- Work Hard
- 22nd Apr 2026
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Seaham Hall at 25: A new Zen Garden, summer parties and tasting menus
Seaham Hall has always been ahead of its time. And right now, it’s never looked better.
Perched on the dramatic Durham Heritage Coast, this five-star hotel and spa has spent 25 years becoming one of the most celebrated destinations in the country, collecting accolades, loyal guests and a reputation for excellence that reaches well beyond the North East. And in 2026, it’s marking that milestone in style.
This is a place with genuine history behind it. Built in 1791 on the shores of the North Sea, Seaham Hall was visited by Lord Byron in 1814 – cementing its romantic credentials early. It served as a military hospital during the First World War, operated as a secret whisky bottling site during US Prohibition, and later became a children’s infirmary before lying dormant for years. When it reopened as a luxury hotel in 2001 under the vision of Tom Maxfield of Sage, with the now-legendary Serenity Spa at its heart, it quickly announced itself as something out of the ordinary. The AA Hotel of the Year award followed in 2004. A World’s Best Spa for Style accolade from the Sunday Times came shortly after. The trajectory has barely wavered since.
In 2012, the hotel passed into its current independent family ownership, and an investment of over £5 million has shaped everything Seaham Hall is today. A proud member of PoB Hotels, it placed among the Top 1000 Hotels in the World in the La Liste 2025 rankings and took home Small Hotel of the Year at the North East England Tourism Awards last year.
For a 24-bedroom hotel on the County Durham coast, the scale of what has been achieved here is genuinely remarkable.
25 YEARS IN THE MAKING
The anniversary celebrations are as considered as you’d expect from a hotel of this calibre. Rather than a single gala and a commemorative brochure, Seaham Hall has built an entire year around the people and stories that have shaped it, past and present. Staff, guests, local artists, makers and partners are all being placed at the centre of a programme that includes intimate storytelling evenings, heritage walks with Cumbria and North East Tourist Guide Ruth Robson, a celebration summer party on 20th June, and a Meet the Makers dinner series featuring tasting menus created in direct partnership with local producers.
There’s also a series of 25 Acts of Kindness running throughout the year – beach clean ups, support for local food banks and charities, and a search for extraordinary people doing good across the North East community. It’s the kind of initiative that speaks to what Seaham Hall has always understood: that being the best doesn’t just mean the finest thread count and the most immaculate service. It means being genuinely embedded in the place you call home.
Managing Director Ross Grieve puts it simply: “From all the chefs, housekeepers, and gardeners to the spa therapists and hosts that have shaped the spirit of Seaham Hall, this milestone anniversary will celebrate all the people behind the experience. Intertwining the past and present, we’ll also be telling the personal stories of the guests, local artists, makers, and partners who continue to influence our unique, refined character.”
THE ZEN GARDEN REIMAGINED
If the anniversary programme gives you a reason to pay attention to Seaham Hall this year, the reimagined Zen Garden gives you a reason to book. A £1 million investment into the outdoor facilities at Serenity Spa has transformed the space into something genuinely special – a thoughtfully curated wellbeing environment where relaxation, recovery and social connection all sit seamlessly alongside each other.
Two new state-of-the-art infinity edge pools allow guests to soak in warm waters while breathing in the coastal air. A cold plunge pool with a running waterfall adds a striking contrast therapy element. An extended outdoor deck with loungers offers uninterrupted views across the landscaped gardens, and come evening, fire pits with intimate seating create the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay just one more hour.
“We wanted to create a space that truly reflects how guests are approaching wellbeing today,” says Ross Grieve, “more intentional, more connected to nature and more focused on great experiences. This investment allows us to offer our guests something really special — a seamless journey between relaxation, recovery and memory making, all set against the backdrop of our gorgeous coastal surroundings.”
To mark the relaunch, Seaham Hall is introducing the Golden Hour Twilight Series — a limited-edition after-hours experience that is, frankly, the kind of evening we all deserve. Priced at £145 per person, it includes arrival on the Zen Terrace with Champagne and a chef’s seasonal canape, full access to Serenity Spa and the Zen Garden from 5pm to 10pm, live music, an enhanced Geko dining experience and a spa product to take home. Tickets are available from Friday 17th April via the Seaham Hall website, on selected dates throughout the summer.
Running across June, July and August, a Summer Spa Garden Wellness campaign will bring expert-led sessions including breathwork, meditation, sound bathing, fire and ice experiences, skincare consultations and an SPF bar with cooling towel station. It’s the kind of programming that turns a spa day into something altogether more immersive.
WORTH THE JOURNEY
Whether you’re staying in one of the 24 beautifully appointed rooms and suites – including the recently opened Milbanke Suite, a nod to the hall’s original owners – or simply arriving for a spa day and dinner at Geko, the Japanese-inspired restaurant that has quickly become a destination in its own right, the experience consistently delivers on its promise.
And if the ambition and investment on show this year is anything to go by, it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down…
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