Swinton Park

Swinton is an outstanding experience. Even in the eye of a big December storm, the buildings and grounds are impressive. The insides are warm, welcoming yet still sumptuous The service and food quality is second to none. We had one of the cottages so we could be together as a family for my wife’s 60th birthday. A gorgeous home from home with all the amenities on top Samuels restaurant was a particular highlight of our weekend stay. One to return too. Often!

Both myself and my wife booked an overnight stay, evening meal and spa package. Driving through the hotel gates the view of the hotel and grounds was amazing, and the hotel certainly didn’t disappoint. The hotel was magnificent and was full of character and history. It was extremely well kept and clean. What was nice is that you’re welcome to explore the hotel grounds and nowhere seemed out of bounds. Lovely walks round parkland, lakes, and kitchen gardens with Birds of Prey to look at. We had the option of eating in the terrace or Samuel’s, we chose Samuel’s. The food was delicious, we both chose the Sirloin steak and this was cooked to perfection. We stayed in the Bedale room, for one of their cheaper rooms we were really pleased with how spacious it was. Overnight there had been a bad storm that knocked the hotels power out and caused damage to trees in the park grounds. Unfortunately this caused us to miss a cooked breakfast (although we did get a delicious cold breakfast) and we also had to miss our prearranged spa day. The staff dealt with this fantastically, and with a few emails had our spa day rearranged for another day. We returned a few weeks later for the spa day and thoroughly enjoyed it. The spa was one of the best we’ve been to for a while. What made our time at Swinton so special was how friendly and helpful the staff were. The hotel didn’t have a pretentious feel to it like some luxury hotels do, it had a more warm and friendly feel. We will definitely return.

We would not normally spend this much on a nights stay but thought we would spoil ourselves for our anniversary. It did not disappoint and was worth every penny. The room was beautiful and the service exceptional. The bedding was exquisite and the grounds were lovely. We did not bring our dogs with us this time as wanted to enjoy the spa facilities but it was lovely to see so many dogs in the hotel. We will definitely be back

We booked a spa stay as an anniversary treat. The estate and castle are beautiful and we were warmly greeted and shown to our room with a little history along the way. The only part which let the stay down for us was that one of our massages had been moved due to staff sickness, which I understand can't be helped, but the first we were told of this was upon checking into the spa. This meant that both my husband and I would now be spending time on our own whilst the other received their treatment. Also some facilities were out of order/closed for maintenance which we were not previously made aware of, this included the salt steam room, the outdoor pool and the air tub/recliner in the thermal pool. All of which would have been nice to try during our stay. The spa however is also beautiful and kept super clean with robes etc provided. We ate in the Terrace restaurant and all of the food and cocktails were exquisite along with the service. Breakfast was also delicious, this time we were served in Samuel's restaurant where we had a choice of continental or cooked breakfast before checking out. I'd love to return but would check ahead regarding facilities etc to make the most of our time there.

There are many good hotels and restaurants in North Yorkshire, but Swinton Park doesn’t appear to be one of them. Our bedroom looked tired. It was comfortable, but certainly not luxurious. Lacking in lighting, sockets, sufficient tea/coffee. We asked for twin beds, but arrived to find a double. The batteries were flat in the safe, so it wasn’t working. The nicest part was the excellent, spacious bathroom. The spa was quiet and we spent a pleasant couple of hours in there. We ate in the Terrace Restaurant where the food was gastro-pub quality and tasty, but overpriced for what it was. The restaurant service was very hit and miss, from staff who didn’t exude much warmth or interest in their guests. I couldn’t recommend Swinton Park, nor wish to return. It didn’t come close to meeting my expectations for the price.

The spa is fun and there are free additional activities each day. We especially enjoyed our tapas meal in the brasserie bar and the cocktail experience in the bar with barman Will.