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One of the nicest locations in the UK to take a hotel and spa break has to be the North East of England. If you enjoy the beautiful open countryside, heritage, and less crowded places, then the north of England is a pretty good bet.
Beyond your hotel, explore the stunning countryside, a family-friendly coastline, and experience Newcastle, Durham, Hadrian’s Wall, Alnwick Castle, and more. The North East of England is a great place for a weekend break, and we list the top 5 best spa hotels below.
1. Seaham Hall
With dramatic views of the North Sea, Seaham Hall is an immaculately restored Georgian country house, just three hours by train from London.
This luxurious hotel has just 21 chic suites. Each delivers king-size beds, luxurious crisp cotton sheets, sumptuous seating, fluffy bathrobes, exclusive toiletries, and views out to sea or across the beautiful gardens.
Seaham Hall is a blissful place for a relaxing mid-week or weekend escape, and its location makes it a perfect spot for long, uplifting walks along the cliffs and the new England Coast Path.
This award-winning hotel dates back to 1791, so the property is steeped in history and charm. Set within 37 acres of gardens and with a stunning clifftop location overlooking the sea, Seaham Hall is ideally located to allow guests to explore Durham, Newcastle, and Sunderland.
The hotel’s award-winning Serenity Spa is particularly special and covers a huge 44,000 ft² Accessed via a subterranean walkway, facilities include an indoor pool, outdoor hot tubs, Zen Garden complete with hydrotherapy pool, and much more. In recognition of the positive benefits of spa therapy for reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood, increasing self-esteem, and improving quality of life, this five-star hotel and spa has been building its portfolio of treatments and therapies aimed specifically at promoting calm, cohesion, and positivity.
Seaham Hall offers two excellent restaurants. The Dining Room celebrates the best of British ingredients, showcasing local suppliers and seasonal produce, which means the menu changes daily. The Ozone is a Pan-Asian Restaurant where guests can enjoy a tasty experience within the calming surroundings of the Serenity Spa.
2. Feversham Arms Hotel
Climbing up into the North Yorkshire moors, it’s an impressive approach to Helmsley, and the little market town, where the Feversham Arms Hotel is located, certainly doesn’t disappoint when you arrive. In fact, it’s as pretty as a picture, with its stone houses, welcoming pubs, and quirky, individual shops. Tucked just behind the church, the Feversham Arms is perfectly placed for guests to enjoy the town on foot while also offering impressive spa facilities, excellent food, and a charming little sun trap of a courtyard with its heated outdoor swimming pool.
The Feversham Arms looks at first glance to be every inch the traditional coaching inn it originally was, but there’s much more to it than that. Numerous extensions and renovations over the years have turned it into a fairly sizeable hotel, with interesting nooks and crannies, long corridors, and surprisingly modern areas with glass-paneled ceilings. The underground car park and valet parking service is an excellent and unexpected luxury.
Rooms and suites offer tea and coffee-making facilities and a stack of books and magazines to read. The bathrooms are lovely, with natural light pouring in from the skylights of some of them and little touches like a candle by the bath and the Temple Spa toiletries, robes, and slippers. One of the suites has a balcony, where you can enjoy a cup of tea in the late afternoon sunshine, overlooking the courtyard below.
Without a doubt, the Verbena spa is the jewel in the crown of this hotel, with Temple Spa products and lists of recommendations after your treatments. Treatments include massages, body scrubs and wraps, and a steam room. The heated outdoor pool area is also lovely and looks ever so inviting when the sun is shining.
Beyond Helmsley, there’s a wealth of beautiful and interesting places to explore, including the North Yorkshire moors, Whitby, and the stunning Fountains Abbey. The cities of York, Harrogate, and Leeds are also all within easy reach.
3. Headlam Hall Country Hotel & Spa
Headlam Hall Country Hotel & Spa is located in a picturesque hamlet in lower Teesdale, midway between the towns of Darlington and Barnard Castle in Durham, North East England. Headlam Hall is just 8 miles from Darlington train station on the East Coast Mainline, making it just 3 hours from London Kings Cross.
This independent hotel is run by the Robinson family, who has also farmed in Headlam for four generations. This idyllic rural retreat is set in beautiful gardens and is surrounded by a golf course and rolling farmland.
Staycation within the UK, and you will be reducing your carbon footprint and supporting local economies while experiencing the great British hospitality, which has come on leaps and bounds in the last 25 years.
Teesdale is an undiscovered gem. This picturesque dale follows the river Tees from its middle course near Piercebridge up to its source at Cauldron Snout. It sits snuggly between Swaledale to the south and Weardale to the north.
Headlam Hall lies at the lower end of Teesdale amidst rolling countryside and is the perfect base for a staycation this summer. On-site at Headlam, there is much to do for the active, and its tranquil setting is ideal for those seeking relaxation.
The four acres of walled gardens provide exactly that with colorful herbaceous borders, smart lawns, flowing waterways, and little treats such as the Rose Garden and the impressive kitchen garden. Beyond the garden lies our own 9 hole golf course, which is set over mature pastureland.
The spa at Headlam is a haven of tranquillity and relaxation. Enjoy a dip in the 15m pool, the outdoor hot tub, and sun terrace, or work up a sweat in the fully equipped gym. There are also 5 treatment rooms to enjoy a range of spa therapies and beauty treatments, and the brasserie café is great for a relaxed drink or bite to eat with fabulous views over the golf course and an outdoor seating area for sunny days.
The quiet lanes around Headlam and in Teesdale are perfect for cyclists, and there are some excellent routes to choose from, including gentle tours with coffee shops and pubs on route or more demanding climbs for the serious cyclist.
4. Rudding Park
Rudding Park is a privately owned luxury hotel, with 90 bedrooms and suites, an excellent spa, an award-winning restaurant, a kitchen garden, private cinema, and an excellent 18-hole golf course that runs through the 19th-century parkland. All of this is set in 300 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland. Rudding Park is the most beautiful hotel in Harrogate.
Modern rooms at Rudding Park overlook the gardens or the chapel, each featuring a flat-screen TV. Some rooms also boast a balcony or private terrace.
The Spa at Rudding Park offers a gym, an indoor swimming pool, a juniper log sauna, and a bucket shower. Guests can upgrade to access the Roof Top Spa and Garden, which offers an extensive range of thermotherapy and hydrotherapy experiences with views over the mature gardens.
5. Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa
Built-in 1818, the country house of Doxford Hall Hotel and Spa is the epitome of Georgian splendor and has been lovingly restored over the years. Old stone fireplaces, classic leather armchairs, elegant sitting rooms, grandfather clocks make Doxford Hall Hotel and Spa into something extraordinary. Conveniently accessible from the A1 and as Northumberland’s only four AA red star awarded hotel, in recent years, it’s become very much a destination in its own right.
36 handsomely appointed bedrooms, elegant lounges, and a fabulous spa, swimming pool, and gym make Doxford the ideal place to unwind after exploring the delights of Northumbria. Add to this the award-winning dining in our George Runciman restaurant, the yew maze, and acres of landscaped gardens to explore, and you can expect a relaxing and memorable stay.
Luxurious bedrooms feature beautifully crafted furniture and bespoke bathrooms, and with six dog-friendly bedrooms, there’s no need to leave anyone behind.
Dip in the pool, soak in a bubbling spa bath, drift off in the blissful heat of the sauna… The Aqueous Spa is a haven to escape the stresses and strains of modern life and indulge in a little ‘me-time’.
As well as the large heated swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a sauna, and a steam room, you can treat yourself to a range of personalized spa experiences. Soothing music and comfortable seating make it the ideal area to unwind in between treatments or chill out after a workout.
Therapeutic and beauty treatments use products from the holistic, vegan spa brand Ytsara. From one-off treatments to full or half-day pampering to spa breaks, the treatments here will leave you feeling radiant and restored.
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