Travel Reports
Seaham Hall
I wonder what poet Lord Byron would make of modern day Seaham Hall. The magnificent Country Durham coastal mansion was where he married Annabella Milbanke in 1815. The exterior of the elegant white house, set in 37 acres of well-tended gardens and impressive sandstone terraces, probably hasn’t changed much since his day. Nor, perhaps, has the elegant interior with its spacious lobby and drawing rooms. But even Byron’s fertile mind could not have imagined the recent transformation into what is now The Seaham Hall Hotel and Serenity Spa, an oasis of tranquillity; the perfect antidote to stressed out modern life.
The informality of the hotel starts at check in. Geordie John, an affable Seaham Hall ambassador, immediately put us at ease and gave us a tour of the hotel and its grounds. Every room is individually designed with careful attention to detail including state-of-the-art ambient lighting systems and a sound library to cater for all tastes. The large bathrooms are stylish and modern with some rather nice upmarket toiletries. The suites range in price from ‘tops’ through ‘romantic’, ‘decadent’, ‘sexy’, ‘escapist’ and ‘cool’. Our ‘indulgent’ suite had the added bonus of a magnificent view over the County Durham coastline. If your idea of a country hotel break is stuffy formality then Seaham Hall is not for you. The atmosphere here is relaxing and comfortable, so leave your jacket and tie at home
Following in his Lordships footsteps weddings and receptions are very much part of their core business. Fully licensed, with a local registrar on tap, the beautifully decorated function rooms leading onto those famous terraces cater to weddings of every style and size. This is one of the most popular venues in the Newcastle area for weddings and Civil Partnership ceremonies have now joined the club; so best to book early if you are thinking of getting hitched some time in the future.
The kitchen at Seaham Hall is under the direction of Head Chef, Steve Smith, who sets a high standard of excellence, whether he is creating menus for wedding guests or in the hotel’s White Room restaurant. With dishes as tempting and as perfect as my Cumbrian fellbread lamb with ratatouille, braised tongue, sweetbread and rosemary jus, Chef Smith deserves his clutch of awards. My normally caring and sharing partner would not let my fork near his pan fried foie gras, redesigned pear tatin and sherry vinegar. And as an extra special treat room rates include a £40 per head allocation towards dinner.
The hotel, however superb, cannot prepare you for what the Sunday Times described as Best Spa for Style. As heavy electric doors swing open from the hotel to a magical underground Zen inspired pathway, you know you are about to enter a world where stress and anxiety will soon be banished. A dark wood, subtly lit boardwalk suspended over a pebble stream passes a benign Buddha (stop to pay respects) and leads to a life size elephant dominating the spa’s atrium. Inspired by Feng Shiu and created by Jocelyn Maxfield, one of the owners, this place has everything you expect of a super luxury world-class spa resort.
The 20-metre keyhole shaped pool with water massage stations leads to steam rooms, saunas and plunge pools in the thermal bath area. Check out the Jacuzzi, which resembles an angry giant size witches cauldron on full throttle. On the other side of the pool, whatever the weather, step outside through the massive glass doors and leap into the delicious warmth of the steaming hot tubs. Back inside try a bit of twosome mud slinging in the Rasul private chamber where both of you, once you’ve showered off that skin-reviving mud, get to enjoy the sensation of a wellbeing massage. Fitness fanatics will love the state of the art gym overlooking the pool and blessed with views across the garden and coast. The fanaticism for detail and Jocelyn’s brilliant style sense abound. Every area boasts a modern art feature from the elegant quartz crystal sculpture in the sauna to the magnificent water tower dominating the centre of the pool. Like Disneyland, The Tranquillity Spa cannot be fully experienced in a day, although if that’s really all you have Day Ritual packages can be specially designed.
Naturally, you can’t leave without experiencing the exquisitely appointed treatment area. Using today’s top brands, including Elemis and Karin Herzog, the spa offers a dazzling menu of over 55 treatments. I tried the ‘no hands' massage, a deep tissue massage where the therapist uses arms and elbows to ensure those knots are a thing of the past. So relaxing I don’t remember leaving the treatment room! My partner opted for “the best I have ever had” Elemis Skin Specific Facial. While he had his nails done (or was that the Luxury Manicure with Heat Treatment!) I relaxed on one of the surrounding sound therapy beds. All the therapists are highly skilled practitioners and in common with the Seaham Hall philosophy make customer satisfaction their priority.
Just before you leave this haven of tranquilly take time to complete the total relaxation experience in the Zen lounge before a light Eastern cuisine lunch in the spas Ozone restaurant. Don’t say ‘goodbye’ however when its time to check out because the allure of this oasis will, magnet like, draw you back again.
And what of Lord Byron? His affection for his new bride faded with undignified haste just a year after the wedding. But his beloved Seaham Hall, in its twenty first century metamorphosis would, I have no doubt, have won his approval for a much longer duration.
Travel Details
Accommodation
Seaham Hall Hotel and Serenity Spa, Lord Byron’s Walk, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7AG. For reservations call +44 (0)191 516 1400 or log on to www.seaham-hall.com.
Getting There
The hotel is just one hour’s drive from York and within easy access of Edinburgh and Durham. From London, the Midlands and the South take a fast GNER Mallard train to Newcastle (from £20 economy return or £59 first class), then connect to local services to Seaham Village. www.gner.co.uk
Jason Pollock