Rossendale Holiday Cottages & Spa

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what? I’ve stayed in a lot of places around Lancashire, but Rossendale Holiday Cottages & Spa genuinely surprised me. It’s tucked away on Dean Lane in Water – and I mean properly tucked away, so don’t rely on your satnav completely for the final bit. The approach winds through some lovely Pennine countryside, which honestly sets the mood before you even arrive. When you first pull up, it doesn’t scream “boutique hotel” at you – it feels more like you’re visiting someone’s beautifully restored country property, which I suppose is exactly the point.

The cottages themselves are actually individual units, not your typical hotel rooms, and that makes all the difference. Mine had this gorgeous exposed stone work and beams that felt authentic rather than styled – you can tell they’ve restored these buildings with real care rather than just throwing money at them. The spa bit isn’t some massive corporate wellness center either; it’s intimate and feels genuinely relaxing. I spent a good hour in there on a drizzly Tuesday afternoon and barely saw another soul, which was perfect. The treatment rooms have this lovely view out over the Rossendale Valley, and honestly, watching the mist roll across those hills while getting a massage was pretty special. They’ve got this heated outdoor pool too – I was skeptical at first (this is Lancashire, after all), but it’s surprisingly sheltered and the water temperature was spot on even in October.

What really won me over though was how the staff actually know the area. When I mentioned wanting to do some walking, they didn’t just hand me a generic leaflet – they gave me proper local recommendations, including this brilliant circular route that starts practically from the hotel and takes you up through Weir and back via some paths I’d never have found otherwise. The breakfast was properly good too, with ingredients sourced locally rather than just saying they are – you can taste the difference in the eggs and bacon. Parking’s easy enough with dedicated spaces for each cottage, and check-in was refreshingly straightforward without lots of corporate nonsense. The only slight niggle I’d mention is that the WiFi can be a bit patchy in some of the cottages – seems to depend which one you get – but honestly, that might be a blessing in disguise if you’re trying to properly switch off. The location puts you close enough to places like Helmshore and Haslingden if you want proper pubs and shops, but far enough away that you feel like you’re genuinely in the countryside. It’s the sort of place that gets the balance right between being polished and feeling real – no mean feat these days.