Having featured the Gainford Group on our July front cover, it was quite fitting to visit the Vermont Hotel, one of the Newcastle-based leisure chain's premier venues
Set on the banks of the River Tyne, the venue occupies a unique location in Newcastle’s skyline combining timeless 1930s grandeur with contemporary elegance and luxury. The Vermont happens to be an old favourite of ours being one of my first writing assignments back in the 1990s. In the intervening years, the venue has went from strength to strength and today comprises deluxe accommodation, oak-panelled dining rooms and a showstopping rooftop bar (more on which later).
Tucked away in a secluded conclave behind Castle Keep, the hotel has a real exclusive feel upon arrival with the car park often resplendent with supercars of old and new. It’s little surprise then that the Vermont is often the preferred dwelling place of celebrities visiting the city. Despite this lofty status however, the welcome remains warm and friendly in true Geordie fashion.
Being our 30th wedding anniversary, we went all out with one of the hotel’s tastefully appointed River Suites on the seventh floor.
As its name would suggest, these are river-facing rooms which also impressively featured its own dedicated sitting room, luxury bathroom and master bedroom. Each room features its own unique elements inspired by the building’s Victorian and Art Deco periods which has shaped the hotel’s history and style. Little extras also include boutique toiletries, plush bath robes and slippers. Active guests can enjoy use of the hotel’s dedicated fitness centre with state-of-the-art cardio and resistance facilities whilst the sauna is also the perfect place to unwind and recover. However, being a baking hot Sunday, we’d booked into to visit ABOVE the hotel’s recently-opened rooftop bar prior to our meal. This has caused a real stir as the first of its kind in the city, taking inspiration from other popular leisure cities like London, Leeds and Manchester. ABOVE offers breathtaking views and is a stellar choice for special occasion socialising. The venue is also available to non-residents with exclusive access a 12 floor lift ride away from its entrance down on Dean Street.
In the glow of the golden hour, we enjoyed a couple of glasses of fizz before adjourning to the hotel’s Maven Restaurant.
Here we encountered an all-day Sunday Lunch menu in full swing. Lisa opted for Soup of the Day followed by the traditional featherblade of beef with Yorkshire pudding, creamed potato, duck fat roasties and seasonal vegetables. I meanwhile paired the tempura prawn cocktail with the roast chicken supreme. Following our meal, we took coffee and liqueurs in the adjoining Redwood Bar & Lounge which is just as impressive for a nightcap as it is during daylight for a discrete coffee or business meeting. Given more time, we may have also visited Gainford’s other venues Livello and Aveika which are also nearby.
In my opinion though, it is the Vermont which is the jewel in the leisure group’s increasingly ornate crown. This Newcastle hospitality landmark is in safe hands.