AWARD-winning hotel and spa Matfen Hall has reported its most successful year to date after investing £1m on refurbishments.

The hotel has welcomed a 12 per cent increase in revenues across all areas of the business, as well as in the number and frequency of return bookings made by guests.

There has also been a sharp rise in membership and use of the Aqua Vitae Spa.

Over the past 18 months, various areas of the 53-bedroom, privately-owned hotel have undergone refurbishment, including bathrooms, the reception area and the spa – which now boasts a state-of-the-art fitness suite, professional therapists and an aerobic studio.

The hotel has also thrown its weight behind the local economy, sourcing any produce not grown or reared on the Matfen Estate from nearby suppliers.

It has received a variety of gold awards from organisations such as VisitEngland and North East Tourism

Managing director Bernard Bloodworth said: “This recognition has drawn in visitors from the North-East as well as around the country and abroad.

“And the investment has meant that guests enjoy their stay so much that they return.

“Feedback from guests almost always refers to how welcoming the hotel and its staff are and I think that’s very much because we’re not an impersonal hotel chain – Matfen Hall is owned by Sir Hugh and Lady Blackett, whose family has lived here for generations.”

Mr Bloodworth also believes that a rise in the level of ‘staycations’ and Northumberland’s increasing prominence on the national stage have had a positive effect on the hotel, which is set in 300 acres of parkland.

He added: “There is no doubt about it – the county’s heritage, its wide open spaces and the superb quality of its restaurants, food producers and visitor attractions are proving a big draw and we are delighted to be at the heart of that.”