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What type of hotel is Headlam Hall?

03 January 2014

A very good one is what we strive to be but what one person wants from a hotel is different to the next person. There are a number of ways to measure a hotel these days. Ratings and accolades from established organisations such as the AA have been about for many years. The number of stars tells you how extensive the facilities and services are but you need to check the rating category. A 4 star Hotel is very different to a 4 star Restaurant with Rooms or 4 star Guest Accommodation.

We also have a number of well established guides, both online and a few still in print. These often give an indication as to the type of hotel as each guide tends to have its own niche in the market; country house hotels, boutique hotels, budget hotels, quirky hotels etc.. Participation in the majority of guides carries a significant cost for a hotel to be included so that can raise questions of integrity but at the same time a guide knows that if it wants to stand the test of time it has to provide its reader with useful and accurate information.

Next up we have the online review sites. There is no doubt that they can provide some interesting and sometimes amusing reading but they are all to be taken with a pinch of salt. They say that if you read ten reviews and take the average one then you should get a picture of what a place is like. There will always be the odd ‘very poor’ when either things have genuinely gone wrong or the author is just one of life’s miseries. Most of us can ‘read between the lines’ in such cases!

So getting back to the question in the title, Headlam Hall is an authentic family owned and run country house hotel that is predominantly traditional in its style but with contemporary touches in some of the bedrooms, the Orangery and the Spa. We have quite a range in styles in our bedrooms from some in the main hall offering classic manor house decor and antique furnishings to others in the spa, coach house and mews that have newly made furniture, neutral colours and contemporary artwork. There are some common factors in all bedrooms such as the facilities on offer and smart, modern bathrooms. If you expect a hotel bedroom to have perfectly flat walls, pristine modern furniture and the latest in interior design trends then a room in the main hall is not going to be your bag. If you appreciate antiquity, character and charm in your accommodation then it may well be what you are looking for.

Being a family owned and run business a high standard of service is of paramount importance as we are dependent on repeat business and word of mouth. The local team of staff are encouraged to provide professional yet friendly service to create a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere for our guests. There is no pomp and ceremony or looking down noses if a guest makes an unusual wine selection, just service with a smile.

It really is hard to pigeon-hole Headlam Hall as it is an evolution of 30 years work by my family. We started out as farmers who had a hotel and at some point became hoteliers who also farm. Not sure when the pendulum swung but it seems to have done so in its own time. The Hall was never created in a particular fashion but rather developed over the years which is a very different thing to a hotel that was created in one go from scratch. The big advantage of that is rather than the whole hotel suddenly becoming tired and in need of refurbishment it happens in dribs and drabs making it an easier job to keep on top of, which is something we are always committed to do.


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