13th February 2009 - by Tony Scott
Lake District Hotel - A Definition
Defining exactly what constitutes a hotel isn't easy and when
it's in the UK Lake District it's harder still. This article
attempts to do just that with an example of the perfect Lake
District Hotel.
What defines a hotel, as distinct from any other type of
accommodation in the Lake District? It's an odd question isn't
it? and difficult to answer, yet we all know what a hotel is
and what isn't.
The Inland Revenue helpfully point us to a definition given in
the hotel proprietors act of 1956 being "...an establishment
held out by the proprietor as offering food and drink and, if
so required, sleeping accommodation, without special contract,
to any traveller presenting himself who appears able and
willing to pay a reasonable sum for the services and facilities
provided and who is in a fit state to be received."
Clear as mud then, as a bed and breakfast could fit those
criteria if they wanted to, yet clearly it wouldn't be a hotel
in the minds of most people.
Defining a Lake District hotel adds a further layer of
complexity.
Establishments many centuries old that may have fitted the
label when Wordsworth was a boy, still retain the title but no
longer fit with modern perceptions.
I'll attempt my own definition for a Lake District hotel, see
if you agree.
A Lake District hotel should have a minimum of a dozen guest
rooms, a public licensed bar, a residents lounge/bar, a car
park, a restaurant and preferably a night porter.
Why a dozen rooms? Well there has to be a minimum number and
one just doesn't cut it. Ten might but its decimal, and as
we're talking about the Lake District an English dozen does the
trick. In Addition, a hotel should have a certain ambience and
that's only created by having a critical mass of people.
This demotes for example, the Bay Horse Hotel in Ulverston
which has only nine rooms to Inn, or Pub. All the other
criteria are met, but they're a little light on the
accommodation front.
Similarly a public bar invites transient customers into the
establishment which adds a little diversity to the mix. However
the residents lounge/bar is a sanctuary for those who choose to
stay at the hotel and usually confers some privilege to the
residents, for example the ability to purchase drinks after the
public bar has closed.
A car park takes the place of perhaps stables in the case of an
older establishment. Without sufficient space to park your
transport, preferably in the hotel grounds, a little
credibility is lost.
That those who seek to rest their heads would prefer to do so
on a full belly (or at least a satiated palette) is natural.
Standards of food may vary from pretentious to practical and
everything in between, but having a restaurant to serve it up
is a must for my criteria.
A night porter completes my list. It adds a layer of security
helping the residents to sleep soundly and means that
assistance is at hand should there be any problems with the
room or anything else.
My idea of the perfect Lake District hotel would be the Old
Dungeon Ghyll in the Langdale valley. Known to locals as "the
old" it just sneaks in on the bedrooms count with a bakers
dozen.
The public bar is as lively a place as you could wish to find,
populated as it is with locals, fell walkers, climbers and
people from the nearby campsite. If you find that all a little
too busy, a resident’s lounge and residents bar offer quieter
surroundings.
There's an ample car park and a fine restaurant serving
excellent home cooked food backed up by a fine wine list, which
complete the picture perfectly.
A night porter? You'll just have to book and find out for
yourself.
Source: http://www.articlesabroad.com
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