Slaley Hall Hotel review: a great base for exploring Northumberland’s best bits

In the Northumberland hills, close to Corbridge and Hexham you'll find Slaley Hall, an impressive hotel, spa and golf course that spreads over 1,000 acres of countryside. 

The biggest draw for families at Slaley Hall is the fact that kids under 16 stay completely free when they share your room. And if your family is in need of a second room, you get 20% off - which is appreciated if you need adjoining accommodation.

The hotel has everything you need for families with school-aged children and serves as an excellent base for uncovering the region's rich Roman heritage. Grown-ups can relax in the hotel's on-site Elemis Spa and golfers are spoilt for choice with not one, but two PGA championship courses spanning 36 holes. Kids aged six and over can join in the fun at neighbouring Allout Adventures. Just a short walk from the main entrance of the hotel, the company offers activities like quad biking, trekking, clay pigeon shooting, archery and more. 

If your children are preschool age or younger, however, there's not actually a lot to do. My children are three and two years old, and while the indoor pool was enough to keep them entertained, there's not much else here to do for young tots.

With that said, what Slaley Hall lacks in facilities for young children, it makes up for with its location. History buffs will find themselves in close proximity to iconic sites like Corbridge Roman Town and Hadrian's Wall, which if you're an English Heritage member, is ideal. Not into history? Head to nearby open-air museum, Beamish or the Blue Reef Aquarium, or if you want a spot of shopping, enjoy a day out in Hexham. 

So, for families with older offspring seeking a countryside stay, Slaley Hall has just what you need. But if you have tiny guests in tow, be prepared to get creative with entertainment!

How we tested

My husband and I stayed at Slaley Hall Hotel with our two young children for one night in April. We live in West Yorkshire and so the journey there was a little over 90 minutes straight up the A1. I’d advise travelling by car as the nearest train station is in Hexham, around eight miles away.

During our stay, I had the opportunity to try out a treatment at the Elemis Spa and all four of us enjoyed a few hours in the indoor pool. We had our evening meal at Hadrian's Brasserie, followed by a woodland walk to enjoy the grounds (and tire the kids out). Given our children are still young, we had a family movie night in our room complete with popcorn and complimentary sweets that we hid from our DC and ate ourselves.

The next day, we had a buffet breakfast in the same restaurant and checked out shortly after. While check out is at 11am, we headed off an hour earlier to explore the Roman sites nearby before our journey back to Leeds. 

What are the rooms like?

We stayed in a feature twin room, which had a great view of the golf course. The room itself was comfortable, clean and smelt like it had just been recarpeted. 

We had an ensuite bath and shower, a seating area, a work desk with a lamp, a huge Freeview TV as well as the usual tea and coffee making facilities. There was also a room safe, telephone, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. 

We had two double beds, which was enough space for husband and I to share and then the kids shared together. This wasn't a problem as they're still small in size but families with older and/or more children will need a bigger room or adjoining rooms (with 20% off, don’t forget) for extra space.

If you’re in need of a bigger room for your family, family rooms, superior rooms and suites are available. If you’re travelling with a very young baby or toddler who requires a crib still, a classic double would easily fit you all.  

What activities are on offer at Slaley Hall Hotel?

• 36-hole golf course

• Spa and health centre with indoor pool

• Allout Adventures next door for outdoor activities 

• Onsite gym

For families seeking an active getaway, Slaley Hall has plenty of options. Kids aged six and above can unleash their energy at the nearby Allout Adventures which offers experiences like paintballing, quad biking, quad trekking, axe and knife throwing, clay pigeon shooting, archery and more. Not all activities are suitable from six, so make sure to check before you book activities. 

Back at the hotel, the 36-hole championship golf courses beckon parents seeking to indulge in a round or two while other family members are occupied elsewhere. While DH didn’t have a chance to test out the course, he did check out the gym, which he found had everything you’d expect and need for exercise during your stay.

For relaxation, the hotel’s Elemis Spa is the place to be and is open to guests aged 16 years old and over (although not all treatments are available for under 18s, so double check). Enjoy easy access to the hotel’s indoor pool before or after your treatment.

Slaley Hall's expansive grounds invite families to reconnect with nature through woodland walks. With our two in tow, we managed to explore the grounds and even enjoyed some fun on the lawn at the rear of the hotel - and yes, that included roly polys down a hill.

Despite there not being a lot to do with little kids, I suspect if we were to return in a few years time, Slaley Hall would be the perfect getaway. 

What amenities are available for kids?

The hotel provides the basics for younger children, like cots in bedrooms and high chairs in the restaurants. Crayons were given to our kids during dinner, which was welcomed as DH and I could actually relax a little during our meal. 

The indoor swimming pool was probably the highlight of our stay, particularly for our kids. I wasn’t able to get too many pictures as no photos are allowed, but there was a shallow pool, the main pool (which doesn’t have a deep end), a feature waterfall, a hot tub, and a slide for kids. There were signs of wear and tear in parts (like along the rock features near the water), which could use some TLC, but overall the changing rooms and pool area were nice to use and safe for the kids.

Despite there being dedicated swim times for kids, we found that this worked well around our schedule (ie before and after nap time) and was a great way to keep them occupied before dinner. We were pleased to find swim essentials available to purchase, including swim nappies and armbands. This was appreciated as it's a 20-minute drive to Hexham for the nearest B&M or supermarket. 

What's the food and drink like? 

Our dining experiences were a mixed bag. Before our evening meal, we headed to 19th Bar for a drink and spent £17 on two adult drinks (beer and spirit/mixer) and two juices for the kids. 

The price may not sound expensive compared to city prices like in Manchester or London, but you can imagine my Yorkshire husband's reaction. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening meal at the hotel's main restaurant, Hadrian's Brasserie. Despite finding the service to be a little slow, we were pleased to discover that children can dine for free when eating with a paying adult. Children aged five years old and below can enjoy two courses for free - so for two adults, two children can eat for free. 

Thankfully the provided colouring sheets kept them busy enough until their food came, which was worth the wait. The kids portions were huge, and both DH and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals of steak and a mushroom burger. 

Unfortunately we were unable to check out the hotel's third dining experience, Claret Jug, due to a wedding function. 

Breakfast the next day was also in Hadrian's Brasserie and was what you'd expect from a buffet with both cooked and continental offerings. 

Here, the same rules apply: breakfast is free for children under five when accompanied by a paying adult, and then it’s £5 for kids aged 6 to 12, and £7.50 for children aged 13 to 16.

There weren't any showstoppers in terms of food, but the buffet did the job of feeding the four of us to start our day properly. 

What's the spa like? 

Unlike other Q Hotel spas I've visited (like Oulton Hall), I found the one at Slaley Hall to be hard to navigate as, due to its layout, some of the treatment rooms are very close to actual bedrooms. This meant I could hear fellow guests roaming the halls during my massage.

That's not to say my spa treatment wasn't lovely, though. In fact, my body exfoliation scrub and back massage was incredibly relaxing (and my therapist, Charlotte, was very friendly and professional) - it's just a shame any calmness I felt was replaced by my excitable kids splashing in the pool in the afternoon. 

The spa is attached to the hotel's swimming pool, which is great if you want to enjoy a treatment while your partner watches the kids (and take turns). Although, if you're there for a relaxing spa retreat as a couple or with friends, you'd probably be annoyed to find kids in the same pool. 

The hotel tries to balance this by having specific swim times for children throughout the week. As we visited on a Saturday, we were able to enjoy the pool from 3pm onwards - but even then felt a little unwelcomed as spa guests watched on. I was incredibly conscious that my children were making too much noise and of course, we were faced with a swimmer doing lengths that we needed to keep dodging in the water. And yes, I'll admit, my backside collided with her head at least once. 

What is there to do nearby? 

Allout Adventures is right next door and is great if your school-aged children enjoy adrenaline-packed experiences. Venture out a little further and you’ll find Beamish, which is Northumberland’s open-air museum, and the Blue Reef Aquarium. In my experience, an aquarium is always a good option for younger children. 

History buffs will enjoy the hotel's close proximity to iconic sites like Hadrian's Wall, Corbridge Roman Town, Vindolanda and Chesters Roman Fort & Museum. If you're an English Heritage member, there are plenty of sites to see within a 30- to 60-minute drive of the hotel. 

We checked out early to explore as I was determined to see Hadrian’s Wall. We headed to Corbridge Roman Town first. If, like us, you're not English Heritage members, be prepared to spend over £30 for a family of four to visit each site.

Parts of Hadrian's Wall are intact however and you only need to pay the price of a parking ticket to visit. 

In our efforts to see a preserved part of the wall, we had lunch at The Sill which overlooks Steel Rig. If you're keen to see the 2,000-year-old wall up close with young kids (while avoiding English Heritage entry fees), I'd recommend taking a baby carrier or a backpack carrier and heading to Steel Rig. 

There's parking available here, but if it's full, you can park at The Sill and walk up the hill. We didn't realise this and feared our kids wouldn't make the trek, so we settled on seeing Hadrian's Wall from afar from the comfort of The Sill while refuelling before our journey home. 

For those who wish to explore more of the north, Newcastle is a 40-minute drive away and is home to several child-friendly attractions including the Life Science Centre, the Discovery Museum, Quayside, the Victoria Tunnel, Newcastle Castle and the Theatre Royal to name a few.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts is a writer, editor, and content marketing expert hailing from Leeds. Here at Mumsnet, she commissions, writes, and edits to bring parents content designed to make life easier. As a mum of two herself, she knows all too well how difficult travelling with kids can be. Whether it’s within the UK or abroad, she’s on a quest to find only the best and most family-friendly locations, with the help of Mumsnet user recommendations. 

Beyond her role as an editor here at Mumsnet, Rebecca can be found balancing life as a working mum of two toddlers and when she’s not at her desk, you’ll likely find her at a local playgroup, in a nearby coffee shop, or walking the dog up and down country lanes.