New Year celebration break
The wonderful world of Warner is just what you need at anytime of the year but for a Christmas, Twixmas or New Year break, Warner comes out tops!
We went to the beautiful historic Nidd Hall, 5.5 miles from Harrogate in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside with its majestic grade II listed mansion and amazing grounds for our New Year celebration and we certainly weren’t disappointed.
The greeting as you arrive is warm and friendly, with a mince pie and a glass of punch to warm you with a smiling waiter to serve you. Helpful porters will take your luggage to your rooms which are situated in either the main house, the extensions or the court yard and the cottage rooms. If you decide to book the court yard or cottage rooms there is a short walk outside to get to the main part of the hotel for the restaurants and leisure facilities.
All the rooms are generous and accommodate every need including disabled rooms. If you have a disability let Warner know and they will make sure your stay is as comfortable as possible. The disabled rooms are accessible near to the restaurant where waiter service is available. The Late Lounge area where the entertainment takes place is also accessible, lifts go to all floors and the corridors are suitably wide. All rooms are en-suite and have good views whether looking over the grounds or lake.
The New Year break for us was three nights so we had plenty of time to acclimatise ourselves with the layout of the building and select our seating in the restaurant. Tip: It is a good idea to go to the restaurant as soon as possible when you arrive to select your seat for meal times. Warner have a ‘same seat’ policy that you choose where you would like to sit for the duration of your visit. Meal times are flexible, just look in your entertainment guide for the specified times. You get to know the people around your table and many friendships are made that way. The Rawson Restaurant is the main restaurant for guests and has a waitress service with meals from the menu or a self-service buffet. This is a waitress service restaurant (and you are charged extra for the service), but it has a lovely ambiance and is perfect for a special occasion with family and friends.
An example of the menu for New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner consisted of chicken liver pate and tomato bread stick and dips, mushrooms in choux pastry, potted shrimp and salmon mouse, sea trout and vegetable. Pre sweet pudding was a selection of tiny mouses and if you still have room, chocolate Frangipan,then coffee and sweets.During our meal a Scottish piper played the bagpipes for a short time to really get the New Year spirit flowing.
Whether you want to rest and relax or join in, Warner has a New Year programme guide for all the days’ activities and Nidd Hall has an excellent entertainments team. Activities include dance lessons, yoga, exercise sessions, quizzes, archery, to name a few but the festive touches at this time of the year are wonderful. From the pantomime “oh no it isn’t” to “oh yes it is” an hour of fun and slapstick was very enjoyable but if that doesn’t suit then how about a lantern walk around the grounds followed by hot chocolate with marsh mellows and then the wonderful firework display set us all in the mood for a New Year’s Eve to remember. Party hats, balloons streamers, bucks fizz and canapes all set the scene for an enjoyable evening.
Auld Lang Syne is a song heard across the world. No one seems to know what the song actually means, but we sing along with gusto on the stroke of midnight to welcome in the New Year. Gusto was certainly in evidence at Warner Leisure Hotels Nidd Hall and we certainly raised the roof this year.
For the dancers amongst us, dance is prominent on the Nidd Hall programme and many guests do come to enjoy the dancing and the programme does have different dance classes throughout the day. I have never seen a dance floor so full, everyone wants to get up and boogie and Warner caters for all age groups at this adults only hotel. Silver Travellers are in the majority but the New Year break is now becoming an ageless event. The music is mainly 60s/70s and the groups for this break where Union Gap UK and Sweet Sensation that helped us rock the night away.
New Year’s Day was a relaxing day to get up late and have a substantial breakfast. But another surprise was waiting at our table, a bag full of goodies, with cheese biscuits, wine and a bar of chocolate as a New Year gift from the Nidd Hall management – a lovely thought and a lovely gift. After breakfast take a stroll around the beautiful gardens, down to the lake or if you wish to be a little more active a dip in the pool or jacuzzi would lift the spirits. 
Spoiling yourself is a theme at Nidd Hall so perhaps you would like to book a relaxing spa, treat yourself, you deserve it. The Salon Spa is an opportunity for you to have a little ‘me time’ and for disabled guests a lift goes down to the pool and spa areas.
Another lovely meal was planned for us for New Year’s Day with bucks fizz, more party hats and streamers to welcome in the New Year Day then more dancing. If dancing isn’t for you lovely lounges throughout the hotel and a games room with snooker, table tennis and darts can be played.
Many people stay in the lovely contented ‘bubble’ of Nidd Hall but if you do like to explore then the area is surrounded by history and architecture. Harrogate spa town is approximately 5.5 miles away. The ruins of Fountains Abbey is 9 miles away. Newby Hall’s award winning gardens is 13 miles away. Knaresborough is a charming market town is only 3 miles away.
Our final day arrived and another lovely gesture from the Nidd Hall team, a 2017 diary. It is these touches that really make this break, it is the attention to detail that really make a difference. It is Nidd Hall’s 20th birthday as part of Warner Leisure Hotels in 2017 and to celebrate the hotel is being revamped. A bigger and better dining experience will be created from an extension to the restaurant that will give a more relaxing dining experience. Also the Late Lounge is being extended and up graded for a more comfortable and inclusive area for guests to experience great show in a more luxurious surroundings. Three brand new historic bedrooms have been created for guests to enjoy a unique, high standard of rooms in the historic main house.
Our New Year weekend was coming to a close and it had gone so quickly but we had a wonderful world of Warner time. With Auld Lang Syne still ringing in our ears the song should have been ‘We’ll meet again’ as at least 45% of the people that celebrated New Year that year had booked already for the next one! Tears were shed saying goodbye to friends they had met at Nidd Hall and lots of people were looking forward to spending time with the friends they had made next year.
Well to me that says it all, spending time with like-minded people in a beautiful, interesting place where the staff go the extra mile. What a way to see in the New Year. Let’s hope it’s a good one!
Nidd Hall Hotel – Visit the official site for pricing and availability.
Silver Travel Advisor recommends Warner Leisure Hotels
