Lake District: Grasmere hotel owners reveal first look at renovations

Simon Hustler and his wife Kate took over the establishment in March 2023 in what was their first exploration of owning a hotel.

Approaching the first anniversary of that purchase, the couple have given a sneak peek at the changes to the business.

Kate said: "It has been almost a year since Simon and I took over ownership of the Grasmere Hotel.

"Ready for the new season, we have renovated the two lounge areas to provide a new lounge bar area and an additional new restaurant called 'A taste of Grasmere' which runs alongside the Bistro Garden Restaurant."

The new-look restaurant will focus on promoting Grasmere (Image: Kate Hustler)

The aim of the improvements has centred around promoting the area the hotel is found in, paying tribute to the Lake District and its resources.

"'A taste of Grasmere' offers a seven course taster menu for £70, which comes with pairing wines for £110, and all produce is sourced locally - hence the name," Kate explained.

"We want to open up our bar and restaurants to non-residents and encourage people to drink in our lovely beer garden."

The new bar was opened at the start of the month (Image: Kate Hustler)

Kate and Simon bought the hotel for what was a reported £2.2 million asking price.

Grasmere Hotel was built in 1871 as a private country house and had previously been owned by Kevin and Nicky Winsland for six years before they opted to retire.

While this is the first hotel that Kate and Simon have operated, they have experience in the holiday industry by owning a number of lets in Ambleside.

Upon the purchase of the hotel, Kate went into detail about not wanting to make a lot of changes, instead maximising the 'potential' of the property.

The new bar opened at the start of February with the owners hopeful that it will encourage more people than ever to experience the beauty of the region.