Travel: County Durham

For me, the defining attribute of Rockcliffe Hall - the new hotel and resort outside Darlington - was the staff's attentiveness. No job was too small. Bring your car round? No problem, sir. Help you access the free Wi-Fi? Certainly, madam. The staff even offer to clean your wellies after a muddy river walk.

Rockcliffe - restored by Steve Gibson, owner of Middlesbrough Football Club - not only boasts a 61-bedroom hotel, it has three restaurants, a luxury spa and a 7,857-yard golf course. Set in 375 acres, the River Tees wraps the resort in a meandering curve, providing ample room for a walk to work up an appetite for the food from Michelin-starred chef Kenny Atkinson.

In his 70-seat Orangery restaurant, Atkinson - who won the starter round of BBC2's Great British Menu competition last year - offers a traditional a la carte menu along with a "market menu" that changes daily depending on the ingredients offered by local suppliers. There's also an eight-course tasting menu to show off his talents.

While dishes such as a "poor man's, rich man's lamb" - combining cheaper and more expensive cuts of meat - were cooked well, it was with the more creative twists to dishes such as rhubarb crumble that Atkinson excelled.

The Orangery was the perfect setting for fine dining, restored to show off the conservatory's Victorian iron frame and the red brick of the 19th-century Old Hall, in which ten of the luxury bedrooms are located. Breakfast - everything from kippers and kedgeree to porridge and pancakes - was also served in the Orangery, which was even more impressive in the early morning light, affording views across the grounds.

While the formal restaurant may steal the show, Rockcliffe's other two eateries are also worth a visit. The bistro serves a mix of pizzas, sandwiches and more substantial dishes, but it was the golf clubhouse that really shone. While many clubhouses feel stuffy, this bar was more relaxed. Soup, sandwiches and burgers were the order of the day, along with a pint of Boddies.

Food isn't the only draw to Rockcliffe; the luxury spa - which appeared to be enjoyed by the Middlesbrough WAGs - has a mind-boggling array of treatment rooms, from the usual manicure and pedicure booths to more exotic salt and mud therapy zones. As well as a gym and swimming pool, the spa boasts one of the most impressive Jacuzzis I've ever seen. The seven-part bubble-fest is laid out like a flower, with water jetting into each of the divided areas, one after the other in sequence. Exercise classes and a "sleep room" are also on offer.

Spa treatments range from an Indian head massage at 35 to the hotel's 100 signature "Splendour" session, including body exfoliation, a facial and a massage.

With a golf course, well-appointed rooms and a luxurious spa, it's clear that the owner intends for Rockcliffe to become a destination in its own right.

"Part of our job is to promote the north east of England," explains general manager Nick Holmes, whose previous hotel experience includes a stint at Gleneagles and the launch of Cameron House, on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Promoting north east England is not without its challenges - mention the names Darlington and Middlesbrough and images of heavy industry and coal mining spring to mind. But just a few miles further inland lies the beautiful walking country of Upper Teesdale.

For me, though, the jewel in the crown is Durham itself. With its wide variety of shops, the city is well worth a day out during a stay at Darlington. And the magnificent cathedral offers a spiritual detox to match that offered by the spa and fine dining at Rockcliffe.

THE FACTS Two nights' bed and breakfast and one dinner at Rockcliffe Hall in Hurworth-on-Tees, near Darlington, plus unlimited use of the spa, starts from 195 per person based on two sharing. Call 01325 729999 or visit www.rockliffehall.com

This article was first published in the Scotsman, July 31, 2010