Sutton Hall Resort

It had the feel of a cottage

Swimming pool was cold and the steps into the pool felt as if they were coming away from the poolside. Not having anyone available in the building after 4 30. Felt a bit erie.

The Ryedale cottage was very clean and comfortable, two good sized bedrooms and comfortable lounge/dinning area (table possibly a little too large for the room). The gardens were very pleasant for a short walk around. The Hall itself looked stunning under the sunshine. Please see comments under dislikes... once we understood how Sutton Hall functions we settled into a nice overnight stay and would visit again, perhaps being a little more organised ourselves. A great location to stay to explore the market towns of Thirsk, Helmsley, Pickering and the moors around the area.

I'm not sure what we expected, possibly more of an active hotel spa feeling. We understood the cottage was self catering but thought there might be a bar to meet people and more staff around. We arrived earlier than anticipated, effectively on change over between guests, and the Hall seemed quiet and initially we didn't notice the reception area to the side of the building. We were handed our keys with no real explanation given to us about how to book/use the facilities but this possibly down to the fact the staff thought our other party members, who were already checked, would explain. Whilst I appreciate the desire to keep running costs to a minimum just the odd light on in the communal areas of the hall would improve the aesthetics on arrival rather than a building that initially looked closed and empty, despite being beautiful, until other guests arrived turning lights on in the evening.

The property was great, it was easy to check in and the directions to use the facilities were easy to follow, with an easy booking system. The 2 bed cottage was clean and well-equipped, which suited our family of 2 adults and 2 kids perfectly. The grounds were beautiful, and the pool and hot tub exceeded expectations. It was priceless being able to book a private slot for the facilities! The receptionist was really friendly and couldn't have been more helpful, she made us feel really welcomed and like nothing was a problem (even our kids trying to use the pool table!)

The only slight issue we had was a bit of a smell coming from the drain in the wet room, and the bedroom facing the street had a really bright streetlamp that shined through the blinds and curtains, so maybe a blackout one would have been better. Some of the rules are a bit dated and need to be updated (they give the property a bit of an old school timeshare feel).

The property and the views were beautiful, it was well equipped and clean. Towels and bedding were soft and clean too.

The bed was very wobbly when either of us turned over. We couldn’t get Wi-Fi. The tv signal kept dropping out. The water pressure in the bathroom was poor, I could hardly get any hot water out of the basin tap. The swimming pool was cold.