My daughters wedding celebrations were held here.
The party took over the place for nigts , three days, Brilliant. Graet with children.
Taster gormet multicourse meal provided fro the party a triumph. All staff superb. Some refreshing of decorations required but not an issue, no doubt to be addressed by new owners.
Drinks a tad expensive. Woould return for a quiet midweeker any time. Hill a challenge for people going down to lake who have problems walking,or breathing. Sit out from and enjoy the view. The occaison made it special would recommend to any wanting to treat themselves.

We booked The Samling as a half way stopover on our journey and took advantage of the great "Taste of The Samling" offer. No sooner had we booked and mentioned this to friends living in the area, than they wanted to join us for dinner too, having heard good things about the hotel. So, having telephoned to make the initial booking, we were then calling again to increase the numbers for dinner - none of this phased the staff at all and every call and enquiry was greeted with warmth and assurance that it was no trouble at all (I felt we were being bothersome!)

We received the warmest of welcomes on our arrival having made one or two "flypasts" before getting the turning right. The staff were universally charming - professional and courteous yet friendly and approachable. Our room - Methera - was lovely and we had great views over the lake, as expected. We were delighted to find a large, modern and well equipped bathroom too and appreciated the large fluffy towels and fresh white bedlinen.

Dinner was outstanding and exceeded all expectations, in spite of our realisation that The Samling is noted for fine dining. Beautifully presented dishes, very well served with accurate descriptions and the patience to answer every question about food or wine, we enjoyed a delightfully sociable meal in completely unstuffy surroundings. The tasting menu was hugely enjoyed by all and will be talked about for some time, I know.

We will certainly return, as indeed will our friends. In the meantime, we'll add The Samling to our list of most comfortable boltholes.

We stayed at The Samling in December for three nights.

As there was quite a bit of snow around when we arrived, getting up the steep and narrow driveway to the hotel was a bit of a challenge, but we made it.

The welcome was warm and the hotel and room were both cosy - our room was upgraded FOC as they were quiet and we had a lovely view and a gas fire which was great.

The food at The Samling is very good, although the dining room is less relaxing and comfortable than the lounge areas. Service was excellent and the dinner menu was decent value. Wine list was so-so.

Overnight it had snowed quite heavily and to my amazement the staff had used a leaf blower to clear the worst of the snow from the drive, and when our rear wheel drive car struggled in the car park, they even dug us out! Amazing service and totally beyond the call of duty.

Overall we would recommend The Samling for anyone looking for a small but stylish and friendly hotel in The Lakes, and hope to visit again this summer to see the area without the snow.

What a treat to stay at this hotel. Such a beautiful, exclusive setting away from the main road between Windermere and Ambleside. As other reviews mention, the driveway is rather steep but this is part of the charm of the place, and all vehicles have no issues making their way from the main road to the hotel building. All rooms have an individual style and layout which is lovely. We had exclusive use of the hotel on the first night of the stay as our party was fairly large. The service we received was second to none and our every need was catered for. The staff will stay up as late as you do in the bar to serve you drinks.
I would definiately recommend a stay here and the food is just glorious. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2010.