Hellaby Hall Hotel, BW Signature Collection

We had a mixed stay, mostly good, and might return for the restaurant or a day spa, though I’m not sure we’d hurry back for an overnight visit. It wasn’t especially cheap or especially special, just somewhere in the middle price-wise. The rooms were spacious, warm and clean, but felt dated. The showers had curtains that kept sticking. I’d give them 2.5/5. Leisure facilities get 3/5: the pool, sauna, steam room and spa pool were okay but looked tired, the water was cool, and the facilities felt generic. The men’s changing area had no coin lockers like the women’s, and nobody told us. I had to leave my clothes in an unlocked locker and hand my valuables to reception. Not ideal, so bring your own lock. The spa treatments were good, and the outdoor hot tub was a nice treat, that’s 4/5. Food gets 5/5. We had the three-course set menu, which was better than expected: goat’s cheese mousse with little citrus gel pieces, beef shin, and a really good, rich apple crumble. Everything was nicely presented, hot and tasty, and the restaurant service was great. Breakfast the next day was good too, with quality ingredients. We booked the spa weekend a week or two before New Year. Overall, a good stay.

I left feeling stressed and deflated, and embarrassed that this was meant to be a birthday gift for my mum. The whole day seemed poorly planned and oversold, as though too many bookings had been taken for the staff and facilities available. Seely was understanding and helpful, and a woman in a chequered blazer checked on guests. The manager appeared briefly behind the desk and was then noticeably absent. When I raised my concerns, nobody apologised. I wouldn’t recommend the spa as it is. It needs serious restructuring and better management. I’d booked a spa day and treatments for two for Mum’s birthday, and it was disappointing from start to finish. There was barely any signage to the spa, and inside it felt chaotic. Two staff were trying to manage a large group, and nobody seemed sure what to do. We were told to change into robes and meet back outside, but when we came back, no one was there and we had to wait again. The changing rooms were run down, with only two private cubicles. The spa area was underwhelming, the relaxation rooms were already full while more guests kept arriving, and the place felt grubby, with marked carpets and walls. It wasn’t relaxing, it was stressful and embarrassing for a birthday treat. The air conditioning rattled loudly the whole time. Afternoon tea was average and didn’t look like the advertised photos. Our drinks arrived last, even though we’d ordered them early. Other guests in the relaxation room were openly complaining about wrong food orders, poor timing and general disorganisation. After my body scrub, I was sent to shower and found no soap. That basic check should be standard. The hot tub was disappointing too. We had to go outside in the rain to reach it, leaving wet towels and robes on the side, and the water felt cold. The pool and jacuzzi were freezing as well.

The staff were lovely and helpful, the massage was great, and the young woman who gave it to me was brilliant. The hot tub was amazing too, but it was hard to get in and out with my bad hip because there were no rails on or around it. The rails were on top of the pagoda. I’m small, so it was a challenge. My daughter paid for us to have this spa day for my birthday. It included a treatment, afternoon tea, 30 minutes of exclusive hot tub time, and use of the pool, sauna and steam room. The pool was freezing. We only stayed in for 30 minutes of the more than three hours we could have used it. It was February, but the pool and spa areas were cold indoors too. They gave us robes and towels, but it was too cold to relax in them, so we got dressed. There were only two changing rooms by the pool, and I had to change in the toilet. The cold spoiled the relaxing treat, and we bought coffees and hot chocolate just to warm up. Even staff said they were cold and offered a portable heater. Afternoon tea was really lovely, and all the sweet treats were beautiful, but I’d have preferred some choice. There was no menu to tell us what was included. We got salmon sandwiches, which are lovely if you like salmon, but I hate it. A choice of sandwiches would be much better. There were also too many cake type treats and too few savoury items, with just three finger sandwiches each and a cheese scone. The sweets were a normal scone with cream and jam, a small apple crumble, a chocolate éclair type pastry and a chocolate tart or cheesecake. For the money, the whole experience was worth it. Would I go again? Maybe in summer on a warm day. Otherwise, no, the cold really spoiled my birthday treat.

We paid the amount above the meal voucher when we left, but accidentally left the separate drinks voucher behind. The next day I called to ask if the restaurant still had it. They said it had been processed and was no longer valid. We’d received a customised gift card for a three-course meal with wine, plus another voucher for drinks worth 40 pounds. The meal and wine left a lot to be desired. If we never had the drinks, why was the voucher processed? Charging us for drinks we didn’t have seems dishonest. I wouldn’t recommend a business that treats customers with so little regard.