Design Flourish

Hotel History

The house itself is an architectural bagatelle, begun in 1840 and remodelled in 1900. The half-timbering epitomises mock-Tudor, yet the verandas and French windows give it a colonial air. Built originally as a Hunting and Fishing Lodge, the hotel has a rich history; from the turn of the twentieth century until World War II, it was the only barium spa resort outside of Germany.The handwriting in our historical Visitors Book doesn’t disappoint, either.  Back in 1912 Germany's Wilhelm II left his homeland and made the long journey to a remote corner of mid-Wales. His destination was the Lake Country House and his mission was simply to relax; to take to the legendary Barium Spa Waters, and to sample the much-fabled Welsh hospitality.

With the war clouds starting to gather over Europe, the Kaiser had plenty to contemplate, but he could not have chosen a better place to get away from it all. Post-war austerity and the exclusion of spa treatments from the National Health Service meant that the hotel would no longer be able to rely on its health-giving virtues; instead having to focus on the traditional country house hospitality and the country pursuits that had made it such a success over the first fifty years of its life.

Current owners, Pierre and Jan Mifsud are continuing this fine tradition; ensuring that The Lake's status as a country house of distinction is not only upheld, but improved upon.