Coastal Lodge at Seaham Hall

My birthday visit on 19th of January at Seaham Hall was special from start to finish. The food was outstanding, and the team celebrated with me in style. I felt properly wined and dined, which had never happened to me before. The beauty therapist deserves a mention for the hygiene, professional manner and impressive skill. The treatment felt carefully done, with real attention to technique and pressure, and I immediately felt in good hands. The welcome was warm and seamless, and stepping inside felt like arriving in another country. I’d had mediocre experiences at other places despite paying hundreds, so my expectations weren’t high, but every detail here felt premium and considered. The price was excellent for the service and quality, and honestly I’d have paid twice as much. I can’t believe it’s only 20 minutes from home. I didn’t want to leave and wish I’d stayed overnight. I’ll rebook ASAP. Wow.

We won a night away through work and used it for our anniversary, staying on Easter Saturday in the garden suite with its hot tub. We arrived a couple of hours before check-in to use the connected spa, spending time in the steam rooms and cold plunge, then relaxing in the quiet room and by the pool. The suite was spacious, and I liked the furnishing colours. The bathroom was huge, with a nice bath and rubber duck. The light controls took a while to figure out. The hot tub is a good size for two, but calling it private needs an asterisk because a room with a Juliet balcony overlooks it. There were no lights around the pergola, which would have been nice in the evening. We only got a couple of hours in the tub before dinner, then a storm came through and we couldn’t go back out. I didn’t bring a phone plug, assuming the sockets had USB charging, but they didn’t. The sockets are behind the bedside tables, so you have to bend down and reach for them. We enjoyed the night, though if we’d paid the usual price, we’d have been a bit disappointed with what the room offered for the money.

The ishga massage was incredible, the food delightful, and all the staff were lovely. My highlight was being outside on a sunny evening with Balearic cafe bar music playing. It was so tasteful and created the feel of a lovely retreat holiday. We had a great twilight spa visit last week. The changing rooms could use more space, since some people were holding one for themselves while taking a 15-minute shower.

We came for a two-night spa break in mid-January, hoping to relax, but spent much of it in our room because the weather was awful and the spa was so noisy. We’d been told work in the outside spa area wouldn’t interrupt use of the rest, but JCBs and industrial jackhammers were right on the other side of the glass, breaking out concrete. The noise was unbearable and the whole building shook. We waited for the workers to finish at 6pm, then managed an hour in the spa before dinner. We raised it with spa reception and were sent to hotel reception, where they said the Ops Manager would contact us with a resolution. That was a couple of weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. Pretty shambolic for a supposed five-star hotel. They said the work would continue until April, so I’d strongly advise staying elsewhere if you want a relaxing break before then, or after. Go to Middleton Lodge instead. I wish we had.