Rothay Manor Hotel

What Rothay Manor Hotel does

Rothay Manor Hotel is a privately owned boutique country house hotel operating from a Grade II listed Regency building on Borrans Road in Ambleside, Cumbria, in the heart of the English Lake District. Founded as a residence in 1823, converted to a guest house in 1936, and acquired in its current form by husband-and-wife owners Jamie and Jenna Shail in 2016, the property now offers 23 individually styled bedrooms and suites split between the historic main house and a contemporary Pavilion building, alongside an on-site fine-dining restaurant called Rowan. The hotel holds 4 AA Red Stars, is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and has earned a Condé Nast Johansens Award (2022) and the Cumbria Tourism Awards Small Hotel of the Year (2023); Rowan holds 3 AA Rosettes and a Michelin Plate and is led by Michelin-starred chef Simon Ulph.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with no third-party OTA distribution referenced, generating revenue from per-night room rates (Classic through Pavilion Suite categories, including seasonal and festive multi-night packages such as 'Taste of Rothay Manor', Christmas breaks from £1,095 per person, and New Year breaks from £1,020 per person), restaurant covers (à la carte, tasting menus, afternoon tea at £32 per person, and Sunday lunch open to non-residents), private dining and exclusive-use hotel buyouts for up to 30 guests, gift vouchers, and ancillary supplements including a £25 per dog per night pet fee across eight dog-friendly rooms. Pricing is seasonal with non-refundable deposits for group bookings and festive stays, and the property supports a small team of approximately 18 employees across rooms, F&B, and front-of-house operations.

Customer acquisition runs through the property's own website (integrated with the Alacer booking engine for stays and Alacer Cloud for restaurant reservations), email newsletter, organic social, SEO-optimised blog content covering Lake District walking guides and local activities, and a curated network of six outdoor activity partners. The customer base is a horizontal mix of affluent leisure travellers, food and culinary enthusiasts, outdoor and adventure travellers, pet-owning holidaymakers, and special-occasion and event bookers — a deliberately diversified segmentation strategy consistent with the asset's 23-room capacity cap.

Name

Rothay Manor Hotel

Legal name

Rothay Manor Hotel & Fine Dining

Website

https://rothaymanor.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1823

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rothay Manor Hotel is a privately owned, 23-bedroom Grade II listed boutique hotel and fine-dining destination in Ambleside, Lake District, operating direct-to-consumer under owners Jamie and Jenna Shail since 2016 and serving affluent leisure travellers, food enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, and pet-owning holidaymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Hotel Hospitality

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Private House Hotels & Small Luxury Inns (THAGADAL)

Keywords

• Boutique hotel
• Country house accommodation
• Fine dining restaurant
• Luxury lodging
• Lake District hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Ambleside

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hotel Room Revenue: Overnight accommodation revenue from 23 individually styled bedrooms and suites, including Classic, Classic Plus, Superior, Superior Plus, Garden Suites, and Pavilion Suites. Breakfast is included in overnight stay bookings. Revenue is generated on a per-night room rate basis with seasonal pricing variations.
2. Restaurant Dining Revenue: Rowan restaurant generates revenue from à la carte dining, tasting menus, house menus, afternoon tea (£32 per person), and Sunday lunch. Open to both hotel guests and non-resident diners, covering lunch and dinner service daily.
3. Packages and Special Offers: Bundled stay-and-dine packages such as 'Taste of Rothay Manor' (two-night stay with tasting menu and à la carte dinner, bottle of fizz, and breakfast) and seasonal promotions create incremental revenue with higher perceived value.
4. Dog Supplement Revenue: Dog-friendly rooms charge £25 per dog per night (capped after 3 nights), generating incremental revenue from pet-owning guests staying in designated dog-friendly rooms.
5. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers sold for hotel stays, dining experiences, and special occasions, driving pre-revenue and attracting new customers.
6. Festive and Seasonal Packages: Special Christmas (24th–27th December, from £1,095 per person) and New Year (30th December–2nd January, from £1,020 per person) multi-night break packages combining accommodation, dining, and exclusive events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rothay Manor Hotel operates as a Grade II listed country house boutique hotel in the heart of the English Lake District, offering 23 individually styled bedrooms and suites alongside an award-winning restaurant. The property combines intimate accommodation, refined dining, and personalized hospitality services for leisure travelers seeking a premium countryside escape.

Product overview

Rothay Manor Hotel is a boutique country house hotel offering 23 individually styled bedrooms and suites alongside award-winning dining at Rowan Restaurant. The accommodation portfolio spans the main Regency house and contemporary Pavilion building, featuring room categories from Classic through to Luxury Suites and Pavilion Suites with private hot tubs. Dining options include the signature Rowan Restaurant with à la carte, tasting, and house menus, complemented by afternoon tea, Sunday lunch, and seasonal festive offerings. Additional services encompass private dining, exclusive-use hotel bookings, gift vouchers, and dog-friendly stays.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel Accommodation
• Rowan Restaurant Fine Dining
• Afternoon Tea
• Sunday Lunch
• Taste of Rothay Manor Package
• Private Dining
• Exclusive Use of the Property
• Gift Vouchers
• Christmas and New Year Breaks
• Dog-Friendly Stays

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 AA Red Stars — among the highest ratings awarded by the AA in the UK hospitality industry
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ambleside AdventuresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmbleside Adventures provides private guided walks and hikes around the Lake District, recommended by Rothay Manor as an activity partner for guests seeking guided hiking experiences. Services include group and private guided walks covering classic routes such as Fairfield horseshoe and Striding Edge.
• KankkuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKankku offers off-road 4x4 driving experiences in the Lake District near Windermere and Ambleside. Recommended for guests seeking unusual outdoor activities off the beaten track. Open to beginners and experienced off-road drivers.
• Graythwaite AdventureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraythwaite Adventure operates within the 5,000-acre Graythwaite Estate offering private outdoor experiences including 4x4 off-road driving, clay pigeon shooting, archery, axe throwing, bushcraft, and seasonal RIB tours on Lake Windermere. All experiences are completely private.
• Swim The LakesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwim The Lakes provides wild swimming courses and guided adventure swims throughout the Lake District year-round. Recommended as a safe way for guests to experience cold-water swimming with stunning scenery.
• E-Bike SafarisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerE-Bike Safaris delivers comfortable e-bikes directly to Rothay Manor Hotel with pre-planned scenic routes through the Langdales. Bikes include panniers for shopping, clothing, and packed lunches, with phone mounts for navigation.
• Mountain Goat ToursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMountain Goat Tours, established in 1972, offers private and group tours of the Lake District. Guests are collected from Rothay Manor Hotel for tours ranging from half-day 'Beatrix Potter' tours to full-day 'Ten Lakes Spectacular'.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel: Heritage country house hotel on the shores of Windermere offering 2 AA Rosette dining and individually styled rooms; comparable small luxury property in the same destination market as Rothay Manor.
• Another Place, The Lake: Contemporary lakeside boutique hotel on Ullswater with restaurant and activity-led positioning (watersports, wild swimming). Comparable in size, activity integration, and Lake District luxury target market.
• Linthwaite House Hotel: Boutique country house hotel overlooking Windermere with award-winning dining and individually styled rooms. Closest geographical and product comparability to Rothay Manor within the Lake District luxury segment.
• The Samling Hotel: Small luxury Relais & Châteaux hotel above Windermere offering fine dining and suites. Highly comparable as a small luxury Lake District property with strong culinary positioning and similar premium pricing.
• Gravetye Manor: Elizabethan country house hotel in West Sussex with Michelin-starred dining and historic grounds. Direct comparable as a heritage country house luxury hotel with independent ownership and dining-led reputation.
• Gilpin Hotel & Lake House: Family-owned luxury boutique hotel and separate Lake House with Michelin-starred dining near Windermere, Lake District. Directly comparable as a high-end Lake District country-house property with award-winning restaurant and similar pricing tier.
• Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa: Larger Lake District hotel on Derwentwater with spa, AA Rosette dining, and family-friendly rooms. Adjacent peer operating in the same destination with similar four-star-plus rating and dining focus.
• Storrs Hall Hotel: Georgian lakeside manor hotel on Windermere with 30 bedrooms, fine dining, and heritage setting. Closely comparable as a heritage Lake District country house hotel in the same premium leisure segment.
• Forest Side Hotel: Small Lake District boutique hotel near Grasmere with AA Rosette dining and individually styled rooms; comparable size, geography, and country-house product offering to Rothay Manor.

Broad incumbents

• Lime Wood Hotel: Country house hotel in the New Forest with Herne restaurant and award-winning spa. Comparable as a UK boutique luxury country house with strong culinary reputation, though larger and in a different region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rothay-manor-hotel

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rothay Manor Hotel