Blackwell Grange

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2026

Andrew

Room was excellent and staff were polite and helpful

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Lee

Perfect

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2026

Oliver

hotel is stunning with great facilities

Business

4/10

Poor

14 Jan 2026

Garry

The room was filthy and very neglected lamp shades stained curtain hooks hanging off the wall and bed covers felt they hadn’t been changed .Not a great experience

Business

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2025

James

Great staff good breakfast

8/10

Excellent

19 Oct 2025

jenn

Staff brilliant, and incredibly friendly and engaging.
Room tidy, comfortable and clean.
The only downside was breakfast, I had to be at a place of work at 8, breakfast on Saturdays starts at 8. Fortunately I was allowed to have available cereals and coffee. Not ideal for a 10 hour shift.
Otherwise the hotel was stunning.

Business

4/10

Poor

13 Oct 2025

Arlene

We had no wifi the whole 3 days we stayed at this hotel. Complained about tv but no-one paid any attention. Shower ran hot and cold.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2025

Enid

I have stayed there before and each time my experience has been good

6/10

Pleasant

27 Aug 2025

susan

Not so great

Very basic info provided at check in. Advised them beforehand we were going for my partners birthday, there was nothing provided. Even a card would have been nice.
Room was clean but small and compact.
Evening reception staff very abrupt. Wouldn’t stay again unless better customer service was offered

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2025

Gary D

Great hotel , will defiantly return again

Two nights , lovely room , lovely breakfast , great amenities . Lovely grounds around hotel

Partner

4/10

Poor

17 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Disappointed

Building is gradually becoming more run down. Mattress really hard. Wedding party until late very loud, then someone clattering in a van at 7am. Receptionists not overly helpful. When I drop the key off before leaving, not even asked if I had a good stay. One good point was the staff were happy to give me fresh milk in a jug for a cup of tea. It is such a shame as the location was so convenient for us.

Partner

2/10

Poor

11 Aug 2025

Anthony

Shower terrible!!

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jul 2025

Frank

The staff were very good and attentive.A really good thing would be if the attentiveness could be carried onto keeping the bar surface and tables wiped clean more often and the dining room floor needs brushing up and cleaning on a more regular basis.I put this sort of downfall into managers needing to be more vigilant and to up their game.Overall it was a good stay lovely clean well appointed room but that cleanliness does not transfer to the bar and dining room areas.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2025

Sheila

Delightfully stylish hotel

Excellent service throughout the hotel .

Business

4/10

Poor

06 Jun 2025

C H

Sadly, I was quite disappointed with this hotel. It started off poorly when, after queuing up for 15 minutes to check in, we got to the room and the card didn’t work on the door. Had to go all the way back to reception, at which point the queue was even longer than it was at check in. I stood at the side of the desk and mentioned to the young lady on reception that the card wasn’t working and she said I had to rejoin the end of the queue and wait again. I asked if she could just update the card while the current guest was filling in their paperwork and she rudely pointed out that I must join the back of the queue like everyone else.
There were stains on the carpet in the room, one of the lights above the bed was wonkey and the room wasn’t generally in keeping with what I’d expect from what is a very nice old building.
Then there’s the spa. Apparently they had just spent £1Million refurbishing it all, I can’t see it. The pool area was tiny, no beds to lay on and not even anywhere to hang towels or robes so we had to put them on the floor. The hot tub outside was cold, it clearly hadn’t been checked all day and must have had a lot of people using it as there was a wedding on. The water in it was about a foot below the recommended level and there was a lot of foam on the top like it hadn’t been treated. Even though the pool was open until 8pm that day, they turned the water machine off in the spa reception as the staff left at 6pm which was frustrating.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2025

Emily

This place is amazing for a nice night away 💞

Nothing is too much for the staff and are extremely attentive to any need

Had a meal food was delicious

The drinks from the bar were a bit pricey so make sure you take money

Spa facilities are not massive but quaint

Room was beautiful and clean

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2025

Tony

A Must Stay

I recently stayed at the Blackwell Grange Hotel and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Set within beautiful grounds and surrounded by mature trees, the hotel strikes the perfect balance between historic charm and modern comfort. The building itself is stunning — full of character — with elegant interiors and a welcoming atmosphere throughout.

My room was spacious, clean, and well-equipped, with a very comfortable bed and a lovely view of the gardens. The leisure facilities, including the pool and gym, were well-maintained and a fantastic bonus for a relaxing break.

The staff were consistently helpful, friendly, and professional. From check-in to check-out, they made me feel genuinely welcome and nothing was too much trouble. Dining at the hotel was also a pleasure — the food was fresh, well-prepared, and served in a lovely setting. Breakfast had a great range of options, catering to different tastes.

Location-wise, it’s ideal — close enough to Darlington town centre yet tucked away enough to feel like a peaceful retreat. Whether you’re staying for business, a weekend break, or a special occasion, Blackwell Grange offers excellent value and a touch of luxury.

I’ll definitely be returning and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Business

8/10

Excellent

22 Apr 2025

Verified traveler

Nice stay

Nice ground and reception area. Rooms are dated and roasting hot. Not bad value and staff were brilliant.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2025

Sheila

Strongly recommend staying here.

Delightful stay, excellent room . I was very comfortable indeed . Dining room is lovely & the meal was delicious.

Business

6/10

Pleasant

17 Mar 2025

Verified traveler

One night stay

Hotel was nice room was supposed to be a premium room but I would not class it as premium thought room was a little rough around the edges was there for a wedding thought organisation wasn’t great staff were nice and pleasant

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2025

Jacqueline

Love staying at Blackwell Grange. They always make you feel so welcome. The grange has its mix of the tradition and the modern. The grounds are lovely for a little stroke around too. It will be fantastic when the update on the spar is completed.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2025

Scott

Wonderful place to stay

The staff were great at the hotel and very helpful. I would recommend to anybody who’s thinking about staying.

Ben in the restaurant was a really nice fella. We had a really relaxing weekend here!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2025

matt

Great hotel

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2024

linzi

Lovely hotel, felt very festive. Staff welcoming and room was spotless. Would stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2024

Verified traveler

3 ⭐️

Lovely CS and warm welcome.
Hotel was very decorated and Christmassy.
Quality of room service was disappointing, food tasted frozen then fried which was greasy and bland.
Room was clean and tidy. Lots of goodies to choose from for a hot drink in the room.
Shower was spacious, very hot water.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2024

Craig

Brilliant all round Experience..

Partner

4/10

Poor

07 Nov 2024

Martyn

Must do better

Restaurant wouldn’t sit me immediately and wanted me to wait 45 minutes so they cater for a function so had to go and get dinner elsewhere. Bins were also emptied at 5am outside my room which was the great start to the day which included work meetings and a 4 hour drive home.

Business

6/10

Pleasant

29 Oct 2024

Sophie

The room we stayed in was lovely the only thing is we paid extra to have the newer room in the carriage house but if you get allocated on the ground floor it’s so noisy with everyone else coming in and staying above with walking we kept getting woken up. The pool has recently revived and update but everywhere else in the spa is old and grubby. It needs finishing as it doesn’t seem like a spa. Outdoor hitting was also broken and not in action.
The breakfast in the morning was lovely and one of the best around.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2024

[email protected]

Good value nice place

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Oct 2024

Uche

An exceptional experience.

I enjoyed every bit of my stay. Worth it.

Partner

4/10

Poor

04 Oct 2024

Natasha

Old dated room

Was very disappointed. Stayed before and re booked as loved it! However this time I was put in a very dated old room.
Terrible smell.
Dirty
Also very loud!

Business

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2024

Alastair

comfortable and friendly

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2024

Rian

Great location, fantastic service and restaurants

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2024

Antony

Great place. Stayed many times for work. Friendly and helpful staff, clean, decent food

Business

8/10

Excellent

25 Aug 2024

Angela

Hotel itself was lovely..we didnt have breakfast as thought it a little pricy. Rooms were comfortable. Only criticism would be, the noise after 1am from the wedding guests outside our room.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2024

Jackie

Close to centre of Darlington

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

08 Aug 2024

Aled

Living on past successes. Very tired in areas.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2024

Peter

Excellent stay!

Really enjoyable stay. Havelock restaurant to be recommended. Staff friendly and very helpful. Will be back!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2024

Graham

Lovely hotel.

Over night stay for a friend's evening wedding reception, room was great, shower powerful and hot. Bed comfortable. Breakfast was very nice.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Jun 2024

Steve

Tired

Decent hotel, rooms slightly tired. Food in the restaurant was OK.
Could have done with the sauna opening at the same time as the SPA.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2024

NIGEL

Great place to stay, well located.

Business

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2024

Nigel

A rather tired hotel. Not as grand as it once was. Seems to have lost the feel of an old country house. Staff were excellent. Food average.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 May 2024

Richard

Lovely stay. Pool was a little small but everything else was great. Excellent value.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2024

Antony

Great hotel

Floor was being replaced so part of the kitchen was out of action for evening meals and there was a reduced menu. This wasn’t a problem though as there were still lots of dishes to choose from. Staff are always friendly, helpful and polite. Rooms are big and comfy. Top hotel. Shall return!

Business

8/10

Excellent

22 Apr 2024

Steven

Traditional hotel, small room

Traditional hotel with dated decor in rooms. Room was quite small and cramped but comfortable. Food was good and staff were helpful and pleasant. Good choice of items at the breakfast buffet.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2024

gareth

Lovely place with bags of character

Lovely hotel for a relaxing short break. Nice little pool and hot tub to chill in and an outdoor sauna which was really cool (not litdrally!!) Pool is pretty small so I expect could get busy but we had it pretty muxh to ourselves, changing rooms could maybe do with a little but of a makeover. Room.was really clean, bed was ok and bathroom all modern. The evening meal in the hotel restaraunt was excellent as was breakfast. Would defiinatley visit again and no hesitation in reccomending.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

03 Apr 2024

Peter

Great stay!

Fantastic staff. Nothing is a bother to them and they really make the difference!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Mar 2024

diane

Excellent for a short stay

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2024

Brett

Would recommend

Great place, used a meeting room there also, and restaurant also brilliant food 👌

Business

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2024

Barry

The hotel has a wonderful character, and the rooms are of a good size and well presented. The staff were excellent, across all aspects of the hotel. We were part of an event function in the evening and the food was outstanding - the best lamb shanks we have ever had! We could not fault our stay at all. We will definitely be using this hotel again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2024

N

Stayed for a private function. Comfortable and clean. Friendly staff.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2024

Phil

Limited breakfast options ie £12.50 and I’m not much of a breakfast chap
And I was a short stay turnaround guest
So unable to use gym could this be reflected in room price???

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2024

rebecca

Lovely hotel we stayed very last minute and the service was great all round

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2024

Ian

Relaxing , good value break

Great 2 night stay for a wedding , room beautiful, clean and well maintainded ,
Breakfast good , plenty of choice , meal in restaurant Friday was very nice .
Overall lovely stay

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

24 Feb 2024

Verified traveler

Nice for one night

You drive up and it’s quite majestic, plenty of parking and it looks amazing!
Check in was good and the lady took my card so I could charge extras to the room.
The room (217) couldn’t have been further away from expectations - to be clear, it was clean and spacious and very comfortable but somehow doesn’t match the rest of the property and there are certainly no rooms like this one in the gallery. It’s very 1970s feeling. The corridor is also very old compared to other corridors - almost like you’re being transported back in time.

I ordered room service and this came promptly but was asked to pay (rather that allow the charge to the room) - not a massive issue but one to note. The food itself was ok but the veg was not to my taste.
I had a decent sleep, the room itself was comfy and spacious. All the staff are really pleasant.

Business

4/10

Poor

16 Feb 2024

Sarah

Average

I presume they have different rooms of different standard here. Our room was at the back and was just a bit basic for a 4 star hotel. The changing rooms for the pool are a bit grim and the pool isnt big enough for the amount of people using it as a gym. The food was good but service was slow. The bar area is lovely.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2024

paul

happiness

had a great time nothing was too much trouble for staff will definatly stay there again

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2024

Gary

I stay here everytime im in the NE as its a lovely hotel, gym and pool and very good and the food menu changes regulary and is always fresh and at a very good level.

Business

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2024

Simone

Lovely place to stay

The hotel is lovely. The rooms were a good size, clean and comfortable, with 2 chairs. The restaurant was again clean and comfortable, though I did feel it was a bit chilly. The staff were lovely and helpful, but the food delivery was very slow. The restaurant was not busy, but we waited over an hour for our food. The food was tasty with good portions. At no point, whilst we were settling our bill, were we asked if our stay had been alright. It felt like a definite lack of customer care.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Jan 2024

Donna

Property was clean and room small but tidy and well equipped other than there being no sockets on the side of the room where the bed was. Staff very friendly and premises lovely inside. Definitely would stay again.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Jan 2024

NICOLA

Parking was really good.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2024

Imogen

Great stay in lovely hotel

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2024

Cormac

Good value for money

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2023

Carl

Perfect stay as always

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2023

June

Recommend. Lovely place to sray

Business_and_leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Nov 2023

David

Hotel is ideal to stay at when watching Darlington FC play.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2023

David

Very convenient to watch Darlington FC beat the Welsh from Chester. Nuce short walk to the ground. Staff always pleasant and efficient. Poppies for sale on front desk very good.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2023

David

Staff and food were excellent throughout our 2 night stay

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2023

David

easy to find, excellent location , smashing staff, excellent food. Had a great time. Recommended.

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2023

Debra

Not the best stay I've ever had

We have stayed at the Blackwell Grange many times and we are aware that there are often events taking place. However, on our recent stay there was a wedding and therefore loud music which finished at a reasonable hour (midnight) BUT underneath our room window people congregated to smoke and carry on the party whilst outside. The noise, the smoke, the volume and the language meant we had to close to window to try and block the noise and smoke but the noise was louder than we had thought and could still be heard above the TV we had on in the room. This happened several times during the evening/night. The party then appeared to move to the corridor outside our room and at this point it was already the early hours of Sunday morning. It wasn't the most pleasant stay I have had. This will not put us off staying again as the hotel and staff etc is lovely. It would just seem that a dedicated smoking area should be available somewhere away from weary travellers!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Nov 2023

J G

Another Night Away

3rd or 4th visit to this hotel. Never let’s me down.

Business

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2023

Dominique

Lovely hotel, staff were very accommodating and helpful, rooms were a little run down and tired.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2023

Harry

Friendly Darlington

Lovely hotel, nice setting, friendly staff and a good gym!

Business

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2023

Mr Donald

All good for second stay at this property. Also enjoyed half price golf at the same name course nearby. Only issue this time was snoring heard from next room!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Oct 2023

Graeme

Lovely hotel.

The hotel was lovely not what we expected at all.

The reception staff were not very friendly at all but the rest of the staff were nice.
Breakfast was good and had a nice selection of food .

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2023

Alan

staff very friendly and helpful only problem booked a wake up call, never happened.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Sep 2023

Alan

Managing with a wheelchaired partner

The accessible room was excellent with wet room and a sitting area, as with many hotels there wasn't a hook to hang a dressing gown in the wet room. Reception said they had received this comment and will pass it on as it appears a regular comment. Staff and other visitors very supportive helping when needed with wheeling my wife through doors and in the dining area.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Sep 2023

David

Don't be disabled.

There was only parking available at the back, in the disabled on the first day, which meant a long walk to find my room. On the second day EVERY place for parking was taken. I was told to park at the front of the hotel. Thankfully as i did not have SO far rom my room. There is no consideration for disabled in the Hotel.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2023

Carl

Excellent

4/10

Poor

28 Aug 2023

Jeremy

Room felt cold and damp.

I'd really like to give the Blackwell Grange a decent rating as it's a good location, there's plenty of parking, the staff are friendly, the bar is good and the restaurant (for breakfast) also good. It's also very good value for money.

However, we just did not feel comfortable in our room (room 124 in the North Wing). The room is dark and feels cold. However the worst part is that the room feels permanently damp. Housekeeping mop the floor everyday and it takes hours to dry (it's so bad my wife spent 20 mins with the hairdryer drying it off one day), the towels in the bathroom never dry and your fresh clothes feel cold and damp when putting them on. We thought we may have been imaging this but the fact that our dirty laundry was all damp when we got home really makes us think that something is wrong. The room probably needs a good airing (difficult for a ground floor room with no safe to keep valuables in) and less mopping of the floor.

A shame really as we liked everything else. We would return but would not want a ground floor room in the North Wing.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Aug 2023

Gail

Highly recommended for a comfortable weekend away.

My husband and I booked into the hotel for our anniversary weekend. From arrival, to departure, the service was great and the staff very friendly. We had no issues, and felt relaxed and comfortable throughout our 3 night stay.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Aug 2023

Ann

Loved the building and the grounds thought the breakfast a little expensive . The last night was spoilt by children running up and down the corridor slamming doors.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2023

NICOLA

Staff very helpful and friendly.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2023

Verified traveler

Great 2 night break

Brilliant hotel, everything was great. Public areas were beautiful, lovely modern decor in restaurant and adjoining bar leading through into the traditional old style hallway and foyer areas. Our room in the modern extension was perfect apart from the very small bath which I struggled to use....must ask about a bigger one if we return. Would we return yes.... if we are ever in the area! It was an excellent choice at an amazing price. Loved the Wicked Lady Rose wine and our dinner was super in a lovely dining area, breakfast had everything you could wish for...although we would prefer the hot items to be made fresh rather than buffet style but I know this may be tricky if hotel was af full capacity. All staff were pleasant and friendly. There was a school prom on our first evening and a wedding the second evening but this did not spoil our stay at all and we heard no noise grom either after retiring to our room for the night.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2023

alice

Beautiful

Beautiful old building with pool and fitness area. Staff very friendly and helpful. Large room huge comfortable bed.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2023

Christopher

Wonderful old building renovated and up dated to a high standard. Excellent breakfast, lovely grounds, easy parking, great value for money.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Mar 2023

dean

Overall, very good

I love this hotel, i have stayed many times. I had friends over, they were loud, but the hotel did not complain. The only issue, a man entered my room at 8 20 am, and left as soon as he saw us. I did not like that

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2023

Gary

Lovely hotel, staff friendly and food is good.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2023

Cormac

Main car park a walk from reception

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Feb 2023

Sheila

Very elegant & comfortable stay

Stunning hotel. Superb service though one each department.
Shame they have ‘modernised’ the rooms. In my humble opinion they are now totally out of character with the elegance of this magnificent building.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2023

John

Lovely old building with a lot of history. Owing to the nature of the building it wasn;t modern, however this wasn;t expected. The rooms were clean, the bed was huge and very comfortable with nice firm pillows.
The bar prices were reasponable for a hotel and the restaurant was good quality and not too expensive, I ordered the local speciality the Chicken Parmo, which was huge and not for the faint hearted. I did not order breakfast on Hotles.com as they wanted an astonishing £22! so ordered when I arrived at the hotel for £12.95 which I still think was £3.00 too much as the cooked breakfast was a bit cold and sausages were a little chewy and overcooked, there was a reasonable selection though and a good coffee machine. Staff were attentive and very friendly throughout which made the stay all that bit nicer.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2022

Andrew

Lovely old building

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Dec 2022

Claire

Average at best

I was placed on the 2nd floor which is undergoing refurbishment. Pretty dirty on the corridor but the room was nice & clean. Had an issue with my room locking - it wouldn’t when I shut the door and took several attempts for it to do so.

Self

8/10

Excellent

12 Dec 2022

Fatih

Lovely country Hotel but needs TLC

We stayed in the main hotel, the room looked a bit datedvand needed renovating, the lounge area, toilets where cold and had poor heating in these areas, there was evidence of renovation work underway, I'm sure once its all done it will look much better

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2022

Wayne

Excellent weekend

Clean room polite and friendly staff excellent breakfast and dinner many thanks to all the staff.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2022

Andrew

Very nice hotel and amenities

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2022

Mr Donald

Location, gym, food and golf discounted at same name club nearby.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

18 Aug 2022

Veronique

Overall a stunning building which is worth a visit

The building is stunning and full of character! The food was of a decent standard and although Special Coffees were on the menu, staff did not know how to prepare them - training is needed there! We used the leisure facilities ; the pool is smaller than photos suggest and the saunas are located within each change room, this for us was not ideal.
The location is perfect for exploring, we walked to the train station with ease by going through the lovely park. Overall, it is worth a visit.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2022

Paul

A excellent 3 day break

The Blackwell Grange hotel was superb.
All the staff were so friendly and helpful.
We had a great time and will definitely return again soon.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Aug 2022

matthew