The Samling HOTEL
Updated On 24 October 2025
The Samling Hotel – Wedding Venue Guide
Everything you need to know about planning a wedding or elopement At The Samling Hotel
This is a guide for couples who are considering a wedding at The Samling Hotel near Windermere. Having been lucky enough to photograph there for Mike and Alison’s Wedding I thought I would give you my thoughts and advice for making the most of this luxury Lake District wedding venue.
If you are a bride or groom who is potentially considering this venue for your marriage, I hope this guide will be of some help, but please reach out if you have questions.
About The Samling Hotel
One of the more exclusive Lake District Wedding Venues The Samling is an award-winning luxury hotel & fine dining restaurant that is favoured by couples wanting that VIP experience. Refurbished a few years ago to a beautiful standard, this former 18th-century residence offers couples a romantic and luxurious wedding and really is perfect for smaller, more intimate weddings like Mike & Alison’s.
Venue location
Sitting in its own sixty-seven-acre estate, with blossom-filled gardens, dappled forests and relaxing formal gardens, The Samling overlooks Lake Windermere. Lying between the small picturesque towns of Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside, its location gives you great access to all the Lake District National Park. The venue itself lies up a private road off the A591 about 18 miles from the M6 junction 36. The hotel lies north of Windermere train station, which you can access using a connection service from Oxenholme near Kendal with a final short taxi trip to the hotel.
Venue Style
The venue is a historic gabled Georgian residence. The contemporary glass-walled restaurant extension, however, gives it a modern and sophisticated feel. Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the room with light. They reveal the stunning view that this venue offers. Surrounded by a stone terrace overlooking Lake Windermere, it provides the perfect social space for a wedding. The interior finish of The Samling Hotel is also exquisite. The decor reflects the lakeside location, with the soothing dove greys, blues and greens of nature. Each area of the hotel has been individually and carefully designed. This individual design carries through to each of the suites, which are named after a unique Lake District location.
Venue Capacity
With a venue accommodation capacity of 24 guests and 30 seated dining guests, The Samling Hotel really is one of The Lake District’s smaller and more intimate wedding venues. However, what it lacks in capacity it more than makes up for in an exclusive experience. It is perfect for couples wanting a micro or small and intimate wedding. Equally, it provides the perfect location for those couples eloping in the Lake District at one of many scenic locations, and perhaps wanting a luxury hotel to spend the night.
Venue Accommodation
The Samling Hotel has 12 bedrooms in total in a combination of suites, cottages and rooms, which together accommodate up to 24 overnight guests. They individually designed each of the accommodation options to the highest standards and provide a luxury home away from home experience.
Venue Contact Details
VIP Experience
Famous for its impeccable service and hospitality, having your wedding at The Samling feels like a VIP experience. It offers a VIP experience that few venues in the area can match. This makes The Samling special. If you’re looking for a memorable and exclusive wedding day, this venue could be just right for you.
Exclusive Use Venue
Exclusive use of the hotel comes as standard when booking a wedding. Your booking includes the 12 suites in the principal residence and cottages. Giving you overnight use of the hotel for your friends and family, and the undivided attention of the hotel team.
A Memorable Dining Experience
The Samling’s Restaurant and Wine Cellar are award-winning and stand out for offering guests a fine dining experience. From a former Michelin star award to the 2019 Notable Wine List Award from AA. So it is perhaps no surprise that in the Boutique Hotel Awards the venue once won ‘Best Dining Hotel in the World’. The chef, Sommelier and team can cater for all tastes and will help you compose your wedding breakfast. You and your guests will recieve a truly memorable dining experience.
Key Venue Locations
Any wedding at this venue will really centre around the contemporary glass-walled restaurant, which will form the primary location for much of your wedding. Below though I’ll cover the key locations at The Samling Hotel in Windermere.
The Restuarant
This spectacular addition to the original 18th-century former residence is a contemporary and modern-feeling space with its vast floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Overlooking Lake Windermere in one direction and the Coniston Old Man mountain range in the other, I guarantee you a truly panoramic backdrop for your wedding day. As the venue is small, this is the primary location for much of your wedding day.
The Reverie & Lounges
When the restaurant area rearranges around the different aspects of your day, The Riverie and lounge areas at The Samling (named after a Wordsworth poem) can be a great option for your drinks reception or breakout.
The Gardens & Grounds
Weather permitting, an outdoor drinks reception at The Samling is a wonderful way to let your guests enjoy the spectacular grounds and views this venue offers. There is plenty of space for this on-site. From the terrace just outside the restaurant to the quaint decked alfresco dining area called The Gathering. Alternatively, just let your guests enjoy the many gardens and terraces the venue offers with a glass in hand wherever they may gather. The grounds are simply stunning and range from formal gardens such as “The Kitchen Garden” and “Ornamental Garden” to woodlands, and fell side trails, all of which are wonderful backdrops for your wedding day photography and film.
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Venue Portfolio
Planning Your Wedding At The Samling
The Samling offers a more limited selection of spaces for your day compared to other wedding venues in the Lake District and Cumbria, with the restaurant being your primary space for everything. However, its exclusive dining experience is a key reason to choose it. Below are some common FAQs about planning a wedding here. For photography and videography questions, please scroll down. As a Lake District wedding photographer and videographer, I’ve captured many weddings at this beautiful venue, which provides countless stunning backdrops year-round for your photos and films, but if you have any specific questions, please reach out to me.
General Planning FAQs
Photo & Film FAQs
Real Wedding Examples To help you visualise Your Day at The Samling
A Classic Summer Wedding – Making the most of the Garden & Grounds
Your wedding day at The Samling begins with morning preparations in one of the hotel’s charming cottages or suites, setting a relaxed and intimate tone. The ceremony takes place at the elegant restaurant, followed by a delightful drinks reception and speeches on the terrace, surrounded by stunning views. Once the restaurant changes from ceremony to dining, your guests will experience a truly 5-star wedding breakfast. As the evening unfolds, perhaps some entertainment and additional speeches on the terrace before the celebration continues in the restaurant, with a chill-out area in The Reverie or lounges.
A Winter Wedding – A relaxed experience with Food & Drinks at the centre of your day
Your wedding day at The Samling begins with morning preparations in one of the hotel’s cosy cottages or suites. Guests attend the ceremony in the restaurant, then enjoy a drinks reception and entertainment in The Reverie and lounges while the staff transforms the restaurant for the 5-star wedding dining experience. Guests will then enjoy a sumptuous dinner, complete with meaningful speeches. The celebration shifts to a chilled, quieter reception as you and your guests relax in The Reverie and lounges. Your wedding experience concludes with a delightful morning breakfast before you and your guests depart.
Wedding Photography & Films at The Samling
As a Lake District Wedding Photographer & Videographer, I’ve documented several weddings at this stunning venue. This wonderful wedding venue is a straightforward decision as you are absolutely spoilt for choice for backdrops for your wedding photographs or film with opportunities around every corner. This venue guarantees stunning settings all year round regardless of the season.
Real Weddings
In The Lakes
An Intimate Wedding at The Samling Hotel, Windermere | Mike & Alison
MEET JONO
Jono Symonds is a Lake District Wedding Photographer & Videographer who describes himself as a visual storyteller. His goal is to create wedding imagery and film that stands the test of time and that is full of raw emotion and intimacy. He documents engagements, weddings and elopements, within The Lake District, Cumbria, while also journeying across the UK and the globe for destination weddings.
If you feel The Samling Hotel might not be the perfect wedding venue for you, check out our Lake District Wedding Venue Guide for a full range of wedding venues in the surrounding area.