Thorpe Park Hotel, Restaurant & Spa Review

After a long week in my new office, I was ready to unwind when 5pm rolled around on Friday. Aren’t we all?

Tom and I had been invited to experience Thorpe Park Hotel in Leeds’ new ‘Feel Good Friday’ package. It was exactly what we needed. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate the start of the weekend and treat a loved one who puts up with you, this is perfect.

It was a freezing night and we drove down to Leeds from Newcastle after work, arriving around 8pm. We were welcomed by a super friendly receptionist with a right Northern accent, who gave us a list of DVDs the hotel offers its Feel Good Friday guests. Casting my eyes over the titles (all rom-coms), I knew I had come to the right place.

Feel Good Friday at Thorpe Park Hotel Leeds review

 

Dining at Thorpe Park Restaurant

I was starving when we arrived so we headed straight to the restaurant. You know when you’re expecting an average meal and it surpasses your expectations? I didn’t realise that the hotel restaurant is one of Leeds’s premier eateries and people travel out from the city center just for dinner here.

We were taken to a candlelit window table for two where we could look onto the patio. A quick scroll down the tantalising menu told me that Thorpe Park Hotel know good food, and they’ve got a rosette to prove it. They use Lishman’s Butchers in Ilkley, pastries and breads from Dumouchel and award winning ice cream from Lowna Dairy. I appreciate a menu that tells me where the ingredients come from.

To start, I ordered Baked duck egg en cocotte, with wild mushrooms, Gruyere cheese and mini soldiers to mop it all up. It was wonderfully rich, not too oily and heavy on taste. I don’t think I’ve ever had duck egg, so I’m glad I can tick that off my list now.

Tom got Tempura King Prawns with a tangy chilli dipping sauce and grilled lime. It was beautifully presented on skewers and as soon as he but into one, he urged me to try it. Delicious.

For our mains, I chose something I would never normally order. Four hour slow cooked beef with buttery mash and Autumn greens. I’m not much of a red meat eater but I liked how this cut just fell apart.

Tom went for one of the less fancier options. Char-grilled chicken toasted sandwich, barbecue sauce and crispy bacon with skinny fries. He seemed to enjoy it, and the fry I stole tasted fab.

Somehow, we still had room for dessert. An indulgent Creme Brulee for me and Sticky Toffee Pudding for Tom. Cracking that caramel topping with a spoon is one of life’s great pleasures, up there with plunging into the sea and getting your eyebrows perfect.

Thorpe Park Spa review

Could this pool look anymore inviting? Thorpe Park lives up to its four stars with its large pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna which guests who have purchased the Feel Good Friday package are welcome to enjoy. We took full advantage. Swimming a few lengths made me feel better about all the yummy food I’d inhaled.

A Signature Room

We returned to our room stuffed and happy, put on a DVD and munched on popcorn that the hotel had provided. This is the first time I’ve stayed in a hotel that set up Movie Night so well!

Tom isn’t one for bubbles so I got to polish off the bottle of Champagne that had been left in our room, and we kept the Green & Blacks Chocolates for a rainy day. I’ll think back fondly to our stay in Leeds when I’m demolishing them at home!

For us, the highlight of the room was the feather and down luxury pillows. I need these in my daily life.

Breakfast

I was almost too full from our evening meal to have breakfast but I was curious / greedy so we went down to the restaurant anyway. There was ample selection of cooked food and a small continental buffet. All set for a day of exploring.

A quick detox in the steam room and a dip in the pool, which was much busier than the night before, and we got ready to leave. Takeout cups had been provided in our room so I could fill up on caffeine from the capsule coffee maker. I thought this was a lovely way to make sure hotel guests leave feeling well looked after.

The Feel Good Friday package at Thorpe Park is perfect for people who want to kick off their weekend with some serious relaxation. Full of little luxuries and great value, I don’t know why more hotels don’t offer something like this. Though I don’t normally plan nights away on a Friday, I enjoyed taking the time to experience the hotel itself rather than just using it as a place to sleep after a night out in the city. Also, we left on Saturday at 12pm feeling like we’d fully relaxed, yet we still had the whole weekend ahead of us.

Book your stay at Thorpe Park Hotel now

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