[koshkha, 07.01.2007] Fiona Duncan is a fan of hotels based in historic buildings so she found Middlethorpe Hall had " the right credentials". The building is a "William and Mary gem" and is a "Grade I-listed" (note to those not living in the UK - this signfies the building is historically significant and can't be modified without permission).
The house is "beautiful" and the furnishings are "keeping with its period". The formal gardens were "exquisit" but the road noise was "intrusive" to such an extent that it didn't "fit well with an expensive hotel". The noise interupted her sleep and woke her up at 6 am. It also "blighted my walk round the gardens", although she concedes that her companion (her son) wasn't at all bothered by the noise.
The hotel is "a smart place" and whilst it doesn't specify jacket and tie "it's plainly what they'd prefer". However when they entered the drawing room to wait for dinner it was "like joining the undead" - everyone was whispering, the room was "staid, unwelcoming and impersonal". Things improved in the dining room. It had "fine original panelling" and was both warmer and more "relaxed". However she was not impressed by the food and suggested that a new chef would be needed to "restore the food to its former high standards".
The bedroom was "pretty" in the style of "traditional country house". However she felt the rooms needed "upgrading" to justify the cost. Service was "Professional but not personal". The hotel has "much to recommend it" but it lacked ambience and the traffic noise was a big negative for the reviewer.