A FAMILY-RUN Lake District hotel has taken inspiration for a major refurbishment from its stunning views.

The Embleton Spa Hotel, near Cockermouth, in Cumbria, completed the revamp of its bar and restaurant ahead of its reopening to guests last month, following the easing of the Government’s lockdown restrictions.

The new decor and furnishings for the hotel were chosen to reflect the hotel’s location, which overlooks the Lakeland fells.

Ali and Jo Dixon brought in interior specialists Ghyll House Upholstery to work on the project.

Ali said: “We decided to take the opportunity to refresh the bar and restaurant while we were closed during lockdown.

“Ghyll House came highly recommended and they did a superb job, working with us on the choice of fabrics and furnishings to achieve the country house look and feel we wanted to achieve.

“It has been a very strange time for the hospitality industry over the past 12 months and it’s been wonderful to be able to welcome guests through the doors once again.”

Ghyll House Upholstery, which is based at Mealsgate, near Cockermouth, has extensive experience in the hospitality sector, working with a range of hotel, leisure and other businesses to create quality interiors for clients.

The team created new banquette seating for the bar at Embleton Spa Hotel, as well as reupholstering the seating which was already in place. They also supplied new upholstered chairs, as well as curtains and roman blinds.

Fine wool fabric from the National Trust collection by Moon was used to reupholster the chairs and banquette seating, with material from the same collection used for the soft furnishings.

Joe McAlpine, general manager at Ghyll House Upholstery, said: “We worked closely with Ali and Jo throughout the project to ensure they got the right result.

“The hotel is in a fantastic location and the stylish, comfortable interiors reflect the setting. We were pleased we could help.”

Originally an 18th century Lakeland farmhouse and barn, the 12-bedroom hotel includes five bedrooms and seven hotel-apartments.

Guests dining in the restaurant can enjoy views towards Ling Fell, Sale Fell and Skiddaw, and seasonally inspired modern and traditional dishes created by head chef Keiran Heavey.

The hotel also boasts a 14-metre swimming pool, steam room and fully equipped gym.

Along with the bar and restaurant, the hotel’s bedrooms were also redecorated during lockdown, and new bathrooms installed in two of the rooms.

Ali and Jo bought the business and moved to the Lake District seven years ago for a change in lifestyle.

Ali had previously travelled the world with his job in IT and the couple decided to make the move so they could raise their family in the countryside.

“I was brought up in the North East and used to come to the Lake District most weekends as a child,” said Ali. “I always hoped I’d be able to move here some day and we love bringing up our three children here.

“We are all about relaxed, informal hospitality at the hotel and our aim is for our guests to feel as if it’s a home away from home.”