‘R oll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean,” Lord Byron wrote in his epic poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage . The writer may well have been inspired by the navy ribbon of the North Sea wrapped around Seaham Hall, the clifftop Georgian country house where he married in 1815. Those cracking views of Durham’s heritage coast are still magnetic, but most come for the indoor-outdoor spa where guests can be scrubbed and soothed with ocean-inspired treatments.
The show stealer? That’s a toss-up between the glorious flower-filled spa garden with an infinity pool or the 23 fun and flamboyant suites where breakfast in bed is delivered at no extra charge. Poetry-worthy indeed. Overall score 9/10 Spa facilities and treatments Score 9/10 Amethyst steam rooms, herbal saunas — there are plenty of rooms and pools to dip in and out of at the Serenity Spa, reached from the hotel via a tranquil indoor waterway that immediately makes your shoulders droop.
You’ll want to head outside, though, for the main event: the circular spa garden with its jet-filled infinity pool and a handful of bubbling cedar hot tubs. The must-try treatment to book is the Swell sound therapy, inspired by the Hebrides and created to lower the heart rate. A sea-salt scrub, hot stone massage and facial are followed by a meditative session on a bed that vibrates to the sound of waves.
Therapists can also adapt treatments around cancer, the menopause and pregnancy. Regulars will recommend that you end your spa day wi.