The Ro Hotel & Hydro Wellness Club, Windermere | Review

In the bustling centre of Bowness-on-Windermere, you’ll find a calm oasis at The Ro Hotel. With views overlooking the village, and the lake, you are in the perfect location for exploring the heart of The Lake District. From walking the shores of Windermere, taking the boat across the lake, ticking off some Wainwrights, or having a go at some of the gentler walks like Orrest Head – the Ro Hotel is the perfect base.

Where is The Ro Hotel?

The Ro Hotel is in the centre of Bowness-on-Windermere, and you’ll find it on Helm Road. It’s slightly up the hill, but in easy walking distance of the shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. It’s also in walking distance of the pier where you can hire boats from, and catch the Windermere Lake Cruises.

Is The Ro Hotel Dog Friendly?

Yes! The Ro Hotel is dog friendly. They have multiple dog friendly rooms and dog friendly dining areas so the whole family can enjoy their trip to The Lake District.

The Hydro Wellness Club

One of my favourite things about staying at The Ro Hotel is their pool and spa area; The Hydro Wellness Club.

It feels luxury and calm as soon as you walk in. To the left, you can get your workout in at the gym, or you can head down to the pool and relaxation area.

The pool area is gorgeous – with a pool and hot tub and plenty of loungers to relax on. It’s light and bright, and was so peaceful when we were there. From the pool, you can walk past the treatment rooms to the relaxation area, which has views over Windermere Lake. It’s beautiful, and definitely relaxing. Grab a lemon water, sit back and relax. You can also try some Temple Spa products whilst you’re there.

And locals, listen up! You can buy a membership just to The Hydro, and it’s incredibly affordable. It’s £30p/m off peak or £40p/m on peak. You have access to the pool, hot tub, gym area and relaxation area. You can also buy a 2 hour wellness pass for £25. The Hydro is open from 8am – 8pm. I just wish I lived slightly closer, because I would be a member here in a heartbeat!

A relaxing Stay

From the moment you stepped into The Ro, you felt relaxed. The staff were so friendly, and were on hand if you wanted any recommendations of where to explore. In the reception, there was also some route maps, to help you get inspired for your walks.

We stayed in one of the lake view rooms and it was stunning. It was incredibly spacious, with a very comfy bed, but the two best things about the room? Firstly, the incredibly free standing bath (including bath salts and bath bombs!) and a beautiful view of Windermere. After a day of exploring, it was the perfect place to retreat to. With a coffee machine in the room, lots of tea options and some delicious Borders biscuits – it’s safe to say we could easily relax in the room.

Eating at The Ro Hotel

Whilst the dining room doesn’t come with lake views, it does come with some absolutely delicious food. We ate from the 3 course set menu, and it was so good. To start, I had the Muncaster Crab Croquettes with Mussels in a light curry sauce. This was so flavoursome and moreish – it was really light and tangy and the perfect way to start a meal.

My main course was one of my favourite, classic Lake District dishes to have. I had the Great North Pie Co 14 hour braised beef and ale pie with creamy mash, seasonal veg and gravy. This was perfection and after a day exploring was the perfect filling meal. This was full of flavour and had a real umami taste, and was cooked to perfection.

If you see on the menu that there’s the original Sharrow Bay Sticky Toffee Pudding on a menu, you have to choose it, right? What I loved about this sticky toffee pudding is that it wasn’t overly sweet. It was soft, sticky and absolutely delicious – the perfect way to end a meal for sure!

We also had breakfast here in the dining room, and it’s one of the best hotel buffet breakfasts I’ve had. In the middle is the full English options, and you need to make sure you get the mushrooms because they’re 10/10. Around the sides are continental options, and I was really pleased to see they had decaf coffee in the machines as well as caffeinated coffee!

I also wanted to mention just how brilliant the staff are here. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and incredibly helpful.

Final thoughts on The Ro

I loved our stay here. It felt relaxed, but luxury. It wasn’t pretentious, but everything was done well.

It’s also a brilliant location. It’s quiet, but in the centre of everything. It’s also really easy to catch the bus to explore even more of The Lakes, and you can leave your car parked at the hotel.

So, if you’re planning a trip to Bowness-on-Windermere and wondering where to stay, make sure to book The Ro Hotel! And if you’re planning a trip to Windermere, make sure to check out our Windermere guides here. And as Postcards From is based in The Lake District, we have lots of guides for you to check out here. Make sure to follow on instagram for daily microadventure tips, and you can always send a message for tailored Lake District recommendations.