Ye Olde Bell Hotel & Spa, Retford: Country Charm With Luxury Credentials

All photos by Bryan Dearsley / LuxuryUK

 

Ye Olde Bell Hotel & Spa has a lot going for it. Quality accommodations, excellent food and drink options, and a spa that’s as good as any five-star luxury resort (and I’ve sampled many). Located near Retford in Nottinghamshire, this classy countryside property bats well above its four-star rating in every category, whether it’s the food and drink experiences, the accommodations, or yes, its chic full-service spa.

That Ye Olde Bell has a long and storied past should come as no surprise. Set in the village of Barnby Moor, a quiet spot a couple of miles north of Retford where Nottinghamshire meets Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, the hotel stands on what was the original Great North Road. This important London to Edinburgh route carried mail coaches, stagecoaches, royalty, and even a fair number of highwaymen, for the best part of 300 years.

Being close to the midpoint between the two capitals of England and Scotland ensured Ye Olde Bell saw a little of all such traffic. It also made it a popular place to change horses, eat, and sleep before guests tackled the next leg of their journey. And when the modern A1 opened a couple of miles to the west in 1959, the traffic went with it, leaving the hotel to appeal to a new type of clientele: one looking for a quiet country getaway.

The History of Ye Olde Bell Hotel & Spa, Retford

While the exact age of the building is hard to pin down (something that’s typical of coaching inns of this vintage), it’s known to have started out as a 16th-century farmhouse. It took on its role as an inn around 1650, the year that gives the hotel’s main restaurant its name. Its fortunes were tied to the mail service inaugurated in 1635, which turned the Great North Road into one of the busiest arteries in the country.

The 20th century brought a long spell of prosperity under Hans Nielsen, whose tenure is remembered fondly in the hotel’s own account of its history. During the 1950s, the property kept five kitchen gardens, several greenhouses, and even an eel pond. Fresh salmon and beef were sent down from Scotland and collected at Retford station, and a separate buttery near the gardens was used to store whole cheeses.

Dinner dances filled the function rooms through the 1950s and 1960s, and the hotel became popular as a gathering point for competition cars. In 1972 it even hosted a re-enactment of the Edinburgh to London mail coach run, the first since 1845. The car connection has since been revived, and the hotel has hosted the Monte Carlo Rally checkpoint in recent years.

From Queen Vic to Harry Styles

A must-do at some point during your stay is to ask for a peek at Ye Olde Bell’s Distinguished Visitors Book. Kept safely under lock and key, it’s a who’s who of celebrities from the entertainment industry who have stayed here down the decades. It also reinforces the hotel’s fascinating mix between the old and the new as it includes legends from the 1900s to the 2000s.

From the past, I saw Charlie Chaplin had taken the time to extol the hotel’s charms, while newer guests to have signed it include Harry Styles, who visited with One Direction. Other big names include Bing Crosby, Oliver Reed, Joan Crawford, and Shirley Bassey, along with novelist Jilly Cooper. Two prime ministers also passed through: Sir Harold Wilson, who came with Lady Wilson, and Edward Heath.

Though you won’t find their names in the guest book, several Royals are also known to have stopped in. Queen Maud of Denmark kept a small suite of rooms at the hotel during the 1950s, believed to be what are now the Bell Room and Room 1. And hotel staff assured me that Queen Victoria also stayed here, too… and there’s even a date attached to her stay.

A young Princess Victoria visited in 1835 with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, while traveling north to York. Just 16 at the time and still a few years from the throne, she stayed in what is now the Victoria Suite, adding a whole other dimension to my stay as I slept in the same rooms, albeit nearly 200 years later. I also found out that Harry Styles also stayed in that same suite, a fact that earned me plenty of cool points among my younger friends.

Ye Olde Bell Retford Today

Visit Ye Olde Bell today, and the contrast between its rich history and its role as a 21st-century boutique-style luxury hotel only adds to its charm. Entering the white-painted 17th-century inn to check in, you’re greeted by old oak paneling, antiques, and real log fires… and the sort of old flooring that creaks agreeably underfoot.

Walk through to the rear of the property, though, and you’ll find the 17,000-square-foot state-of-the-art spa. Opened in 2017, it wouldn’t look out of place in a luxury beachside resort. Featuring a heated indoor-to-outdoor pool, a salt inhalation room, and even a snowstorm chamber (more on these later), the vibe is very much one of ultra-modern pampering.

The hotel offers 49 bedrooms, ranging from singles through to family rooms, as well as four suites, all of them styled individually by Hilary Levack. The rooms are spread between the main house, the courtyard behind it, and a small number of lodges, each area with its own unique character. The older rooms have low ceilings, exposed beams and antique furniture, while the courtyard rooms are newer and a little more generous with space, several of them fitted with mock four-poster beds and roll-top baths.

A Suite Fit for a Queen… and Harry Styles

The Victoria Suite is the one guests request, and I was lucky enough to get it. And it’s certainly fit for royalty. Spread across three rooms, the sitting room is what you see first, and it impresses both in size and style. A high molded ceiling rose centers around a large brass chandelier; the walls are papered in cream damask, and a black cast iron fireplace can be used on cooler nights.

Featuring more cushions than you can shake a stick at, the sumptuous bed features a half tester canopy hung with olive green drapes and really did suit the suite. Comfortable and cozy, you’ll feel like a million dollars lounged about on it in the plush bathrobe provided. A freestanding roll-top bath on polished claw feet awaits in the adjoining bathroom, and the large walk-in shower had plenty of water pressure.

If the Victoria Suite’s booked, several other rooms are worth requesting by name. The Lady Jane Suite overlooks the inn’s gardens, along with antique furniture and a crystal chandelier, while the Bradgate Suite is lined with paneling from Lady Jane Grey’s former home. The Levack Suite is another good option and features a wall of hotel memorabilia that’s fun to browse.

The Spa at Ye Olde Bell

The spa is another good excuse to visit Ye Olde Bell. Opened in 2017, this large multi-million-pound facility occupies a purpose-built structure behind the hotel and covers two levels. And it impresses the moment you enter. The ground floor is home to the thermal experiences, a bar, a hair salon and an outdoor relaxation area.

Upstairs are six treatment rooms plus the communal Rasul chamber and the Sabbia Med light therapy room. Both floors are fully accessible, with a lift serving the upper level. The centerpiece, though, is the vitality pool that includes a heated outdoor section, fitted with bubble loungers and a circuit of jets aimed at different parts of the body. Around it, thermal experiences include three saunas, one an alpine wood sauna scented with pine essence.

There’s also a herbal laconium, a steam bath, a salt inhalation room, a rain walk, and a stone bath, the only one of its kind in the UK. Add to this the snowstorm chamber, a cold experience to be used between heat sessions, and a Nordic room with fur rugs and an open fire (plus a drinks service from the bar), and we’re talking heaven.

An array of treatments are available and use Germaine de Capuccini products, a Spanish skincare line known for targeted and anti-aging work. The spa menu includes house rituals created specifically for the hotel. In addition to the pools and saunas, I enjoyed a superb, relaxing massage during my stay. Packages are available that combine a half or full day of spa access with a two-course lunch in the Herb Garden Brasserie plus a treatment of your choice. Non-guests are welcome.

Food and Drink Experiences

The main dining room at Ye Olde Belle, Restaurant Bar 1650 takes its name from the year the building is thought to have opened as an inn. The kitchen holds an AA Rosette for modern British cooking, with seasonal menus built around produce from Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire suppliers.

The alternative is the St Leger Bistro, named for the flat racing classic that takes place a few miles up the road. Racing memorabilia covers the walls, a nod to the fact that two racecourses are close by, and Yorkshire ales are on tap alongside an all-day menu of pub classics given a light contemporary treatment.

Breakfast is served daily and was also excellent, with fresh fruit and hot dishes cooked to order (go for the full English). The hotel also does afternoon tea and a traditional Sunday lunch.

Tips & Tactics for a Great Stay at Ye Olde Bell

Having enjoyed a very comfortable stay at Ye Olde Bell, I can recommend it to anyone looking for a characterful base in the East Midlands. With its superb spa facilities and quality accommodations, plus its innovative food and drink offerings, it’s well worth considering for a weekend or mid-week getaway.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Book the spa when you book the room. Thermal facilities must be reserved and paid for in advance, including for hotel residents, and weekend slots go early.
• Spa day packages usually include a two-course lunch in the Herb Garden Brasserie, so don’t book a table elsewhere on the same day.
• The Victoria Suite and the four-poster rooms are the ones to ask for if you’re marking an occasion. Request by name, rather than by category.
• Ask at reception if you want to see the Distinguished Visitors Book. It’s not on display, but it’s fun to leaf through.
• Designated areas of the bistro, terrace, and gardens are dog friendly, but confirm when booking as this doesn’t extend to every room.
• Ample free parking is available on site, on the long frontage that once served as a Monte Carlo Rally checkpoint.
• For prices, packages and reservations, visit yeoldebell-hotel.co.uk.
• Address: Ye Olde Bell Hotel & Spa, Barnby Moor, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 8QS.