At first glance, a hotel located in the middle of a business park mightn't seem like an appealing location for a short break.  Perish that thought, as the Thorpe Park Hotel and Spa is very definitely not an average business hotel.

Although very well suited to the business person, the hotel has plenty to recommend it to the leisure traveller, and its trump card is as a destination for spa and beauty breaks.

Of course being close to the M1 and M62 and within easy reach of Leeds, York and Harrogate, the hotel makes an ideal base for visitors to Yorkshire who want a little pampering mixed with their visits to the sights.  But when people who live only a few miles away are prepared to spend money to stay at a local hotel, it has to be something special and I decided to check in and find out why Thorpe Park has got 'it'.  

Inside I find a very stylish hotel, a world removed from its industrial estate environs.  Light and contemporary with a Mediterranean influence, the hotel has none of the starkness which often accompanies modern hotels, and is instantly appealing and welcoming.  Roaring log fires are an agreeable touch in such a new building.  

Also agreeable - despite being a smoker myself - is the absence of smoky smells.  Apart from the odd waft of wood-smoke from the fires, the hotel is now 100% smoke-free, having decided to implement the forthcoming smoking ban 6 months early.   Smokers needn't feel ostracised though, and are more than welcome to use the outdoor terrace beyond the restaurant.  This is accessible 24/7.

The hotel, which opened in 2002, makes good use of light and space to give an outdoors-while-indoors feeling.  This is particularly apparent in the glass-roofed central atrium, which keeps out the elements but lets in plenty of natural daylight.

Similarly, the indoor terrace overlooking the swimming pool is a pleasant spot to relax with a drink.  One can either be a lazy voyeur watching others burning off calories in the pool, or do as some ladies did and wander in wearing bathrobes to take a break mid-way through using the spa facilities.