Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle

Newcastle is one city in the UK that I had never visited before, so when I was invited to go check out Jesmond Dene House which is just five minutes out of the city, I leapt at the chance. Jesmond Dene House is a grade II listed historical mansion built in 1822 that was converted in an independently owned hotel in 2005. The hotel has a fascinating history and was a well respected establishment in high society. Jesmond Dene has played host to many Chinese ministers and Japanese princes as well as the famous novelist Rudyard Kipling.

Today Jesmond Dene House boasts 40 bedrooms and suites, a restaurant with garden room and terrace, cocktail bar, billiard room, great hall and reception rooms and a beautiful contemporary style garden overlooking a river. The hotel is renowned in the Newcastle area for having won 'AA Hotel of the Year 08/09', the 'North East Tourism Small Hotel of the Year 2012', the 'Good Hotel Guide City Hotel of the Year 2013' and 'Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2013.'

As I arrived at Jesmond Dene House, I was highly impressed with the spacious car park, the luscious green gardens and the exterior of the building, which has been kept in excellent condition considering its age, I couldn't wait to see the inside. In the entrance of Jesmond Dene House was two beautiful wire sculptures from local sculpture Gary Tiplady. His work can be seen all around the hotel from the rabbit in the garden to the dogs in the entrance and bar area. We arrived to the hotel incredibly early and unfortunately our room wasn't quite ready, but the staff were really friendly and ordered us a taxi into Newcastle centre to pass the time. Our taxi cost us £7 which is really affordable for a large city and it meant that I could leave my car at the hotel and have a few drinks in the city centre without worrying about parking.

When we arrived back to the hotel we were promptly shown to our hotel room. I was really impressed with the room as it was homely, yet sophisticated and had lots of unique finishing touches that made our stay highly enjoyable. The mini bar was stacked with everything you could wish for on a luxury break from crisps to peanuts, champagne to diet coke. Although there was a charge for the mini bar, I thought the prices were quite reasonable compared to some of the hotels I have previously stayed at. I loved that our hotel room had the latest issues of Vogue and GQ magazines on the dressing table - these were lovely to read while waiting to go down for dinner and I really liked the vintage style DAB radio next to the bed. I don't know whether it was intentional, but as we walked into the room the radio was switched on and playing classical music, it really helped put us in a relaxing mood.

The bathroom in our hotel room was incredibly clean and yet again faultless. We had a bath in the evening and it was the perfect temperature and I was happy to see some Arran Aromatics miniatures on the side of the sink as I really like the brand. Arran Aromatics products have quite a sensual and relaxing scent that remind me of being at a spa and these scents were echoed throughout all the hotel in the form of Arran Aromatics diffusers in the hallways.

That evening my husband and I dined in the restaurant and had a superb meal, but to keep this review short and sweet, I will be doing a separate write up on the restaurant. When we returned to our room, as soon as our head hit the pillow both of us fell asleep. The mattress was a little bit on the firm side for me, but nevertheless I managed to get a great nights sleep and woke up bright and early and eager for breakfast the next morning.

The breakfast menu at Jesmond Dene House was everything you would expect from a luxury hotel - Eggs Benedict, Omelette Arnold Bennett and a continental breakfast of croissants, fruit and cereals. I opted for the Eggs Florentine which is a poached egg on spinach topped with a hollandaise sauce. I have to say the one I ate at Jesmond Dene House has to the best Eggs Florentine I've ever had. The yolk was perfectly runny, the hollandaise sauce was creamy but not too rich and the spinach was as fresh as can be. 

I really enjoyed my stay at Jesmond Dene House and I would go back there in a heartbeat. For those looking to visit Newcastle, but also wanting a little bit of space from the hustle and bustle of the city, Jesmond Dene House is the perfect place to visit. Whether you're looking for a romantic evening away, a girls day out with afternoon tea or a quiet family break, Jesmond Dene caters for all.

Have you been to Jesmond Dene House before?

*My stay at Jesmond Dene House was complimentary, but all views are my own.