Grantley Hall in Ripon has been crowned the Best Countryside Hotel in the UK at the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence 2023.

The popular North Yorkshire resort was featured among many other hotels, restaurants and spas across the UK, Europe and the Mediterranean.

Travel website Condé Nast said the awards are “created to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across our recommended properties.”

They added: “Our world-renowned Awards for Excellence are a trusted mark of quality recognised by consumers and travel professionals alike.”

@yorkshirefoodguide Introducing the Nordic Spa Garden at Grantley Hall 🧖🏻‍♀️🍃 🎥 @grantleyhall_ #yorkshire #spa #spaday #beautifuldestinations #uktravel #grantleyhall #staycation #sparetreat #hotel ♬ original sound - Yorkshire Food Guide

You can see the full list of winners here, including Best for Romance, Best Dining Experience and Best Afternoon Tea.

What did Condé Nast say about Grantley Hall?

Condé Nast said they “love” the Grantley Academy which “provides training opportunities for staff to continually instil top-quality service and hospitality.”

They added: “North Yorkshire’s Grantley Hall has all the hallmarks for a romantic yarn of yore: a grand mansion, landscaped grounds, meandering river… Even the Yorkshire Dales backdrop is positively Arcadian.

“But while time appears to have stood still for centuries, the fact is, this 17th-century, Grade II*-listed manor house has recently been reborn thanks to the Sykes family’s tireless restoration project.

“Behind the immaculate Palladian façade is a modern interpretation of classic interior design that encourages you to sit, slumber and slow down.

“Each of the 47 rooms and suites has a sumptuously large bed (the smallest is king size), a four-piece bathroom suite dressed in Italian marble and wonderfully revived historical features such as antique fireplaces.

“Many have far-reaching views over the grounds, which can also be admired from several outdoor terraces perfect for a summer evening tipple and bite to eat.”

The travel experts went on to say: “For a cocktail or two and the best view of Grantley’s Japanese garden, book a table at the pan-Asian Bar & Restaurant EightyEight.

“Alternatively, there’s Norton Bar or Valeria’s late-night Champagne and cocktail bar. Afternoon tea is taken in the Drawing Room, whilst British/European favourites are available in Fletchers and an unforgettable 10-course tasting menu featuring organic ingredients grown on-site is served in the Michelin Starred Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall.”

Gazette & Herald: Have you visted Grantley Hall in Ripon before for a meal or night away?Have you visted Grantley Hall in Ripon before for a meal or night away? (Image: Tripadvisor)

Condé Nast says you don’t want to miss out on a visit to Three Graces Spa and ELITE wellness facility “with six treatment rooms, an outdoor vitality pool, snow room, cryotherapy chamber, 3D body scanner, eatery and state-of-the-art fitness suite.”

On Tripadvisor, Grantley Hall has also been highly praised with a rating of 4.5/5 out of 732 reviews.

Someone who visited for afternoon tea commented: “We had an absolutely ultimate afternoon tea in the drawing room yesterday!

“The food was just beautiful and the service was excellent! I particularly enjoyed the English Breakfast Tea. Absolutely faultless.”

Meanwhile, another claimed Grantley Hall is “the better than all the rest”, posting this review: “A resounding moment of our stay was when we left and said....wow.

“Grantley Hall is simply the epitome of service and an experience. I have never stayed anywhere or eaten anywhere with such service and precision to the finest of details.

“A number of staff we spoke with during our stay proudly boasted of the hotel being the best in the UK. I'd agree! It is the best and better than all the rest.”

Voting for the Condé Nast 2024 shortlisted properties is open until Monday, October 23, 2023.