Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel

Holbeck Ghyll performs brilliantly in all its departments – how rarely one can say that? – but it has one outstanding feature: its position. Several hundred feet above the tourist throngs below, its rooms command a majestic view of the distant hills and mountains. I put that view on a par with that from The Gritti Hotel in Venice overlooking the Salute and the Grand Canal or the one from the Taj Mahal looking across to the Gateway to India in Mumbai. We had this commanding view from our bedroom, but we also appreciated the same view from the Lounge with the bonus of a superior telescope and a chart identifying the mountains in the distance. The building dates from the late Victorian period, and the management has sensibly furnished it an appropriate style, with no attempt to introduce modern features which would clash with the structure. But I nowhere felt that the hotel was “dated”. The public rooms were cheerful and colourful, and no doubt helped to prevent that dreadful hush, which one often finds in less welcoming environments. The cuisine is an essential ingredient to any good hotel experience. Holbeck Ghyll has enjoyed a Michelin star for eleven years, and the chef absolutely lived up to his reputation at dinner. Very fresh local produce was one impressive feature of our meal. The presentation was pretty impressive too. And breakfast was no letdown. A buffet yes – but a superior version with the full breakfast offering an embarrassing temptation to over-indulge. Our room and the en-suite bathroom contained all the accessories one could think of. Service was outstanding. The staff emanated pleasure at working in such a first-class hotel.