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Live like a Lord at least for a weekend!
Seaham Hall
What would local lad Lord Byron make of modern day Seaham Hall?
"Like Disneyland The Tranquillity Spa cannot be fully experienced in a day"
I wonder what local lad Lord George Byron would make of modern day Seaham Hall – the magnificent Country Durham coastal house where he married Annabella Milbanke in 1815. I suspect that the bad boy bisexual poet would be thrilled and delighted at how new owners Tom and Jocelyn Maxfield have transformed the house and gardens into an oasis of tranquillity for our stressed out twenty first century.
He would, of course, recognise the exterior of this massive white house set in 37 acres of well-tended gardens and the impressive sandstone terraces. He might even remember the elegant interior architecture but he could not, in his widest dreams, imagine the transformation into what is now The Seaham Hall Hotel and Serenity Spa.
The magic of this place starts at check in. Guest are immediately put at ease by Geordie John, an affable ambassador who takes great delight in explaining the intricacy’s of the bedrooms ambient lighting system and the comprehensive sound and television controls.
John is typical of the staff here all of them with the innate and all too rare skill of being there when you need them and not when you don’t. One suspects that the Medfield’s legendary attention to detail has a big part in Seaham Halls staff training programmes.
The rooms themselves are comfort personified. Large comfortable beds and stylish bathrooms with very upmarket toiletries. All of them are suites and all very individual in style. The rooms range from “tops’ through ‘romantic’, ‘decadent’,’ sexy’,’ escapist’ and ‘cool’ our ‘indulgent’ suite had the added bonus of a magnificent view over the wild County Durham coastline.
By the way if your idea of a country hotel break is stuffy formality then Seaham Hall is not for you. The atmosphere is exactly what it sets out to be, relaxing and comfortable. Leave your jacket and tie at home.
Following in his Lordships footsteps weddings and wedding receptions are very much part of the core business here. Fully licensed with a local registrar on tap the function rooms leading onto those famous terraces cater to every style and size of weddings. This extremely gay friendly place is, at the time of writing, looking forward to its first gay ceremony. So best to book now if you are thinking of getting hitched. The ghost of Byron will be there to watch over you.
In the food department the Seaham Hall chef, Steve Smith, follows the high tradition of excellent whether catering for wedding guest or in the hotel restaurant. With dishes as tempting as Cumbrian fellbread lamb with ratatouille, braised tongue, sweetbread and rosemary jus Steve well deserves his imminent Michelin star.
Oh, and my normally caring and a sharing partner would not let my fork near his pan fried foie gras, redesigned pear tatin and sherry vinegar! Incidentally your room rate includes a £40 per head allocation towards meals taken in the hotels White Room restaurant.
The hotel, however comfortable, is just the gateway to what the Sunday Times described as Best Spa for Style. As the 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 are part of another existence. A dark wood subtly lit boardwalk suspended over a pebble stream passes a benign Buddha (stop to pay respects) and opens up to a life size elephant dominating the spa’s atrium.
Inspired by Feng Shiu and created by Jocelyn Maxfield this place has everything you could dream of in a super luxury world-class spa resort. The 20-metre keyhole shaped pool with water massage stations leads to steam rooms, Jacuzzis and plunge polls in the Thermal baths area.
Even in the bleak mid winter leap outside and into the delicious warmth of the gently steaming hot tubs lie back and enjoy the view. Back inside warm up again with a bit of twosome mud slinging in the Rasul private mud chamber where both of you get to enjoy the sensation of an Indian head massage and a wellbeing massage.
For the fitness fanatic spend time in the state of the art gym. The Maxwell’s fanaticism for detail and Jocelyn’s brilliant style sense abound here. Every area is like a little piece of modern art 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 Day Ritual packages can be specially designed.
Of course it’s obligatory to experience their treatment area. Using today’s top brand including Elemis and Karin Herzog there is a dazzling menu of treatments on offer. I tried the ‘no hands' massage. Deep massages where the therapist arms and elbows to ensure those knots are a thing of the past. Sort of Rolphing without the pain. 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 got a buzz and a half from the sound therapy beds around the treatment area.
Just before you leave this haven of tranquilly take time to complete that feeling of total relaxation in the Zen lounge before a light Eastern cuisine lunch in the Ozone restaurant. Don’t say goodbye however because the allure and the sheer magic of this oasis of calm will, magnet like, draw you back in no time.
