Booked for two nights to go to Beamish museum . Travelling by train. Walk , part uphill to Castle takes about 30 minutes from the station. Uber £ 8 bus quite complicated.
There is a bus from town centre to the hotel but it’s quite complicated suggest if unable to walk book a Uber. Bus from town centre to Beamish entry very easy, £2.50.
Now for the Castle itself. You can’t help falling in love with the quaint and worn castle the ‘worn’ being part of its attraction. We stayed in the stables in an upstair room. Stairs are quite narrow with small landings so not suited to those with hip and calling difficulties. Bed , bedding and bathroom immaculate and very comfortable. Room very peaceful with early waking of bird song. Bathroom had a separate magnifying mirror which was very much appreciated. Down side was the dust on the beams over the bed hence the lower score for cleanliness.
Now for the breakfast and restaurant service. Faultless. Food of the highest quality with service to match. Breakfast matches the London 5 star ratings.
Overall this hotel was exceptionally good value and a place we plan to visit again. We highly recommend this for anyone visiting Beamish who appreciates high quality food, something a little different, peace and quiet who enjoys a lovely bath.
We stayed in a deluxe garden room, which was spacious but ultimately disappointing given the high price point. The layout was awkward and not very user-friendly—there were no plug sockets near the bed to charge phones, and the room lacked air conditioning, making it uncomfortably warm and stuffy. To make matters worse, the window/door was broken, so we couldn’t ventilate the room without compromising security. Since it opened directly onto the golf course, guests and golfers were frequently walking past, which also raised privacy concerns.
Unfortunately, the room offered very little privacy unless the curtains were drawn—however, the lighting inside was quite poor. Sheer or net curtains would have made a big difference. Surprisingly, for a 4-star hotel, the room lacked basic amenities: no mini fridge, no bathrobes or slippers, no face towels or facial tissues, and the bathroom toiletries were extremely basic. Even the ironing board was old and difficult to use.
Staff did attempt to fix the door/window and provided a fan and extension lead, but these were temporary solutions at best. After some back and forth, we were finally upgraded to a better room, which made a big difference.
On a positive note, the grounds, spa, food, and overall service were lovely. Just a word of advice: avoid booking the deluxe garden room—it doesn’t live up to expectations.
Hotel was very clean and the staff are very helpful and attentive, however, their kitchen appears to be understaffed. The breakfast served by a waiter/waitress but on the first day,(Saturday), after ordering our breakfast we waited one hour before it came, on the second day we waited 45 mins before it arrived. By this time the toast and tea were cold.
Absolutely spotless and finished to a high standard. Decor is modern and appealing throughout. Staff are helpful. Lovely restaurant and fantastic coffee served there. The only slight issue I would say, is that you can hear guests in the next room very easily and this isn’t desirable for obvious reasons. We sadly ended up with very noisy guests in the room next to us the first night we stayed and this caused considerable disruption to our sleep pretty much all night. Saying this, we didn’t notify the staff though (so they may have been able to help) as there was no phone in the room. The next night was fine and completely silent so this would be dependent on who you have staying near you.
Gorgeous hotel in a good location for exploring the surrounding area. Delicious cooked to order breakfast and the restaurant for dinner was superb. Room was comfy and warm would happily stay again
Lovely old fashioned hotel in a suburb 10 mins from the centre of Durham. Spotlessly clean room, with comfortable bed, and delicious breakfast made to order.