Dunston Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort

The staff were welcoming and friendly, and our room was clean, large and comfortable, with a good bed and pillows. The mansion sits in glorious countryside alongside an 18-hole golf course, but getting around inside was confusing. Reaching my room meant going down a flight, along a long corridor, then up two floors in a lift. I got completely lost the first time, and other guests said the same happened to them. The first night's restaurant meal was just about acceptable for the prices. The kids' burgers were good, but my daughter's rib eye had a lot of unrendered fat, and my curry tasted like it came from a tin or catering pack, already cooked. British food can be better than this now. Breakfast was much worse: half-cooked bacon, hard fried eggs, burnt or undercooked sausages and dreadful coffee. The croissants were good, but we skipped breakfast on the second morning despite having paid for it. The lounge menu on our last night was even worse. My chargrilled Caesar salad had huge pieces of grey, skin-on chicken and lettuce drowned in sauce with a tasteless anchovy. I had an upset stomach after eating what I could. The kids' burger that night was different from the first one and tasted like dried, overcooked cat food. I'd recommend staying, but not eating here. A large G&T with no lemon was over £14. Afterwards, someone from the hotel team asked me to delete this review. I won't. It's an honest account of our experience, and I don't want them to contact me again. That was outrageous.

The staff were very welcoming when we arrived, and we enjoyed our stay and breakfast. The room was nice, though I was surprised it didn't have USB chargers. The pool, sauna and steam room were nice, but one of the jacuzzi areas wasn't working. The men's changing room looked really tired, with paint peeling off surfaces, and could use some TLC. I'd recommend the hotel.

I had a lovely birthday gesture waiting in my room, a note and box of chocolates, plus complimentary prosecco. We booked the dinner, bed and breakfast package for my 40th, and everything was faultless. Every staff member we met was friendly, polite and helpful. The restaurant food was perfect. It was a bit quiet, but still had a lovely atmosphere. Can't wait to return.

A big thank you to Amy from the spa for a wonderful treatment. I left feeling relaxed and recovered. The staff were professional, kind and attentive. Reception also went out of their way for my very early departure, packing warm gluten-free croissants and the fruit I like. They handled my specific dietary requests exceptionally well, which is rare. Highly recommend this hotel and spa.