Park Head Country Hotel and Restaurant
Park Head Hotel Country Hotel and Restaurant in Country Durham has recently had some refurbishment and is now family owned and run so I was keen to stay and see the changes for myself.
I was glad to find that the car park was free with secure, well lit parking and CCTV, so I didn’t have to worry about my vehicle overnight. Arriving on a blustery and rainy, Saturday evening, I was glad to be welcomed by the warmth of the hotel. Immediately, I noticed the tasteful décor combining the old features of the 18th century coaching inn, such as the wooden beams with the new contemporary design in the bar area.
We were shown to our room by the owner Claire, who, despite having a function in the main hall, spent the time to take us out to the courtyard and to our place of rest for the night.
The room had everything that we needed; a single and double bed, tea and coffee making facilities, hanging space for clothes, a flat screen Freeview TV and a stocked bathroom, with a bath and shower. My mum was kindly left some gluten free biscuits on arrival as Claire had picked up on this in one of my previous reviews. There was also a direct dial telephone, hairdryer, trouser press and safes are available on request.
As everyone was settled in the large function room, we had the restaurant to ourselves. There was the option of a £5.00 dinner menu exclusive to residents of the hotel or a three course menu available. We both ordered meals that were not detailed on the menu; however Roxanne was very understanding and ordered the slightly amended dish choices and kept us stocked up with drinks all night. Through each course we were told that there were gluten free options available to us if we wanted. The steak and chicken were cooked to perfection and were presented beautifully! We expected nothing less, as Park Head has always be renowned for its food!
We were told also that the dining room we were sat in is due for renovation in the next two months to become a grill, of which there is nothing of its sort in the area. This will become a very derisible and niche place to go and eat and I am excited to return to try it out!
The hotel is in an ideal location, as it is away from the town centre, but set back from the road that leads directly to Durham and close to the motorway link to Newcastle, The Angel of the North and the Metro Centre. It is therefore great for people looking to visit the local towns and do a spot of shopping or sightseeing.
As well as the courtyard, there are rooms inside the main building too, which are ideal for people who are not able to walk far (the hotel is also disabled friendly) or single women staying over on business trips.
It not only caters for people staying in the hotel, but acts as a great venue for weddings, conferencing, birthdays and other large scale events such as christenings.
The hotel has a full marriage licence so you can do everything under one roof, with extra rooms to hold the guests from the day event.
Testament to the hotel is supported by the number of repeat customers and bus trips that return to Park Head for their famous Sunday carvery, made with locally sourced produce and daily food offerings from 12-9.
The staff were extremely approachable and friendly and were kind to offer information about the hotel when we asked. The personal touch of the one to one contact with the staff and the smaller details such as the provision of gluten free food to accommodate my mum made this a very welcoming environment in which to dine and stay. The hotel does also boast a beer garden and a children’s play area- perhaps for the warmer months!
I would recommend anyone to stay here for a weekend break to visit the local area, on business or for a large scale function. The prices are reasonable and the atmosphere and staff for me, was its biggest selling point.
Thanks to Claire, Avril, Roxanne and the rest of the staff for a lovely stay!
Park Head
Country Hotel & Restaurant
New Coundon,
Bishop Auckland,
County Durham,
DL14 8QB
Tel: 01388 661727
www.parkheadcountryhotel.co.uk
Tagged in Gluten Free Restaurant hotel review