Ramside Hall Hotel

This big, sprawling hotel ticks a lot of boxes: minutes from the A1 so makes a good base for exploring Durham and Newcastle; activities to suit all ages; a wide choice of restaurants; blingy rooms for special occasions; and rooms for families. True, it’s not the most handsome of buildings - a large, battlemented Victorian hall with a series of extensions - but the surrounding golf courses (two; both championship-standard) help soften the looks. Inside, it’s a patchwork of styles, from traditional country-house furnishings in the old part to a glittery marbled-and-mirrored look in the newer wings. There’s plenty of space, lots of comfortable sitting areas for relaxing, and colourful local art to brighten up corridors. Bedrooms are generous, the newer ones handsome with tartan carpets, country colours, glittery feature walls, smart bathrooms and lovely Hypnos beds. Top-level suites are huge, perhaps with cinema-size TV screens or a copper free-standing bath. There’s a very swish Espa spa, an enormous leisure complex including a 25-metre pool, hydrotherapy pool, outdoor vitality pool and state-of-the-art gym. Dining choices include a Parisian-style brasserie - specialising in 28-day-aged steaks - a family-friendly, self-service carvery and an Asian-style restaurant in the Spa area. The food aims to be crowd-pleasing rather than fancy fine-dining. And if you really want to push the boat out, there’s a Bentley at your disposal.

Why do people love staying in your hotel?
It’s in the perfect location – close to both Newcastle and Durham and there’s so much under one roof. Two championship golf courses and a brand new £8m spa.

What is there to do in the area?
The hotel is about 10 mins away from historic Durham city with its castle and cathedral. Intu Metrocentre – one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe – is about a 15 min drive away and the exciting city of Newcastle is about 20 minutes away.

What kind of breakfast do you offer?
A huge buffet breakfast

Do you offer other meals? And can you recommend good places to eat out locally?
There’s a selection of restaurants on site including the informal Pemberton’s Carvery, the award-winning Rib Room Grill and an Asian Fusion restaurant in the spa. There’s also a variety of snack and afternoon tea menus.

Which are your most popular room types, and why?
There are a new wing of premier rooms which opened last year which are extremely popular. They have Hypnos beds for an amazing night’s sleep and super luxurious bathrooms.

What facilities do you have for children and can you fit extra beds in your rooms ?
Many of the rooms can be configured to accommodate families

What message would you like to give Hotel Guru readers?
Ramside Hall Hotel is a great base from which to explore every part of the North East.