I blogged yesterday about a fantastic dining experience that my Mum and I enjoyed at the Orangery Restaurant at Rockliffe Hall in the North East. You can read all about the fine food in that post but how was the accommodation itself?

Well, starting with the room, our room was a superior suite and it was huge! The beds were massive and comfy and the room was full of modern touches that nonetheless looked traditional and luxurious. There was dark wood everywhere, framed understated sketches of flowers, and textures and velvety materials draped across really comfortable chairs. There were unexpected features too such as a flat screen TV at the end of the bath!

The service was great, with the reception staff very welcoming and accommodating. I also tried out the complimentary shoe shine service and woke up in the morning to find my battered leather boots looking as good as new!

The hotel spa, meanwhile, is truly fantastic. As well as the usual facilities you’d expect from a hotel of this standard – a huge pool, sauna, steam room, and fitness room – there were other facilities like a massive thalassotherapy pool and a double foot spa.

The pool area is a lovely place to chill out in, with colourful stained glass windows and comfy loungers. The complimentary iced tea and fruit were both nice touches.

The hotel’s communal areas mix luxury with quirky touches. The two huge sculptures of dogs guarding the traditional fireplace in the lobby was representative of how the hotel combines tradition with memorable features that stick in your mind.

Now, on to the important bit: breakfast! For me, an overnight stay anywhere can hinge on breakfast and I’m happy to say the breakfast at Rockcliffe Hall did justice to the quality of the rooms and the rest of the hotel. The buffet table boasted fruit, cheese, smoked salmon, yoghurt, and pastries. The pain au raisins and croissants with butter and jam were a highlight for us.

We could also order a hot option. My Mum ordered bacon and sausage and I went for smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. My Mum loved the texture of the sausage – meaty and filling – and my dish was great; the eggs were creamy and the smoked salmon fresh and packed full of smoky flavour.

A special mention also needs to go to the mocha; chocolatey and rich, it was a great way to start the day.

Rockliffe Hall offers something for everyone. It has a reputable golf course, a fine spa, and can also be used as a luxury base for exploring the local cities and countryside. It isn’t the cheapest and one slight bugbear is that you can’t use the spa beyond the check-out time of 11am, which seems a shame given the price of staying overnight. That said, you can tell that proper money and time and care has been spent here bringing the hotel up to seriously luxurious standards, so it obviously isn’t going to be a budget option.

We also saw a wedding going on and I can imagine this being a spectacular place to tie the knot!

For a special stay in the North East I really don’t think you should look any further than Rockliffe Hall.