Ox Pasture Hall Hotel, Scarborough

I do love a short break. Indeed I do. Especially a winter break where it is perfectly acceptable to do nothing but relax. Which is exactly what we did recently at our recent visit to the Ox Pasture Hall Hotel, near Scarborough.

Want to know details? Well, we arrived at Scarborough train station in plenty of time for the check in at 2pm. The weather wasn’t playing ball, so we got a taxi to the hotel (outside the station) which took less than 10 mins, and was around £7. The taxi driver opened the door for us (and on the way back) which made me smile ( I love great customer service – take not Hebden Bridge taxi drivers!).

After shaking off the rain in the reception area and cleaning my steamed-up glasses, we were greeted by staff who took us through to our suite, the Wetherby room. Oh my. It was really rather special. It included a lounge area, bedroom (with king size bed) and the grandest bathroom I’ve ever seen. Whilst the light was on my side I took a few pictures so you all could have a gander. Nice place, right?

The weather outside was so miserable and wet, so were happy that we had an Afternoon Tea booked for 2.30pm in the bar/lounge area. We had our eye on the comfy couch opposite a wood burning stove but a couple were using the area to go through their wedding ideas with a member of staff. So romantic, n’aw!

Our Afternoon Tea was served and we ate our way through homemade scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, finger sandwiches and a selection of miniature desserts. My favourite was the lemon cheesecake and lemon meringue pie  – so tiny! Having said that we couldn’t eat them all, so we took them back to the room where we planned, because of the bad weather, to do absolutely nothing! Yup, Lady Lazy I am.

After watching TV, reading and napping we began to think about our next plan. There was an iPod docking station and CD player in the room, as well as two TV’s; lots to keep you entertained while getting ready for dinner in the Courtyard Restaurant. There was meant to be free WiFi, but unfortunately the Wetherby room couldn’t connect well at all. However, they did have a WiFi booster near the room, so they are obviously trying to fix the problem. If you really need it, I’d suggest you check beforehand which room has the best connection. Considering it was the weekend, I thought Instagram and Pinterest could wait; the perfect chance to switch off!

I must admit we weren’t overly hungry by the time dinner came round  at 8pm, because of the Afternoon Tea we had earlier. I knew I would struggle to eat all three courses but couldn’t wait to sample their menu which I’d spotted earlier.

For starters the OH had Sweet Marinated Herring Fillet with Pickled Cucumber and Tartar Dressing and I had a Traditional Prawn Cocktail (I’m so predictable, and my mother’s daughter). Both beautifully presented, as I imagined, and delicious too. The OH then chose Beef for his main course and I had Confit Duck Leg. My duck was served with braised red cabbage (which was slightly rich for my taste) and dauphinoise potatoes (which I could have eaten a whole bowl of!). The OH enjoyed his meal apart from the brisket of beef but we were both too full to worry about that. We passed on dessert but we were told we had already sampled some of the deserts earlier (in mini form) for Afternoon Tea. That made me feel better. I hate turning away good deserts!

The next morning, we embraced our laziness a bit more and had breakfast in our room. I don’t think there’s anything better than breakfast in bed, it feels like an utter luxury and something we need to do more of at home (hello Valentine’s Day). The weather was still being a mardy bum so we had a relaxed morning eating, watching Andy Murray play in the Australian Open (and lose!), and showered in the BEST SHOWER IN THE WHOLE WORLD. Seriously, since using that bathroom we’ve both decided on having the same shower and fountain taps at home. Call us copycats.

If I had to name three things I loved about the hotel the most I would include the bathroom with its his and hers sinks, amazing shower and a deep bath that’s big enough for two. It’s facilities; two hairdryer’s, iPod dock, two TV’s, electric heater (just in case) and finally, the friendly staff. I’m big on customer service and so is Ox Pasture Hall. They were all really friendly and helpful and it felt like they all loved working there. My only disappointment was the weather which meant we couldn’t explore the grounds.  I’d had my heart set on strolling through the seventeen acres of land surrounding the country house hotel but it was just too wet, windy and cold. It turns out the room and hotel was enough for us to both come away relaxed and ready for our next trip, to York.

Thank you Ox Pasture for a perfect winter break!

♥

Disclosure: In collaboration with Ox Pasture Hall. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own