Tankersley Manor

Tankersley manor

On a recent conference, I travelled to Barnsley and stayed in the four star Tankersley Manor Hotel, which is one of the Marston Group of hotels

**Getting there**

The hotel is situated between Sheffield and Barnsley

From North and South-follow the M1
From East-take the M18 then join M1 North towards Sheffield/Leeds
From West-take M62. Leave at Junction 29, which ...
...left onto Church Lane and Tankersley Manor is on the right.

If travelling by train, it is about 3 / 4 miles from Barnsley train station and costs about £9.

**ENTRANCE**

When we drove in through the large gates, what struck me initially was the number of car parking spaces. This is definitely one place which has set itself up as a conference centre.
The driveway curves round to the front entrance ... more

Tankersley manor

On a recent conference, I travelled to Barnsley and stayed in the four star Tankersley Manor Hotel, which is one of the Marston Group of hotels

**Getting there**

The hotel is situated between Sheffield and Barnsley

From North and South-follow the M1
From East-take the M18 then join M1 North towards Sheffield/Leeds
From West-take M62. Leave at Junction 29, which becomes Junction 42 of the M1

Exit the M1 at Junction 36 and follow the signs for A61 Sheffield. After half a mile, turn left onto Church Lane and Tankersley Manor is on the right.

If travelling by train, it is about 3 / 4 miles from Barnsley train station and costs about £9.

**ENTRANCE**

When we drove in through the large gates, what struck me initially was the number of car parking spaces. This is definitely one place which has set itself up as a conference centre.
The driveway curves round to the front entrance of a rather nice stone built building which was built in the 17th century.
There is a path and steps which leads to the door to actually get inside the hotel, which is bordered on all sides by well tended gardens although there weren't many flowers to be seen in January; I would imagine that it will be very pretty in the spring and summer months.
When you walk into the hotel, there are curved stairs straight in front of you and the reception desk is to the left. This was staffed by two people so even though there were a lot of people checking in at the same time, there was very little wait and it was all done efficiently and we were dispatched to our rooms.

**BEDROOMS**

Tankersley Manor has 100 bedrooms including suites and executive rooms.
I had a normal twin room which was located in the original part of the hotel, just at the top of the main stairs.
The room was comfortable and clean with twin beds placed very closely together (for good friends), tv, tea and coffee making facilities, iron and ironing board. There was a very low beam across the bed and running through the bathroom so jumping up in the middle of the night was not going to be an option.
The whole room was decorated very traditionally with a dark bed cover and extra blankets and duvet on offer. The room had a low stone windowsill which was lovely to sit on to look out of the window- the view was very peaceful, overlooking as the window did, the fields and forest areas.

**BATHROOM**

The usual toiletries were on offer- always my first priority- check out the toiletries!
The bathroom was clean and had the usual amenities-bath and shower, toilet.
It did state that should your stay be for more than one night, then you would have to keep your towels as they would be changed only every other day; I don't know if I liked this idea because, whilst I know that it is better for the environment, I do like to have my towels changed every day.

**Conference Rooms**

The hotel has 11 main conference, boardroom and syndicate rooms which can hold up to 400 people, with most rooms having the option of blackout, telephone lines and dedicated conference staff.
The conference room we were in for two days was large enough for 60 people to move around in, either sitting at round tables, or in a semi circle.
The room was well heated and ventilated although the noise of the heater drowned out a lot of the talking- freeze or listen!!

**Eating and Drinking Areas**

The hotel has an in house bar which serves a range of drinks and cocktails. This is a very traditional area with a roaring fire, tables dotted around the place, and low stone windowsills. All very cosy but unfortunately with very slow bar service; not the fault of the two very pleasant staff behind the bar- they were just very understaffed.

There are two lounges- upper and lower. The upper lounge has a small bar for residents and is strictly no smoking. Both lounges have well set out sofas and low tables and we sat there comfortably until the wee small hours of the morning, served by consistently pleasant staff.

**Food**

This is a very important aspect of a stay anywhere.
We ate in the restaurant and had a set menu, and for starter I had the tomato and spinach salad which was a beautifully presented starter but very much on the small side. Main course offered a choice of chicken, mushroom risotto or tuna steak. I had the chicken and vegetables which was a large portion but very plain- it could have done with some kind of sauce. Having tasted the risotto, I decided that it was garlic risotto, so strong was the taste and smell of garlic. Dessert was a choice of cheesecake or chocolate torte; I had the latter which was delicious, followed by coffee.
Breakfast was a great choice of traditional English breakfast, or the usual cereals, toast, and pastries. It was all serve yourself to as much as you wanted and so we did. This is the breakfast on offer to guests staying on the bed and breakfast option at the hotel, and was certainly worth it- lots of it and very tasty.

Of course, we were on a conference and so had only one option for eating. However, the restaurant does have an a la carte menu which has a range of dishes to chose from. The in house pub also offers a carvery and selection of snacks and sandwiches.

**Reflections**

There is a spa within the hotel, offering body treatments, massage and relaxation rooms, swimming pool, spa, steam room and gym.
I had no time to actually use any of these facilities but had a little look and it does appear to offer a wide range of treatments including the ESPA treatments involving hot stones.

**Price**

The Marston Hotel magazine lists the price as #59.50 per person per night for bed and breakfast over the weekend.
As with most short breaks and holiday, different prices can be found by searching different holiday sites.

**Additional information**

• Parking- free car and coach parking
• Concierge- left luggage, dry cleaning
• Skiing- dry ski slope
• Family/children- High chairs, cots

**Privilege Club**

Marston Hotel has a privilege club which for #49 a year offers a range of benefits including complimentary room upgrade, a round of golf, entry into a prize draw.

That's if you would want to join a privilege club.

**Address**
Tankersley Manor,
Church Lane
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S75 3DQ

Tel: 01226 744700
Fax: 01226 745405
E mail: tankersleymanor@marstonhotels.com

**Close to the hotel**

Magna Science Museum- hands on science adventure
York dungeons- chilling museum of horror
Meadowhall Shopping Centre- over 270 stores under one roof
Gulliver's Kingdom- theme park

**Website**

www.marstonhotels.com

**Verdict**

The stay was a pleasant one, although due to the time constraints, I was unable to discover the surrounding area.
The hotel is certainly well maintained, internally and externally although some areas are a bit jaded and could benefit from a bit of a make over.
Walking to the conference room took ages, as the hotel has been extended to such an extent that everything is a long way from everything else. What I did find strange is the fact that some of the conference rooms were upstairs, not far from the bedrooms.
Tankersley Manor is well equipped for conferences, with plenty of clean toilets in different areas and all close to the conference rooms. What is useful is that there are pain killers sold in the toilets- you never know when a headache strikes and there are no shops close to the hotel.
The staff are friendly and efficient and all the areas, including bedrooms are clean and well equipped.

It was an ideal hotel for a conference and the whole hotel seemed geared towards conferences and business meetings.
It does offer wedding packages and romantic weekend breaks, including a Valentine weekend offer.
However, I don't think I would stay at the hotel for a romantic weekend away; it is rather too business like and I think there would be a distinct possibility that we would be dining with groups of people on conferences. In fact, when I was there, I don't think I saw anyone there "privately".

In fact, although there was nothing to complain about, unless staying for a business meeting, I won't be booking a room for hubby and myself.

This makes it difficult at the stage where I have to recommend yes or no. I can't write anything bad about the hotel although the food was a tad bland, but I wouldn't recommend it for a weekend away.

Decisions, decisions. Fine for business but for personal "use", look around.

Thanks for reading

Daniela x 

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