Northumberland's Matfen Hall named among best hotels to stay in the UK

The Times and The Sunday Times has published its annual list of 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2024 compiled by experts who have visited hundreds of properties across the country - with three Northumberland sites included with one in the top 20.

From hotels to country houses, experts have spoken to a variety of industry specialists about who has caught their attention from hotel staff to memorable chefs and they also count on friends and readers to give valuable recommendations.

Each entry in the list has been personally tried and tested by at least one Times and Sunday Times journalist. Some benchmarks evaluated are interiors, quality of facilities and food.

Matfen Hall is the region's representative and was ranked at 13th on the list with a multi-million pound refurbishment beign praised in returning the site's "log fires and former grandeur."

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Matfen Hall was initially completed in 1836 and is the former seat of Sir Edward Blackett.It then opened as a hotel in 1999 and was last majorly refurbished in 2004, when a spa and leisure facilities were installed.

Also included in the list are the Lord Crewe Arms near Baybridge was was ranked 47th thanks to its "countryside chic with oak beams, original stone fireplaces and cosy tweed wallpaper" and 99th placed Tempus between Alnwick and Berwick, which was praised for "putting guests in striking distance of those magnificent sandy stretches as well as a ten-minute drive from the market town of Alnwick."