CONDE NAST TRAVELLER
November 2010

A year on from the floods that devastated it, Cumbria's Swan Hotel & Spa has re-opened following a four million pound refurbishment - and customers are pouring back.

"We were fortunate in that our insurance was in pretty good shape whereas other hotels in the area weren't as lucky," said the Swan's Craig Hadfield.

The 52-room luxury hotel in Newby Bridge had its bottom floor submerged under two feet of water when the region - and most famously the nearby town of Cockermouth - was hit by a week of rainfall last November.

"You could hear a gushing sound as the water whooshed up the elevator shaft and then there was this strange groaning noise and the water just rose up through the floorboards in the lobby," said General Manager Sarah Gibbs. "We had to evacuate everyone through the window."

The hotel closed for six months. Fortunately all the staff could be kept on. The Swan re-opened its doors in May this year following the extensive refurbishment.
Now brightly coloured tables and chairs brighten the Swan's riverside terrace like a rainbow after the downpour. And the flow of returning customers has been more than steady.

The lobby, restaurant and pub have had a complete overhaul. The previous cosy, countryside furnishings have been replaced by funky floral wallpaper and modern, sumptuous sofas. The River Room restaurant now serves British cuisine with Mediterranean influences. The indoor swimming pool has been restored and the gym is bulging with new exercise machinery. The rooms and suites have been redecorated in cool, blue shades with charming little box windows peeping out onto the gorgeous green hills on one side of the hotel and the gentle river on the other.
"It was soul destroying to walk through the deserted, ruined hotel after the floods," said owner Sharon Bardsley. "But the already very close management team pulled together in the most extreme of team building exercises and it has resulted in a wonderful new hotel, with a team that are closer than ever. We feel a tremendous pride."

Most guests come for the hiking. Gummers How, the most popular lookout point on to Lake Windermere, is an attractive two-hour round trip on foot. An old-fashioned steam train regularly stops behind the hotel and can shunt guests through the stunning Lake District scenery. Ferry trips across the lakes are also a must.
If staying for more than one night, visit Michelin's 2009 Pub Of The Year, the Punchbowl in Crosthwaite, where expectations of simple pub grub are exceeded by a very talented chef.

Double rooms from £99.