Charlotte’s Stay at Seaham Hall
25th October 2018
After a three-hour drive through the windy, hillside roads of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, the monumental Georgian building was finally in sight; the grandiose five-star Seaham Hall. Seated upon the clifftops of Seaham, County Durham, Seaham Hall have earned their position as the finest five-star hotel in the North East.
As we walked through the doorway which at least doubled my height, our luggage was swiftly taken off our hands by the incredibly friendly staff. We were then checked in before escorted to our room. After a brief lesson on how to operate the lights, we were left to our own devices.
We quickly changed into our fluffy robes and slippers before heading down to the award-winning Serenity Spa for an hour-long treatment each. It was difficult getting changed quickly with so many beautiful elements in our suite to explore. The large, ceiling high, Georgian windows allowed the natural bright light to flood in and illuminate our room. I opened the glass door separating each window to allow the gentle sea breeze in while I examined the our private and perfectly manicured garden. The spacious bathroom contained two sinks, a powerful shower and my favourite element of the room; a free-standing, roll top bath. After exploring our suite and getting changed into our swim suits, we set off towards the Serenity Spa.
The walkway to the spa took my breath away – a tunnel harbouring a wooden path built over a manmade stream ran underground, connecting the hotel to the spa. The soft glow from the purple spotlights and the gentle sound of water flowing set the mood for the Serenity Spa at the end of the tunnel. This was the perfect opportunity for some unashamed selfies.
After filling out our health questionnaire, we were greeted by two friendly massage therapists who would be taking care of us for the afternoon. I felt excited to experience my first ever treatment.
My full body massage felt heavenly. My massage therapist knew it was my first massage treatment and changed the pressure to soft, making me feel completely tranquil and rejuvenated. As I booked the full body massage, my treatment consisted of a massage from my neck, down my back and all the way to my feet. I felt like a brand-new person leaving the treatment room. I made sure that I brought home some Calming Mist from the Temple Spa range!
After our treatments, we spent the rest of the early afternoon in the spa, particularly in the hydrotherapy pool outside. Despite the beautiful weather we had driven up in, the weather suddenly changed to rain. This didn’t stop anybody from experiencing the feeling of being surrounded in the steam evaporating from the hydrotherapy pool while the rain fell all around them – completely captivating. I didn’t hold myself back from experiencing what else the Serenity Spa had to offer and floated from each facility from the salt sauna to the Indian steam room and ice fountain!
If you’re anything like me, a full body massage will leave you longing for food. It was hard to choose between, ‘The Ozone,’ Thai dining or the 2 AA Rosette, ‘The Dining Room.’ However, after hearing about the quality of the single Plantation Madirofolo Chocolate on their dessert menu; I quickly made up my mind. The Dining Room catered absolute excellence with each bite of my main course of Masham Lamb exploding with flavour. I also had never tasted anything more intricately tasting than my side order of roasted Chervil Butter Carrots to compliment my lamb.
The gentle knock on our door at 9am could only mean one thing; breakfast in bed. It was another beautifully cooked dining experience from the comfort of our room. The full English breakfast my mother delved into consisted of crispy cured bacon, juicy pork sausages with a hint of sweet chilli – all locally sourced and organic to promise perfection within every bite. I on the other hand acquainted myself with the pancakes, accompanied with a crushed berry dip. The contrasting flavours from the light, fluffy pancake with the sweet, flavourful fruit dip formed together to produce a taste so perfect, I craved a second portion. After this perfect wake up call, it was sadly time to leave. Without a doubt, I shall be visiting again soon!