Crab Manor Hotel, the gorgeous accommodation attached to the incredible Crab and Lobster restaurant, will literally tick every box you have. We stayed there earlier this week and I was blown away by it.
When you drive into the manor car park you immediately feel like you've left the real world behind. The glimpse of the stunning gardens as you walk into the manor house reminded me of a movie set, for a really romantic film.
Into the manor house itself and it was just stunning. There are simply no other words.
We checked in and were taken to our room by a lovely man who explained all the features while lugging our bags up the stairs.
Each room at Crab Manor is themed to a different country/location/city. We stayed in the Mount Nelson room, which was South African theme. The attention to detail was incredible, with statues of safari animals dotted all around the room and the colour scheme and decor feeling so authentic.
Each manor room has the use of a communal hot tub and sauna in the courtyard. We took full advantage of this and were chuffed when we were the only ones down there - result! It felt very private, even though it was just out the back door of the manor house.
There are also a number of private rooms, which looked like cute little log cabins from the outside. These each came with their own private hot tub.
The communal one was lovely, though. Obviously we weren't joined by any other couples as we enjoyed it, but it was big enough for you not to be sat on top of one another.
Without a doubt, my favourite part of the entire stay was our bedroom.
The bed was like sleeping on really soft, fluffy clouds. It even had curtains around it which were like the ultimate blackout curtains!
Then there was the bath. I absolutely love a free standing bath and this one was just amazing. It was so traditional. The first thing I did when we arrived was fill it with the complementary toiletries and have a soak (with a chilled glass of champagne too, of course).
Around the perimeter of the bathroom was a shelf filled with champagne bottles. I thought these were part of the decoration. Maybe they were initially, but after Tom inspected them closer he realised each one had been put there by a couple who had stayed in the room previously.
Each couple who had enjoyed a bottle of fizz in the room left their names, the date of their stay and a little message on the label of each bottle then placed it on the shelf. It was really lovely.
After we'd drank our bottle, we too left our names and the date of our stay on the label and added it to the collection.
If, after reading this, you decide to stay at Crab Manor and end up in the Mount Nelson room, see if you can spot it.
As well as enjoying the hot tub, sauna, and amazing bath, we also had a meal at the Crab and Lobster.
As its name suggests, the menu was predominantly seafood. Any kind of fish you could want was served. It was quite pricey, with starters priced from £9 and mains starting at £20.
Like other restaurants where the menu is expensive, the portion sizes at Crab and Lobster are not small; not by any stretch of the imagination. I ordered fish cakes for my starter, with Tom having tandoori prawns.
The presentation was amazing and the food was simply out of this world.
When the mains came, you could have knocked me down with a feather - they were ginormous.
I'd ordered fish and chips - keeping it classy - and I swear I have never seen a fish like it. It was like they'd caught, captured and killed Jaws, fried him in batter then served him to me. It came with huge chunky homemade chips, too, which must have been made from 10 potatoes.
Tom had a curry, which again was huge. A large dish of rice, a huge dish with the curry, and accompanied with homemade naan bread and poppadom. He also ordered chips, as he was expecting the portions to be small.
Needless to say, we had enough food left after our attempt to feed another couple. I didn't even eat half of my fish and chips. In fact, I was so full that I couldn't even finish my wine.
What was most disappointing was that we were both so full we simply had no room for dessert so missed our chance to try the plate they do with mini tasters of their entire dessert menu. Gutted.
If ever you do go to Crab and Lobster, please don't be fooled by some of the reviews on the internet which say the portions are small. You most definitely get what you pay for.
Breakfast was impressive, too. Although we were both still fit to burst after our banquet the night before, we ventured down to inspect the offerings.
There was the usual fruit, yoghurt, cereals, pastries, juices etc. and a hot menu which was just as 'wow' as the rest of our stay. Steak, kippers, smoked salmon (not all together, obvs) and, of course, a full English. Anything you could have wanted was there. Tom had steak, eggs and hash browns while I settled on a simple favourite of boiled eggs and soldiers.
The whole experience was just that - an experience. I came away feeling so relaxed, rejuvenated and like I'd had a break from the whole world.
The little extras thrown in make the whole thing even better. We had a Nespresso machine in our room as well as crisps, sweets, biscuits and tea and coffee making facilities. We also had robes and slippers, which were great to snuggle up in when fresh out the bath.
There were complementary canapes served in the lounge before dinner, as well as a small bar.
Possibly the manor's most famous attraction is the secret beer tap. Yes, you read that right. There is a secret beer tap in the manor house. Each room has a pint glass - just one, which I thought was odd - and a little note encouraging guests to find the tap and make the most of the complementary beer.
I asked one of the staff members where the secret prosecco tap was, and why there was only one pint glass per room, but he just laughed at me. If I could make any suggestion for improvement, it would be that.
Overall, we had the most beautiful overnight stay. The hotel was immaculate. It was beautifully decorated and maintained, the staff were so friendly and helpful, and the whole experience was just incredible. The food was incredible. It wasn't pretentious, it wasn't so small you needed a magnifying glass, and it wasn't like anywhere I have ever been before. It was outstanding.
We will most definitely be returning for another stay to try out one of the other rooms and hopefully be able to squeeze in dessert!
Anyone looking for a romantic break in Yorkshire, look no further than the Crab Manor Hotel at the Crab and Lobster. When I told people where we were going, everyone said the same: "Oh my God it's amazing there", "I've heard amazing things, it's supposed to be fabulous", "Tom's done good, you'll have the best time." I was so glad that all the hype and the build up didn't disappoint.
One of the best places I have ever, ever stayed. I'm already trying to work out when we can return!
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