Destination: Middlethorpe Hall and Spa, Middlethorpe; Age appeal: Not for very small children; When to go: All year round.

Our faces said it all - mouths agog at the sheer majesty of Middlethorpe Hall when we pulled into the car park.

My wife and I were staying for the weekend at the country house hotel that dates back to 1699, and despite seeing a number of pictures and visiting the company's website, the sheer opulence of the hall hadn't registered.

We were still slightly in awe of the building when we made our way to reception to be greeted by manager Lionel Chatard. Any feeling of being out of our depth immediately disappeared as the cordial Frenchman made us more than welcome.

Check-in took literally seconds and we were shown to our room in the main part of the house - only ten rooms are available in the main body and there are a further 16 rooms in the courtyard, all individually designed and with original furnishings, mostly sourced from Sotheby's and Christies.

The furnishings have been sourced from the period the house - once regularly visited by famous diarist Lady Mary Wortley Montagu - was originally constructed, thus giving an authentic feel to the surroundings.

So much so, in fact, it was like paying to visit a stately home, but the barriers have been removed and you can sit on the exquisite furniture.

Our room was the perfect size for a couple and we immediately felt at home. What really made the room was the minutiae - a vase of fragrant gladiolli, a little tin of homemade buttery biscuits and a complimentary bottle of spring water.

Just walking around the hotel was a history lesson as each creaking floorboard told a tale of deeds long gone. Yet despite being steeped in history, there's nothing old fashioned about the quality of service (a tray of piping hot coffee was delivered within seconds of being ordered) or the fixtures and fittings - the television in the room boasted a DVD player and guests are welcome to use the hotel's library of films.

At dinner on our first evening, again, it was the little things that made for a perfect night. We had an aperitif in the perfectly lit drawing room as the flickering fire bounced contented shadows around.

Monsieur Chatard took time to have a quick chat, a feat he managed with most guests which contributed to making you feel special.

The drawing room again felt steeped in history, but this is a nod in the direction of the restorative skills of Historic House Hotels as it had been a nightclub disco in the early 1970s. You would have expected to see James Mason or Margaret Lockwood from the period film The Wicked Lady in the room rather than John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever.

Dinner was excellent, starters of egg pasta with spinach, mushroom and parmesan and red mullet, main courses of fillet of lamb and roast fillet of cod with fennel, parmesan and chicken crackling, plum tart with ice cream and cheese and walnut bread washed down with a perfect pinot noir as recommended by Mr Chatard (a Frenchman's word on wine is good enough for me).

The following day proved an ideal opportunity to explore parts of North Yorkshire we'd only ever visited with half an eye on the clock as we'd have to set off for home. The Knavesmire is literally just over the road from the hotel, York is ten minutes drive while Bishopthorpe, where the Archbishop of York resides, is only a two minute drive from Middlethorpe Hall.

My wife also took advantage of one of the many treatments available at the spa, opting for a Molton Brown recharge body polish which left her positively glowing.

Guests can also make use of the swimming pool, sauna and mini gym on the site of the spa, a double cottage which has shrewdly been developed so none of the period feel has been lost.

Breakfast on both days was delicious, we opted for a traditional cooked breakfast on Saturday but were daring on the Sunday and sampled salmon and scrambled eggs. And the perfect way to ensure the general feeling of well-being was maintained after breakfast was a walk around the 20 acre grounds complete with helipad which feature delightful gardens, a lake straight out of a painting by Monet and numerous wildlife, such as squirrels and rabbits.

Historic House Hotels have three properties - Middlethorpe, Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire and Bodysgallen Hall in Llandudno - and should they all maintain the same high standards as Middlethorpe, you would struggle to find a more luxurious place to enjoy that extra special break.

Although the room rates are not inexpensive - prices start from £115 - the sense of contentment and well-being is priceless and again, at the end of our stay, our faces said it all - we both bore beaming grins when we pulled out of the car park to make our way home.

FACT FILE
  • Middlethope Hall is situated a mile and a half south of York, close to the Racecourse.
  • The hotel offers singles from £115, doubles from £180 and suites from £265 per night including a continental breakfast and use of the spa facilities.
  • Lunch costs £17 for 2 courses or £23 for 3 courses. A 3-course dinner costs £39, Sunday luncheon is £24.50 and afternoon tea is £14.95.
  • Historic York has many places of interest including the Minster, Racecourse, Jorvik Viking Museum, City Walls, York University Observatory, Clifford's Tower, cruises on the River Ouse, Castle Museum, National Railway Museum, Yorkshire Wheel and plenty of shopping opportunities.