Orton Hall Hotel & Spa

The scones with jam and clotted cream made for a delicious cream tea, and the festive falafel was tasty and moreish. My friend and I went to Orton Hall Hotel and spa for festive afternoon tea. We waited on comfortable sofas, then were shown into a lovely large dining room with views of the grounds. The sandwiches were very nice, with turkey and cranberry, and grated cheese with onion. The waitress was attentive and checked whether we wanted more tea. We eventually got another pot. By the time the assorted cakes arrived on the top tier, we were both full, so we asked to take them away. They gave us a dish, and I told my friend her husband could have my share. We really enjoyed the afternoon tea. Thank you, and perhaps you'll see us again 😀

The team were professional and attentive all day, which helped everything run smoothly. The ceremony and reception spaces felt elegant but relaxed. I photographed a wedding at Orton Hall Hotel & Spa, and it was a beautiful venue to work in. Its historic architecture and landscaped gardens made lovely backdrops for couple portraits in every season. A wonderful setting for couples after a classic, romantic wedding.

Nene Park is close by, and there’s an old church next to the hotel with loads of ancient graves and trees around it. The location’s lovely, and the place worked well for a peaceful weekend. The staff were good, and the bed was comfortable. Breakfast was the same English breakfast each day, though I’d have liked more choice, maybe some continental options. The spa area was small, especially the jacuzzi, and I wasn’t happy to find a spiderweb on the ceiling in my room.

The building has character, and it’s clearly old, but that doesn’t explain the state of our room. Water was pooling on the window sill from heavy condensation, and there was mould, rot, and rust around the frames. Wallpaper was coming off in large patches, the carpet was frayed and didn’t meet the walls properly, the sink was cracked, some furniture handles were missing, and there was dust and debris behind drawers and furniture. Those felt like basic upkeep and cleanliness problems. We paid close to £400 for two nights with breakfast, so we left very disappointed. We brought this up with a manager while we were there. They said the age of the building meant nothing could be done, and called these maintenance issues rather than cleanliness issues. The only offer was a refund for the last night if we left the hotel, which wasn’t practical since we were visiting family locally. We were also told breakfast couldn’t be addressed because it was included in the room price. For a hotel at this price and calibre, we expected basic standards of upkeep and a more meaningful response.