Feversham Arms Hotel, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, England - Explore & Book

"The long, low, honey-coloured building, tucked behind the church off Helmsley’s Market Place in North Yorkshire, is deceptive. From the outside, it resembles a handsome country pub (which it once was); inside it reveals a sprawl of country-contemporary bedrooms, a smart dining room (with 2 rosettes), a sleek glass-fronted spa and a sun-trap courtyard with a heated open-air pool so you can swim all year round.Public rooms have a modern country-inn look – plaid carpets, pale-grey walls, Windsor chairs, and splashes of tangerine amongst sea-blue wool-covered chairs and sofas – with a refreshing lack of clutter. There’s a log fire in the bar-lounge, modern art and landscape photography on the walls, and a light-filled, metropolitan-chic dining room. The smart yet relaxed ambiance charms retired folk, outdoorsy types and hard-working couples and families in need of recharging. With two lounges and a library, there are plenty of cosy nooks to bag as your own after you’ve blasted the cobwebs on the nearby North York Moors, admired ruined abbeys, browsed the local independent shops or succumbed to yet another afternoon tea. Highs Rooms are generous with quality treats such as robes, underfloor-heated bathrooms; all but one with bath and showerThe all-year-round heated, outdoor pool is magical on a wintry evening with steam rising in the night airDelicious, refined and locally-sourced food in the restaurant, and there’s a separate vegetarian menu, too Reception staff, like most of the team, are warm and welcoming with good local tips and advice Lows The spa thermal experience area is not large so can feel cramped even if only a few other guests are using itIf dogs aren’t your thing, be aware they’re allowed in most of the hotelBalconies of spa suites and patios of poolside suites have no privacy from guests in and around the poolThe bells of the church next door sound the hours (and quarters) from 6am until 11pm" - Helen Pickles