In an exciting development for its 95th anniversary, we have seen our YHA Windermere featured on the popular BBC One series, Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr.
The programme, which aired on Thursday 10th April at 8pm on BBC One, saw 10 budding interior designers transform 10 rooms at YHA Windermere in the Lake District.
The youth hostel episode kicked off the sixth series of the popular programme which attracts more than one million viewers across BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The opportunity has allowed us to showcase our youth hostels to a new generation of guests, dispelling age-old myths and highlighting the modern comforts and unique experiences they offer.
"Getting involved with Interior Design Masters was an opportunity for us to put YHA in the spotlight in its 95th anniversary year," said James Blake, our Chief Executive.
"We are incredibly proud that YHA Windermere has been featured on Interior Design Masters. The opportunity has allowed us to reach new audiences and show that our hostels offer more than just a place to stay – they provide unique and memorable experiences."
Since 1930, we have operated a unique network of hostels throughout England and Wales, open to all and for the benefit of everybody, which connect people to each other, to nature and the outdoors, to culture and to heritage. Everyone who stays with YHA contributes to the our success and ability to provide everyone with opportunities for adventure, for the first time and a lifetime.
The 90-year-old Windermere youth hostel – one of the oldest in our network – became the first property to be featured in the series, where 10 budding interior designers were tasked with transforming a space.
During the episode, the contestants take over YHA Windermere and its grounds, which features alternative glamping accommodation including vintage Airstreams, Landpods, and bell tents, all set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Windermere.
Our brief to the Interior Design Masters' contestants was 'to create a space inspired by the stunning setting while considering the practicalities of the many different types of guests, from school children, individuals, families, and groups.' Contestants brought the outside in, using natural materials from the hostel's grounds to create artwork, including pictures, slate bookends and fabric stencils.
Filming took place in June last year and YHA Windermere has kept a number of the contestants' design features in the rooms. "There is evidence throughout the hostel that Interior Design Masters was here", said Rhys Morris, YHA Windermere Hostel Manager. "A lot of the contestants' soft furnishings and artwork have since been repurposed in the social spaces throughout the hostel and are proving a real talking point amongst guests. We were all sworn to secrecy, so it has made it really tricky to keep under our hats."
YHA Windermere is a unique 1920s concrete building situated within four acres of countryside overlooking Lake Windermere, England's largest lake. The bedroom windows open onto views of the nearby woodlands and panoramic views over the mountainous Claife Heights, Coniston Fells, and the Langdale Pikes. Around 15,000 people stay at YHA Windermere each year. The hostel welcomes and attracts all ages, and is a popular place to stay for walkers, international visitors, families, friends and groups of children, many of whom experience their first time away from home on a school trip at YHA Windermere.
The hostel features a communal kitchen, licensed bar and living areas for people to socialise. In keeping with our ethos of connecting people with nature, the contestants were tasked with transforming the twin room into an enchanting and memorable bedroom that will inspire guests of all ages, particularly young people, to begin or continue their love for the great outdoors.
YHA Windermere has 16 bedrooms, including private en-suite rooms. Stays at the hostel cost from just £18.00 per night in a shared room or from £45.00 per night in a private room. Camping and cabins accommodation can be booked for just £12.00 per night.
YHA Windermere is one of 18 youth hostels in the Lake District National Park operated by YHA. Why not book a stay at YHA Windermere or any YHA hostel in England and Wales?
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