Viewing Guide: "Yorkshire's Poshest Hotel: Grantley Hall" - Thursday 26th March, 8pm on Channel 5

Ever walked past one of those grand country houses and wondered what really goes on inside? Well, a new Channel 5 series is pulling back the curtains on one of the poshest hotels in the country, Grantley Hall. This isn't just any hotel, it's a place in North Yorkshire with a jaw-dropping history and a serious ambition to be one of the best in the world. The new show gives a peek into the immense effort it takes to run a luxury, five-star hotel, from the people who own it to the team who make the magic happen for the guests.

From run-down hall to five-star hotel

Believe it or not, back in 2015, this magnificent hall was a bit of a fixer-upper. That’s when Barnsley-born Valeria Sykes stepped in. She bought the run-down country house and, along with her son Richard, set about transforming it. Their vision wasn't just to create another fancy hotel. Managing Director Richard Sykes explains that the goal was for Grantley Hall to feel less like a stuffy, formal place and more like a “posh guesthouse”. The aim is to combine top-tier luxury with warm, down-to-earth Yorkshire hospitality. It’s a place where the service is flawless, but the staff are friendly and approachable. The journey of the Sykes family is a core part of the story, showing how they put Yorkshire on the global map of luxury travel.

A history fit for royalty (and heroes)

Grantley Hall has seen a thing or two since it was built in the late 17th Century. Its walls could tell some incredible stories. For centuries, it was home to lords and ladies, and it even played host to royalty. In 1937, Queen Mary herself stayed at the hall. Imagine that. But the history isn't all glitz and glamour. During World War II, the grand building took on a completely different role, serving as a convalescent home for thousands of wounded soldiers. The legendary Dame Vera Lynn even visited to sing for the troops. This rich past isn't forgotten. The hotel has its own resident historian, a doorman named Kevin, whose passion for the hall’s past led him to become the guardian of the Grantley Hall archives. He even gives history tours, sharing the fascinating stories of the hall with guests who want to know more about its journey from a private home to a convalescent home, and now a world-class hotel.

What does it take to create luxury?

Running a hotel where rooms can cost up to £4,500 a night requires an unbelievable level of precision. At Grantley Hall, the attention to detail is off the charts. Think about this, for every single one of the 47 rooms, there are ten members of staff. That’s a huge team dedicated to making sure every stay is perfect. The housekeeping team alone has a checklist of more than 150 different tasks to complete just to get one room ready for new guests. That's a lot more than just a quick hoover and changing the sheets. Every detail is considered to provide a flawless service. There’s even a specific team, the Guest Experience Team, led by a Guest Experience Manager, whose entire job is to tailor each guest’s journey. They work across every department to make sure visitors have everything they need before they even know they need it. This commitment is what separates a good hotel from a truly great one.

Behind the scenes drama

The new television series shows that life at a luxury hotel isn’t always calm and serene behind the scenes. The first episode follows some of the challenges the staff face. The hotel’s tented bistro is getting a massive makeover, and the manager has just three days to get it done before a big launch party. But then, disaster strikes, a water leak threatens the whole project, leaving the maintenance team scrambling. At the same time, the team is preparing for the arrival of a global pop superstar from America. This means the Guest Experience Manager, Thierry, and his team are working flat out to prepare one of the best suites and plan a special surprise gift. The pressure is on every member of the team, from the welcome host to the pastry chef, to deliver the exceptional hospitality Grantley Hall is known for, especially when the eyes of a very famous guest are on them.

More than just fancy rooms

While the rooms are stunning, a stay at Grantley Hall is about the whole experience. The hotel sits on thirty-eight acres of land, which includes massive lawns, ancient woods, and one of Britain's first Japanese Gardens, which were built around 1910 and are now Grade II listed. When it comes to food, guests are spoilt for choice with six different places to eat, including a Michelin-starred restaurant and even a village pub that guests can be chauffeur-driven to. It's a proper Yorkshire experience. And speaking of local, the hotel sources its food from the North Yorkshire area whenever possible, with most suppliers being just down the road. They even have their own 2,000-year-old water source, discovered during the restoration of the hall. Oh, and to top it all off, the hotel has a resident cat named Minnie, a local stray adopted by the staff. A five-star hotel with its own cat, you can't get more welcoming than that.

The awards speak for themselves

All this hard work from Richard, Valeria Sykes, and their entire team hasn't gone unnoticed. Grantley Hall has racked up some seriously impressive awards that cement its status as a top-tier destination. Here are just a few of the recent ones from 2026:

• The Global Spa Awards by The Luxury Spa Edit: Best Spa Hotel in the UK

• The Times & The Sunday Times 50 Best Places to Stay in the UK: North & Northeast winner

• Condé Nast Awards for Excellence: Best Dining Experience

• Condé Nast Awards for Excellence: Readers' Award