In our Suite Staycation column, Gina Jackson – hotel expert and author of British Boutique Hotels – tours some of the best hotel suites in the UK. Next up, Middleton Lodge Estate.
Best for: Slowing down
Straddling the cusp of the Yorkshire Dales, Middleton Lodge Estate is a stylish, family-run affair. Helmed by talented owner and managing director, James Allison, the sprawling 200-acre estate had been within the family for decades before being transformed into the tranquil getaway it is today.
Give us the lowdown
Rambling parkland and meadows ripe for rollicking encircle an elegant country pile – now used mainly for private events and weddings – that wouldn’t look amiss in a Jane Austen adaptation, designed by creative director, Rebecca Tappin. But it’s the surrounding, honey-coloured outbuildings that guests bed down in: the carefully restored Dairy and Coach House, along with sweet Shepherd’s Huts within the blossoming walled gardens. Since opening, Middleton Lodge Estate has firmly established itself as one of the most luxe hotel offerings in the north of England – however, it’s the addition of its slick new Forest Spa, which gently opened last year, that has firmly placed this Yorkshire pad on the map.
What’s in the suite?
I checked into a Dairy Hot Tub room, a ground-level suite located within the estate’s former dairy. The generous room has been sympathetically restored so that plenty of original features shine through: think exposed brick walls and low-slung beams, with neutral, farmhouse-style furnishings giving the space plenty of charm. Each suite here is kitted out with everything you could need: armchairs to sprawl across, roll-top baths, a flat screen TV plopped right opposite the king-size bed, and a coffee station stocked with homemade flapjacks to nibble on. The best feature? Our private terrace, framed by roses and overlooking the orchards, with a colossal hot tub large enough for a small family to soak in.
How’s the crowd?
This is a relaxed, unstuffy hotel that’s clearly a local favourite. Multi-generational families gather at the The Coach House restaurant, while loved-up couples and mother-daughter duos kick back at the spa. The estate hosts countless weddings throughout the year but expertly balances event guests along with hotel residents, so it never feels swamped. Although there’s a lively buzz across the estate, the idyllic surrounds immediately encourage slowing down.
Where can we eat and drink?
The beating heart of the estate is the The Coach House restaurant, an all-day dining spot with soaring, vaulted ceilings and banquettes to curl up on. In the summer months, guests spill onto flora-framed tables in the adjoining courtyard. Serving everything from weekend brunch to afternoon tea, the restaurant proudly follows an ‘estate to plate’ ethos, championing seasonal produce grown in the nearby walled gardens. If you’re dining outside, you may spy the chefs nipping out during service to trim herbs from the surrounding bushes. The extensive menu eschews fussiness for plenty of flavour: creamy soups are mopped up with crumbly cheese scones, and followed by expertly grilled meats and indulgent puddings. Meanwhile, gourmands can tuck into fanciful tasting menus at Forge, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, where locally inspired dishes have earned head chef Jake Jones a Michelin Green Star.
What’s on the to-do list?
Aside from wining and dining across the two restaurants, make sure to carve out some time to unwind at the Forest Spa. A mixture of hotel guests and day visitors flock here for treatments, but with only 16 guests allowed inside at one time, a total sense of calm prevails throughout. Set deep within the woodland, light-filled lounge spaces are a melange of wooden accents and creamy furnishings. Crittall doors open onto the heated pool, framed by loungers to loll on, and an adjoining hot tub to pile into. Circuit through the sauna, steam room, and cold plunge pool before heading to the private treatment huts among the trees. It’s here, tucked away from the rest of the estate that you can sink into soothing therapies, from two-hour-long facials to bathing rituals and body wraps that will leave you feeling entirely rejuvenated from top to toe. There’s a light-filled relaxation room for kicking back afterwards, where you’ll be plied with herbal teas and homemade snacks, and nourishing lunches are also served in the spa lounge.
Are there any stand-out touches worth mentioning?
Make sure to book one of the hotel’s pampering spa packages, where you’ll get the most bang for your buck – you’ll get full use of the spa facilities, along with a treatment or two. Note that hotel guests don’t get access to the spa without booking a treatment. Bringing the whole family with you? Reserve the hotel’s standalone Farmhouse for whole-house takeovers and group getaways.
What should we know before we go?
Given the hotel’s remote location, you’ll need a car to venture further afield. It’s worth wandering past the estate if you can: you’re on the brink of the Yorkshire Dales National Park so keen explorers should bring hiking gear for a romp across the hills. In the other direction, the North York Moors span out for gentle roving.
What should we pack?
The atmosphere here is decidedly relaxed: there’s no need to don your gladrags. Cosy knitwear, Barbour jackets, and your favourite pair of jeans won’t go amiss; just remember to shake off your wellies at dinner time.
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Any Questions or Tips to add?