Ye Olde Bell Hotel and Spa review: northern hospitality at its finest

Between London and Edinburgh on the Great North Road is Ye Olde Bell Hotel and Spa, a 17th century lodge in the Nottinghamshire village of Barnby Moor. Once frequented by tired stagecoach travellers, it has since been restored as a four-star hotel and luxury spa.

The hotel corridors are jammed packed with antiques and art, and the rooms are equally lavish. Each room is unique, and mine was both characterful and comfortable, although I would have appreciated a spruce-up and a few more mod cons for the four-star rating.

The food, however, is exceptional: breakfast and dinner were all of an incredibly high standard. The hotel has a formal dining area as well as a more relaxed restaurant with a menu that spans everything from pub classics to fine dining.

The crab bisque with a claw and caviar tortellini was completely delicious and the local Lincolnshire poacher soufflé, accompanied by a sweet pea smoked pancetta, was comfort food at its finest.

Frankly, my only mistake was asking for seconds of the rosemary and pesto bread rolls and subsequently struggling to make a dent in my steak and ale pie.

Every member of staff is charming, from the receptionists to the masseurs at the spa. In the restaurant you could hear laughter from every table whenever the waiters and waitresses arrived and it really felt like a place that hotel visitors, locals and anyone passing through would leave with a smile on their face.

The real jewel in the hotel’s crown, however, is the spa. The facilities are top notch; there are ten different thermal experiences available including the Stonebath, Snow Storm Walk, and Salt Inhalation Room - each of them offering high-end luxury.

The Turkish Ritual Massage was unusual - in a good way: after a ‘feather ritual’ there is a full-body massage and then silk fabric is used to stretch the body out to give you an unusual form of massage.

And here I go again about how wonderful the food is: the spa offers three different menus from healthy, healthy-ish to completely indulgent (not the official names). I opted for an indulgent main and two healthy-ish courses on each side. The scallop starter was delicate and the duck main was cooked perfectly.

‘Spa butlers’ were on hand throughout the day and truly offered service with a smile.

The Ye Olde Bell really is a hidden treasure, so much so that I felt conflicted writing this and telling anyone else about it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and couldn’t recommend it more highly.

Ye Olde Bell, Barnby Moor, Retford DN22 8QS; yeoldebell-hotel.co.uk, 01777 705121