After being named the 24th best restaurant in the UK in August, we are delighted to now have been named in UK’s Top 50 Boutique Hotels!

The Cottage in the Wood was ranked 39th in the inaugural list of some of the best places to stay, supported by Taylors of Harrogate, and compiled using votes from more than 100 industry experts.

Co-owners Kath and Liam Berney discovered their exact position on the list at a special ceremony held at The Star Inn The City, York, on November 25,  where they joined fellow top hoteliers from a wide array of establishments, ranging from country estates to modern townhouses, along with restaurant with room style retreats.

The criteria for being recognised as a ‘boutique’ operator included having between 5 – 50 rooms and a unique food and drink offering.

Liam Berney said:  “To us ‘boutique’ means creating a unique and personalised experience for guests and we have worked really hard to create our foodie escape – from our Michelin-starred food to our cosy rooms and exceptional service – all set against the stunning natural landscape of England’s only true mountain forest. It’s an experience that is hard to find, so we are delighted to have been recognised for that.”

The Cottage in the Wood provides guests with a special ‘restaurant with rooms’ experience, combining a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in a fully restored 17th-century coaching inn perched 1,000 ft within Whinlatter Forest.

It was transformed by Kath and Liam into one of Cumbria’s leading ‘Restaurants with Rooms’ from 2002. Kath and Liam were joined by Chef Director Ben Wilkinson and his partner Restaurant Director Monika Zurwaska in 2017 and the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in the Autumn of 2019.

This latest high-profile announcement as one of the UK’s top 50 boutique hotels comes after the gourmet hideaway was named as 24th best restaurant in the UK as part of the National Restaurant Awards in August.