Lumley Castle Hotel
Chester-Le-Street, Durham DH3 4NX England
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What you can expect during your stay
- Hand sanitizer available to guests & staff
Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#11 of 21 hotels in Durham
Location
4.5
Cleanliness
4.4
Service
4.3
Value
3.9
Within easy driving distance of Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland, the magnificent spectacle of Lumley Castle has dominated the County Durham landscape for 630 years. Surrounded by beautiful parklands overlooking the River Wear and Durham County Cricket Ground, the castle is a magnificent monument to a bygone age of chivalry and honour. The hotel boasts 74 luxurious en suite rooms, with complimentary Wi-Fi internet. Dine in the splendour of the Black Knight restaurant, offering varied cuisine and a 3-course table d’hôte menu (table reservations are essential). Lumley Castle is the first and only historic site in the UK to have it's own Escape room - Lily of Lumley - a truly immersive and thrilling Escape experience. The hotel is ideally situated to explore the North East of England and more, being just 10.9 miles south of Newcastle, 8.1 miles north of Durham and 11.8 miles west of Sunderland. This hotel is one of the best-rated locations in Chester-le-Street.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Bar / lounge
Golf course
Taxi service
Business Center with Internet Access
Conference facilities
Baggage storage
Street parking
Wifi
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast in the room
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Gift shop
Newspaper
Non-smoking hotel
Picnic area
24-hour front desk
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Housekeeping
Room service
Telephone
VIP room facilities
Iron
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Flatscreen TV
Hair dryer
Room types
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Business
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Full view
Contact
Chester-Le-Street, Durham DH3 4NX England
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Durham rental cars
2973Reviews31Q+A100Room tips
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My daughter booked afternoon tea for my birthday. The castle is very impressive. We asked to be moved as there was a draft also everyone was pushed in one corner (covid) We were told no as all reserved by the female waiter, so asked the guy and he said no problem and his service was fine, but from then on the female waiter totally ignored us, people were arriving and getting there food before us, she never even acknowledged us when we left.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Almost 100% the same as the review left on 2nd Aug. Took my mam for her birthday for afternoon tea. Lovely younger man serving and very rude older dark haired lady ! Very smiley to greet us, sharp changed when I asked to move out of the draft! She snapped no I couldn’t move where I wanted. I went back 5 mins later and asked the waiter who kindly obliged. From that point on the waitress ignored us, served us last and never cracked a smile. I don’t understand why the tables were all squashed either. The building is beautiful but I paid full price. The food was average and the service very poor bar the young man. Never said thanks as we left and the reception were just as rude ignoring us. Avoid here for afternoon tea!
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
I booked an afternoon tea at Lumley Castle for my mum's birthday. I booked through Virgin Experience Days and quoted my reference, pin and serial number over emails. When we arrived at the restaurant, we waited 5 minutes until the waitress came over to us (she had not seen us as she was quite obviously on her phone). She asked for my name etc. and then told me that I would need a printed copy of the booking and that she could not accept the digital copy I had. She sent us back to reception (Lumley Castle is a far size) and we had to walk through members of a wedding party. When we arrived at reception, the member of staff told us this was unnecessary and sent us back with the pin and serial number written down - the same details I had shown her on my phone. We were told there would be a wait on the food, as the sandwiches are made fresh - they most certainly are not! Stale sandwiches, stodgy scones and a few cakes made up our 'Grand Afternoon Tea' . My biggest complaint however was that in the spacious restaurant, the four tables of afternoon tea customers were sat almost on top of each other. This made it almost uncomfortable to speak at a normal volume. Secondly, an elderly couple came in with walking sticks and were made to walk up the only steps in the restaurant - this seemed completely unnecessary. In a grand setting like this I expect better customer service. I am pleased I did not pay the full price of around £25pp, as I would have been out of pocket, as well as hungry and bitterly disappointed.…
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Over the last few months we have been getting very worried about our wedding at Lumley Castle. Due to a number of staff changes we never had a single coordinator which led to numerous meetings and constant price changes. No one seemed to really know what had been organised. Then last week we had a final meeting with a lady called Katie who is new to the hotel, she became our coordinator and what an amazing change. Suddenly we were having the wedding we had hoped for, she changed our whole feelings and the worries just disappeared. My daughter and I stayed the night before and had a fantastic breakfast, Lorraine the manager took our order and made sure that we received a wonderful breakfast, both the continental buffet and the cooked breakfast was lovely. Katie then took over at midday and began organising the whole wedding. She ensured our memorial table was set up with photos of my mum & dad on their wedding day and my husbands parents were noticeable as I lost my mum this year and my father in law many years ago. Katie chased up the flowers, ensured the registrars Jacqui and Stuart (who were brilliant officiating our wedding) met us before and guided Ryan Etherington to all the people he needed to photograph. Ryan ensured we were all relaxed and having fun as he took our photos, we are so looking forward to seeing them. After the service we were given a wonderful wedding breakfast with an amazing lamb main being very popular. All of the waiting staff and bar staff looked after us all, ensuring every person there was kept happy. Katie especially looked after me the whole day and kept all of the timings of the day, which meant the world. Today has also been a blessing with the breakfast team being managed by Lorraine who looked after us all with fantastic food and Keiran helping us to get our wedding cake cut and wrapped to give to our remaining guests. We had the most wonderful cake created by our friend Kellie. What a brilliant team from waiting staff, chefs, kitchen staff, cleaners and managers ensuring everything was right. All of the bedrooms were lovely, especially the King James Suite where we rested in luxury. Thank you for turning our day around and especially Katie and Lorraine for making the last two days memorable for my new husband, me and all of our guests.…
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Me and my partner have just stayed over for my mums wedding and couldn’t of been happier with our visit. All staff went above and beyond to make sure my mums special day went down with out any problems. Our room was gorgeous and spotlessly clean. With lovely complimentary snacks. But the highlight was just how comfy the bed was! Katie the wedding planner helped massively to make sure the wedding day was ran perfectly and was there all day to make sure everything went smoothly. We were a little bit worried how the day was going to be due to other circumstances but as soon as Katie was brought on to help us with the day everything got sorted extremely quickly. After being a tiny bit tender from a few to many drinks at the wedding I was really looking forward to breakfast the next day and wasn’t disappointed! The food was gorgeous and although the room was extremely busy the staff were quick at getting us sat and getting our food ordered. Even though the lovely girl who served us warned us there might be a wait for food we got served very quickly. The eggs Benedict was delicious and the buffet was a welcome treat. The supervisor Lorraine was wonderful at keeping my grandad company while he waited for us to arrive and even helped bring my mums wedding cake down from the event for us to cut up to hand out to the guests. Kieran another lovely breakfast staff specifically went out of his way to help my dad cut up the cake and box it. Which was extremely kind of him to go that extra mile to help us. Thank you Lumley castle for making this day so special for us!…
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
My husband and I have just had the most special stay. We had the Sir Ralph room which was full of charm and luxury. From the moment we walked into reception the staff were so friendly and professional. Our dinner in the restaurant was first class, I cannot speak too highly of the standard of food and attentive service. Our stay was certainly a very special and memorable treat. We thoroughly recommend. I would use also for business events.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
A warm welcome from the reception team greeted us on arrival, and the excellent friendly service continued during our weekend break. The hotel is a unique property in a lovely setting, full of history adding to its charm. Dinner in the restaurant was a must. Food was delicious, with a lovely atmosphere and attentive staff which added to the experience. Breakfast was substantial and served at a relaxed pace. Overall an excellent stay. Thank you team Lumley!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
We love Lumley castle. The history, atmosphere. Quirky rooms. Staff all lovely well except your lady who barked at us as we checked in for breakfast. Only issuesthis visit were the wait times for dinner and breakfast. Seemed to have plenty of staff just very badly organised. Too busy setting tables rather than taking orders. however didn’t spoil our break too much.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
+1
Just got back from a fantastic three night stay. The hotel is amazing, totally quirky with all the age and atomosphere that you would expect from a castle. We had a state room with a four poster bed, sitting room and two bathrooms. The room is amazing plenty of room and loads of storage. The food in the restaurant is very good, although not quite fine dining the portions are fine dining sized. A really good selection of drinks in the bar, the prices are reflected to the the type of establishment Lumbley Castle is. Try the smoked drinks for true Victorian theatrical experience. Amazing place well worth a visit.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Had such a lovely little staycation in the King James Suite on the 21/07, was literally amazing from start to finish. We had never been before but really wanted to try the King James Suite so decided to book as part of a package; we booked the Escape Rooms package but then upgraded to the King James suite. The package includes afternoon tea, breakfast and the escape room, but we also had dinner in the Knights Restaurant as well. All the reception staff were super welcoming and really made us feel at ease from the moment we arrived, especially Paul who was so helpful, really lovely and made us laugh so much :) Thought afternoon tea was wonderful, a good selection of sandwiches and little cakes, and the scones were lovely. But the service by Steph was exceptional, she went above and beyond, she's an absolute credit to you! I've never been asked so many times if I needed anything in an afternoon tea place, I think we were checked on at least five times, she was so attentive! The whole hotel has an beautiful atmosphere which really adds to the whole experience when you are walking around, I actually quite enjoyed getting lost in the maze of it all. The King James Suite really is incredible, it's a bucket list experience and got such incredible ambience. The bed is actually really comfy as well, and the bath with jacuzzi features was so cool! All the furniture, curtains and even the bedding made the room picture perfect. You can prebook breakfast when you check in, but if you want to eat dinner or afternoon tea you need to book in advance (it's really easy, you can do it online or over the phone for both) as they cannot accept walk-ins for afternoon tea, and dinner was completely reserved when we went as it is a very popular restaurant. I can totally see why though! We had three courses and each one was fantastic. Standouts were definitely my partner's cheese souffle and I literally couldn't get over how nice the Cafe de Paris butter was! They have some really nice cocktails as well. Drinks prices are what you would expect at a higher end restaurant for the quality provided, I actually thought they were quite reasonable. Breakfast was also lovely. For a fixed price you can get a hot entree and then you can also help yourself to a continental selection, with juices included. We both had a full English and thought it was lovely, partner even had a poached egg that was perfectly cooked. The muffins in the continental bit are so good as well! Finished off with an escape room in the Castle ran by the amazing Matt. It's clear he's super passionate about it and was a wonderful host, giving us a good backstory into the history of the castle. The escape room is really well-designed, very atmospheric and we really enjoyed it. Only thing I would say is make sure you wear something comfy that you can easily move around in, really glad I wore jeans! Overall literally couldn't thank Lumley Castle enough we had such a fantastic stay and we'd go back in a heartbeat!!…
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Date of stay: July 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: If you can afford it, definitely try and stay in a state room so you get the full...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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PRICE RANGE
$100 - $131 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
lumley castle durham, hotel lumley castle, castle hotel lumley, castle lumley
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandCounty DurhamDurham
NUMBER OF ROOMS
74
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Lumley Castle Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to Lumley Castle Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Crook Hall & Gardens (5.0 miles), Holmside Park (4.3 miles), and WWT Washington Wetland Centre (3.8 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Lumley Castle Hotel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Lumley Castle Hotel?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Lumley Castle Hotel?
Yes, free parking and street parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Lumley Castle Hotel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Guiseppe's Italian Bistro, Il Cancello Italian Restaurant, and Sunarga Indian Restaurant.
Does Lumley Castle Hotel offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business center, meeting rooms, and a banquet room.
Are there any historical sites close to Lumley Castle Hotel?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Crook Hall & Gardens (5.0 miles), Washington Old Hall (3.7 miles), and Houghton Hillside Cemetery (3.4 miles).
Does Lumley Castle Hotel have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the park view available here.
Is Lumley Castle Hotel accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.