Inn on the Square opens as seventh hotel for Lake District Hotels
Lake District Hotels has opened its seventh hotel today, with the launch of the Scandinavian-inspired 34-bedroom Inn on the Square in Keswick.
Previously known as the Queen's hotel, the property was acquired from the Williams family by Charles and Kit Graves and their daughter Dani Hope in April 2014.
A competition was held to select a new name, with the winner, Emma Milward, winning a two-night dinner, bed and breakfast stay at the hotel.
The hotel closed for seven months to allow for an extensive refurbishment, which combines elements of Scandinavian design with a Cumbrian twist. Kit Graves and Dani Hope, who is the marketing director at the hotel, created the new look with the help of Preston interior design company, FWP.
Inn on the Square features a lounge bar and Brossen, which the Graves family believe is the first dedicated steakhouse in the Lake District. The menu includes ribs of beef to share, as well as individual oak smoked rib-eye steaks.
Newly appointed head chef Kyle Bowman has a background in butchery, while the general manager is Mark Webster.
The hotel offers two room types: the Herdwick, featuring one wall dedicated to the renowned Lake District breed of sheep; and the Town View rooms, which face on to Keswick town square.
Hope said the design of the hotel was intended to be different from any other property in the area. "We were inspired by many trips to visit our family in Copenhagen as well as the icons that sit on our doorstep, such as our favourite Herdy sheep. It is important that the hotel evokes a strong sense of place where our guests can unwind and soak up the atmosphere of the Lakes with a modern twist."
The Inn on the Square has joined six sister three- and four-AA-star properties: the Skiddaw and Kings Arms hotels, also in Keswick; Lodore Falls hotel, Derwentwater; Borrowdale hotel, Borrowdale; George hotel, Penrith; and Inn on the Lake, Ullswater.
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