Hotel of the Week: Grantley Hall, Yorkshire
Words by
Izzy Schaw Miller
16th October 2026
For SPHERE's Hotel of the Week, Izzy Schaw Miller heads north to Grantley Hall to stay a night in Yorkshire best's hotel in all its modernised 17th-century grandeur, and taste its very own Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin restaurant – and his pumpkin magnums – for herself.
Inside the drawing room at Grantley Hall.
Arriving at Grantley Hall is not a forgettable experience. Once at the estate’s entry, our taxi pulled up to the gatehouse, and as we rolled down our window, we were met with the gatekeeper beaming from ear to ear. Our driver described him as eccentric when he was out of earshot, and to her credit, he did proceed to ecstatically dance as he repeated each of our group members’ names back to us (he was a great time). When all was – very – well with our names and the gates were freed open, we wound through the driveway, gaining a good glimpse of the 38-acre grounds, up to the formidable manor’s entrance. As a Grade II* listed 17th-century building, I might describe it as Yorkshire’s Palace of Versailles – somewhere Logan Roy and family would visit on their never-ending business trips – but as our frivolous welcome showcased, without any rigid upper lips.
Outside, it’s a quintessential British feast for the eyes, as an imposing fountain pours in a spider shape and an array of shiny Bentleys and Rolls-Royces line themselves in uniform. Inside, a cream-coloured hallway with the first of many soaring ceilings with elaborate chandeliers expands through an architectural arcade into a vibrantly grandiose, thickly carpeted drawing room. Here, golden-hued and burnt orange plush sofas and armchairs complement the wall that anoints itself majestically with gilded paintings and statuesque mirrors. It’s eclectic and sumptuous, as if you’ve walked into an aristocrat friend’s magnificent home.
The grandeur of Grantley Hall. ©We The Food Snobs.
Meandering through further, and you step into the library bar, where a softly lit gleaming bar is surrounded by shelves of 18th century books on every wall. We find out later, these books contain secret cards each with a cocktail, for anyone who so wishes to leave picking their poison to literary fate. On a tour with a knowledgeable porter, not only do the beautiful living spaces leading onto more beautiful living space never end, every last nook and cranny is thought of – something it becomes clear is down to, as our host refers, “Mrs Skyes”.
Who is behind Grantley Hall?
The Drinks Trolley at Grantley Hall. ©Justin De Souza.
The property dates back to 1680, but was bought as a rundown estate in 2015 by Valeria Sykes, who is responsible for everything from the soothing aromas enlivening each room to the thousands of paintings on display showing some of the past Lords of the house. She has designed the property so that the past is not lost in the new, but the historic building is invigorated with modern decadence and style. Even one of the smaller passageways is transformed into a wine cellar with small wooden staircases on either side and a perfect spot to perch and enjoy a glass of something.
What are the rooms like?
My suite was past the spa area and up an impressive staircase into an area that feels like a Moroccan riad with a suntrap roof, and I spied the door of the presidential suite. Opening my own suite door, the space was as generous as the stately living rooms downstairs, with vast windows looking onto the lawn and my room doubling up as a luxurious living space. As a room for one, I suddenly felt very small, but the suite is ideal for a couple looking to luxuriate.
Izzy's suite at Grantley Hall.
A true gem of the bedroom is the ensuite bathroom, where you feel like you’re in a spa in and of itself, with a heated marbled floor I didn’t want to ever leave from, and a grand bathtub – made for plunging into with a glass of champagne in tow. Even the loo seat, with electric sensors, was heated, not something that occurs to you as a necessity, but we all commented on the joy of this unexpected luxury.
What wellness experiences can guest expect?
The spa at Grantley Hall is not to be missed, and in keeping with the rest of the manor, the pool is vast, sweeping the entire room, with a warmer pool at the end that opens up through glass doors to the outside. As a Nordic spa, you can swim from inside to out, finding yourself amongst the outdoor patio, complete with a sauna and a plunge pool. With the water warm and the air freshly north, I felt as if I’m in Iceland. While I couldn't stay long in the plunge pool and the outside sauna was not warm enough after the ice shock, the other sauna inside does the trick.
Where can you eat and drink at the hotel?
The Grantley Hall Dining Room. ©Justin De Souza.
A treasure of the hotel, and the reason for my stay entirely, is Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin restaurant, where Yorkshire produce is given the most splendid of makeovers in a nostalgic Taste of Home menu, featuring 11 courses. There were several standout dishes. Of three initial bites, I most took to the duck liver parfait with blackberries, a miniature bomb of flavour, which admittedly outshone the other two snacks. A glistening dish of crab encased in pickled Karabi sheets, was vigorously enlivened with herbs and shallots from the garden. For the main meat course, grouse was cooked with the utmost respect, delicately rare and accompanied with a blackcurrant and barbecued celeriac sauce for a deeply fruity, peppery complement.
The bread course - butter, dripping, beef tea. ©Justin De Souza.
Even the bread course is a work of art, as butter is taken on a strenuous two-day journey and given in three different forms, along with a cup of beef broth that’s its own intensely flavoursome dish in its own right. Before the dessert began, a small pumpkin magnum arrived – an autumnal treat I had heard about but wasn’t sure what to expect – with its savoury, sweet and cooling combination working as much more than a palate cleanser.
A seafood course at Grantley Hall. ©Justin De Souza.
We sat in the pristine, gleaming chef’s table, with each dish explained by the kitchen member responsible for the dish. The rest of the restaurant is in the tranquil drawing room we passed earlier, a room where Mrs Skyes is bold in her artwork with women painted in vibrant colours showing their eyes crossed out – a conversation starter for many, we were told.
The Champagne and wine pairing. ©Justin De Souza.
Our wine and Champagne – all Krug – pairing for the evening was a highlight, with our sommelier generously taking us all around the world one fine wine at a time. While I can find it hard to remember each detail of the process of how the wines came into existence, he told personal stories that help bring a colouring to the notes in a different way – such as a 60s vintage wine he first tasted with his Slovakian wife in the motherland of both the wine and her.
Petit fours at the end of the meal. ©Justin De Souza.
Despite the number of courses and complexities in the dish, I finished feeling satisfied, rather than crushed, and ready for a nightcap in the drawing room, where our sommelier met us with a final Krug pairing for the evening.
SPHERE’s TOP TIPS FOR A TOP STAY
In the kitchen garden at Grantley Hall. ©Justin De Souza.
- Go to the library bar and let the books whisper what you should have to drink
- Try the indoor-outdoor pool, sauna – and if you’re brave – plunge in the morning when most are having breakfast and it's serenely quiet.
Prices start from £716 per night, grantleyhall.co.uk
