Seaham Hall and Serenity Spa

Hotel review

Seaham Hall and Spa feels much as you expect. Friendly and unfussy. The notable change and addition is Harvey’s Bar. By day, it's bright and good-looking, filled with light and space. Somewhere to sit after the spa or stop for a proper drink. As evening falls, the lighting drops and the mood shifts into a more intimate, sexy and sultry vibe. Cocktails are very good, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and the atmosphere feels easy rather than showy and bling.

The staff here are a real strength. Friendly, relaxed and consistent across the hotel, bar, restaurant and spa. You feel looked after without being hovered over. It's clear the team has been well trained and many have been here for years.

The Hot Tub Suite 04 is impressively spacious. The upholstered, butterfly headboard works beautifully against the butterfly wallpaper and the huge bed (with six down pillows) is one of the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept in. I've never slept so well. There's a large sitting room with a genuinely comfortable sofa (we all need one like this!) and a generous bathroom with double basins and a roll top bath, complete with a Victorian-style shower. Outside, a private, sheltered terrace offers plenty of seating and a hot tub.

Turndown arrives at just the right ie. when you're not in the room! with a Temple Spa pillow spray left on the bed and complimentary water by the bedside. The minibar is stocked with biscuits, crisps and drinks, though with the spa close by and both the restaurant and Harvey’s Bar open, there is little reason to eat or snack in the room.

The spa remains a highlight. Calm, spacious and well run. Treatments range from medical-grade American brand Noon through to Ishga and Temple Spa. The 20-metre pool sits alongside a glass wall, with light pouring in next to the Zen garden pool outside. There are multiple saunas and steam rooms, each offering something different. The gym is excellent, and I would go so far as to say it is one of the strongest hotel gyms in the North, fully-equipped with Technogym machines and overlooking the pool. After treatments, with mango sorbet in hand, you choose between two relaxation spaces. One with heated water beds. Another with reclining heated loungers. Both quiet and inviting. 

The restaurant is very pretty. Olive trees wrapped in fairy lights. Walls finished with falling leaves encased in gold. The menu, along with the bar menu, suits most tastes. Prawns, steak and fish all feature, with rich, creamy mash done well. The Basque cheesecake is a standout.

Seaham Hall plays to its strengths. Harvey’s Bar adds energy to the evenings, the perfect place to start your evening with your partner, while the rest of the experience stays reassuringly familiar. Worth the trip from London for a night, or two or three! Seaham Hall is a fantastic luxury hotel with a spa, doing everything it does extremely well indeed. 

Lulu Townsend