim.

Lakeside Hotel & Spa — for included swimming on southern Windermere

Lakeside combines a 17-metre heated indoor pool with a southern Windermere setting. Its pool page says resident access is included and swimming does not need a pre-booked slot. Choose it when you would rather fit swimming around the day than commit to a timed thermal visit.

Check the evening timetable: the spa page publishes family swimming at 7–10am and 4–8pm, with adults-only swimming at 10am–4pm. The separate pool page gives a usual 7pm closure, sometimes extended to 8pm. Confirm the actual closing time for your dates, especially if the last family hour matters.

The trade-off: this is an indoor pool with an outdoor spa garden, not an outdoor swimming pool. Compare the pool information and swim timetable together.

The Swan Hotel & Spa — for family swimming apart from the spa

The Swan at Newby Bridge makes an important distinction: its Health Club swimming pool is separate from Holte Spa’s indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool. The hotel publishes complimentary Health Club access for residents. That is the facility to investigate first for a family swim.

Holte access depends on the room, rate or additional booking. It excludes under-16s; its arrangements for older teenagers also need checking. A spa photograph does not describe what the whole family can use.

Choose it for: a south-Lakes stay where swimming and an optional adult spa visit serve different members of the party. The trade-off: if both matter, confirm both sets of access terms. Ask the hotel for current Health Club child hours rather than applying the spa timetable to the swimming pool. The official FAQs explain the distinction.

Low Wood Bay — for an indoor swim with an optional thermal upgrade

Low Wood Bay includes access to its main indoor swimming pool for overnight guests, subject to its published access times. The thermal spa is a separate experience: ordinary room bookings do not automatically include the outdoor pools and wider thermal facilities.

This makes it a useful comparison for a mixed trip. Price the room with the swimming you need, then decide whether a separately booked Thermal Journey is worth adding. Check that family swim hours fit before paying for an upgrade intended mainly for adults.

Date warning: the hotel announces closure of its spa and leisure facilities on 5 and 6 January 2027, reopening on 7 January. Consult the spa notice and resident-access FAQs.

The trade-off: access to one pool does not establish access to every pool shown in the gallery.

Armathwaite Hall — for a country-house stay with a swimming pool

Armathwaite Hall offers a 16-metre indoor infinity pool as well as a separate outdoor hydrotherapy facility. Resident spa access runs from check-in to check-out, so the swimming pool can be part of the stay without selecting a spa-suite category.

Families need particular care with the timetable. The main pool page and general FAQs currently give an 8–9.30am indoor swim window for children, with adult supervision. Other promotional material has differing hours; obtain confirmation for your dates and party’s ages. Do not assume the child window extends to outdoor hydrotherapy.

Choose it for: a Bassenthwaite country-house break where adult swimming and shared spa time matter. The trade-off: a narrow morning window is restrictive if children expect a rainy-afternoon swim. Start with the hotel’s pool page and general FAQs.

Brimstone — for an adult hotel with estate swimming

Brimstone requires hotel guests to be 18 or over. Guests receive access to the wider Langdale Estate leisure facilities, including a swimming pool with a roped-off lane. Use that pool if swimming is the aim; the separate Brimstone Spa relaxation pool is designed for soaking rather than lengths.

The distinction also matters for atmosphere. The leisure pool serves the wider estate and has family periods, even though Brimstone itself is an adult hotel. Its first and last opening hours are published as adults-only; check the current timetable if quiet swimming is central to the booking.

Choose it for: an adult Great Langdale stay with access to swimming as well as spa facilities. The trade-off: the leisure pool is not exclusively for Brimstone residents. Read the fitness and leisure description before assuming the whole estate is adults-only.

Indoor swimming or an outdoor spa pool?

If swimming lengths is essential, start with the published pool dimensions and ask whether a lane is available during your intended session. Pool length alone does not tell you about crowding, classes or how much space remains for general swimming. A leisure pool is also a shared holiday facility; it should not be assumed to operate like a training pool.

For an outdoor soak, compare the thermal facilities separately. Low Wood Bay and Armathwaite Hall have outdoor spa water facilities, while Brimstone Spa has an indoor-outdoor relaxation pool. These can be attractive additions, but their use, temperature, jets and age rules serve a different purpose from a family swimming session.

Our Lake District spa-hotel guide covers the wider thermal choices. For a facility attached to your accommodation, use the hotels with hot tubs guide and check the precise room category. Neither an outdoor spa nor a private hot tub guarantees a private swimming pool.

Choosing a pool hotel with children

Begin with the time you expect to use the water. If the plan is an afternoon swim after an outing, a morning-only child window can rule out an otherwise appealing hotel. Another Place, Lakeside and The Swan are sensible starting points for comparison, while Armathwaite Hall’s restricted child hours need closer scrutiny.

Before reserving, tell the hotel every child’s age and ask about supervision ratios, shallow areas, pool depth, changing arrangements and any need to reserve a session. Ask whether the family can use the facility on arrival and departure days. A bedroom sleeping four does not settle any of those questions.

Do the same exercise for the room: check the actual beds, cot space and bathroom layout. A pool that works well cannot compensate for an unsuitable sleeping arrangement. Our family-hotel guide compares the wider stay, beyond the swimming facilities.

Choose the base before the room upgrade

Use the Lake District where-to-stay guide to match the hotel to most of your planned days. The shortlist spans Ullswater, Windermere, Bassenthwaite and Great Langdale. A short break works better when the pool and one or two local outings fit together without repeated cross-region journeys.

Without a car, map the whole arrival: rail gateway, onward bus or taxi, final walk with luggage and the return journey. The National Park Authority’s transport guidance is the starting point for current connections. Check seasonal timetables and last services rather than assuming a lakeside address means an easy station transfer.

For two nights, leave one unhurried swim period each day and arrange outings around it. For one night, compare check-in and check-out with the actual pool hours. Avoid paying for facilities you will have little time to use.

What to confirm before paying

The exact inclusion: ask which pool your room rate includes, how often you may use it and whether there is an extra charge for anyone in the party. Keep treatments and thermal access separate when comparing totals. An affiliate booking platform may offer different terms from a qualifying direct rate.

Your usable hours: check age-specific sessions, classes, last entry and planned maintenance. If swimming is the main reason for the booking, ask what happens if the pool closes unexpectedly before choosing a non-refundable rate.

The access route: describe your requirements and ask about the journey from the allocated bedroom to changing rooms and water entry. Request details of steps, handrails, hoists, transfer equipment and assistance where relevant. We have not inspected these facilities, and a general accessibility label cannot answer those questions.

The overall cost: compare identical dates, meals, room layouts and cancellation terms. Add the pool charges, spa sessions and transport you will actually use. This guide does not quote live rates or identify a cheapest hotel; the right choice depends on the complete stay.