Blackwell Grange Hotel

Wedding venue fabulous. Setting really good. Hotel really beautiful. Public rooms excellent. Bar staff good.

Very dissatisfied that there weren’t enough table and chairs for all the wedding guests. How bad is that. Some guests had to sit outside and became disassociated from the wedding. I thought it was disgraceful. When I went to the ladies toilet, there was no paper in the first cubicle so I informed the reception staff. Even though there were no queues, I knew they didn’t intend doing anything about it. A couple of hours later when I visited, there was no paper in the first and second cubicles.

A good range of cooked breakfast food, English style. An excellent choice of tinned fruit. Plenty of bread. I liked the electronically controlled dispenser for water, orange juice and apple juice- quick and easy. Enjoyed dining in the restaurant, but some of the staff were clearly young and quite new to the role. My wife and I enjoyed the Havelock Restaurant. the Lime & coriander marinated Duck Breast was an absolute joy.

The toaster was not fast or consistent in making toast. The grapefruit juice was no available on the dispenser, but was more viscous than I expected and the flavour was weak. I assume it must have been partially made from pink grapefruit judging by he colour. The black pudding had too many oats or bread in the mix, taste was disappointing. Disappointed by the lack of draught real ale at the bar. Th Havelock desert menu was all a bit heavy, nothing light. I chose the banana and butterscotch Frangipane but it was a big disappointment in taste and texture and the salted caramel ice cream too strong and sweet .

My husband booked this hotel as a surprise for me for our wedding anniversary. The staff when so lovely and friendly, in face I would go as for as to say the reception staff where the friendliest I have ever encountered at a hotel. Once they found out it was our wedding anniversary they give us a congratulations card from the whole staff and two free drinks vouchers, what was so thoughtful. They also give us the opportunity to upgrade our room to the bridal suit for a very reasonable about of money, which we did and I’m so glad we did! The bridal suit was absolutely gorgeous, it totally made our anniversary. Thank you all so very much.

Unfortunately they was no availability at the restaurant until 9am on the evening, so it was to late for us to eat. But we did manage a bar meal what was quite nice.

Certain staff were friendly and easy to approach, I had a long drive and wanted to be comfortable so wore comfy clothing rather than smart wear, on arrival the reception team were amazing and allowed me to get to my room early to drop my bags and see my room, then when going to get lunch, I felt almost rushed and unwelcome by other staff due to wearing casual clothing (4 and a half hours on road, I was not going to be driving that distance in the funeral attire I brought with me), the following morning (the day of the funeral) the same staff members who almost looked down on me the day before were a bit more welcoming.

There are certain staff who seemed quick to judge on a persons appearance, which made me feel a little uncomfortable (this was my first time staying at Blackwell Grange) the roast was beautiful other than the roast beef was dry and some of the accompanying sides were cold (roast potatoes were a mix of warm and cold, the cauliflower cheese had cooler spots, not a lot of cheese in the sauce either), my bed was comfy the duvet felt a little bit too warm for me, I had the window open all night, the two single beds which were moved together to make a double were very squeaky and a bit too solid (could be an older mattress)

The hotel is nicely appointed and decorated. The public areas are super with some lovely interior design pieces. The restaurant is also very nicely done out. The food in the restaurant is good also. The rooms are comfortable and clean and there are leisure facilities available. The price I thought was exceptional.

One member of staff in the restaurant was a little too familiar making little jokes when booking a table and the when seating us for our meal. Although in no way was it rude it was just a little awkward. We also heard the same staff member talking about another staff member in a detrimental manner. This might just be me being an old grump. the staff overall were very good though.

Free parking was plentiful, but spread over 3 different areas. The location is very handy for getting into Darlington, or getting out to Bishop Auckland for the KYNREN show we attended. The rooms were large and spacious, a great relief after staying in a tiny room in Lumley Castle the previous 4 nights! The bathroom fixings were high quality and we had plenty of space even if we had stayed for more than 2 nights. The restaurant was a very large dining room, well decorated, but the menus was typical pub food . This seemed to appeal to most of the diners who were under 40. The food was good. We did not have time to experience the Leisure activities.

As in many hotels and restaurants, staffing is a problem. The receptionists were efficient, but the some of the dining room waiters were under18 and had no experience. We had to for cutlery to eat our soup! When we ordered a Tia Maria liqueur coffee he had to go to ask if that was a drink on the menu, then came back to check how it was made! The result was good however. We ordered breakfast in our room as we would be leaving before the restaurant would be open. The breakfast tray arrived at the requested time, but there was no butter with the toast. It was not worth phoning though for a 2nd delivery and risk delaying our departure.

Lovely surroundings, ample parking and comfortable rooms. We stayed in a superior king room in the carriage external building and it was lovely. The bed was really comfortable had a great night sleep and the facilities wee great!

Not necessarily the property but a slight niggle was due to the booking on this site, it wasn’t clear that we’d need to pay for breakfast as an addition upon arrival and in all honesty I think the breakfast wasn’t 4* worthy but albeit the food was nice

lovely hotel. comfy beds.

lady working on the bar was very miserable. long reddish blonde hair. we commented she said she had only just started her shift so I dread how the night went. ordered pizza and chips. only one set of chips came. even though we told them. no cutlery. pizza was Chicago town. very disappointed we paid nearly £12 each for them. not great. another resident cancelled there entire food order as it took over half hour which made us nervous as we had to eat and go quick. for such a lovely hotel customer service needs to be next to none. hotel great. food and service very disappointing. food in the restaurant was much better and better service.

The Blackwell Grange is quite elegant in the public sections, like the lobbies, the bars and the dining room. The rooms are a nice and tasteful, but not what I'd call elegant. Dining there was very good, with a great food selection, well prepared and served by an excellent wait staff. The setting is lovely, a short distance from Darlington, so it was quiet and peaceful, ideal for getting some rest. Parking was ample and secure as well. The gazebo outside was lovely for some photos. We spent two nights there and really enjoyed the place.

I think internet was only free in the public spaces as I recall. That was fine, since that was not a problem for us. It was a rather long hike to our room, as the facility is quite large, but again, that didn't pose a problem, since we are young and fit. (mid-60s)

Bus to town stops outside, but only 15mins walk anyway. Beautiful setting and great breakfast selection. Very good quality evening menu. Friendly staff and very quiet surrounds. I would recommend it for a longer stay than our two days.

Evening menu was ok for a couple of nights, but not very wide for a longer stay. It was of high quality, but a bit inflexible as regard to choice of vegetables, if you didn't want a particular one. (e.g., I wanted Dauphinoise potato's instead of parsnip mash) We stayed in a suite in the Carriage House, which was very nice, but meant you had to walk over to the restaurant, which could be awkward on a wet or cold day.