Congham Hall Hotel in Norfolk is preparing to welcome guests for a convivial Christmas and New Year with the launch of its seasonal packages for 2013.

The award-winning hotel, which unveiled a major refurbishment in May, will be the place to stay for lavish food and drink and classic entertainment. Plus, at Christmas, Congham Hall is ideally located for royal fans who wish to offer season’s greetings to HM The Queen – the property neighbours the Sandringham Estate and St Mary Magdalene Church, where the royal family attends the Christmas-morning service.

Guests visiting at Christmas will enjoy a seven-course Black Tie Dinner Gourmand with paired wines on Christmas Eve and a six-course Christmas Dinner. Complimentary snacks and drinks, ranging from afternoon tea to Champagne cocktails, are also included. Carols around the tree and a special Christmas quiz will be on the programme, as well as the special opportunity to offer season’s greetings to the royal family on Christmas morning.

The Christmas Package (24-27 December), costs from £1,245 per room, based on two sharing, and includes three nights’ accommodation, all meals and drinks. Children sharing their parents’ room pay just £200 each for the whole stay. Guests who wish to extend their stay by an extra night, either before or just after Christmas, pay £150 per room per night, based on two sharing, including dinner and breakfast, plus one complimentary manicure or pedicure from the Spa Ritual range or a bottle of "bubbly".

The New Year fun includes a seven-course Black Tie Gala Dinner, with paired wines, fireworks and Champagne at midnight, as well as live music and dancing. On New Year’s Day, guests can blow away the cobwebs with a visit to Welney Wetland Centre to catch a winter swan feed, or kick back in the Secret Garden Spa. Mulled wine and mince pies, Champagne cocktails, afternoon tea and a four-course New Year’s Day Dinner are included in the price.

The New Year Package costs £930 per room, based on two sharing, and includes meals, drinks and entertainment. Children sharing their parents’ room pay £90 each, including meals. And babysitters can be pre-booked for New Year’s Eve.

For full details of seasonal packages, and to book, visit www.conghamhallhotel.co.uk or call 01485 600250.

A double room at Congham Hall, with breakfast, normally costs from £125 per night for midweek stays.

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To request images or further information, to arrange an interview with owner Nicholas Dickinson, or to enquire about press visits, please contact Little Black Book Creative: Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@lbbcreative.co.uk, or Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@lbbcreative.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

Nicholas Dickinson and his team took over Congham Hall in March 2012. The hotel relaunched in May 2013 after completing the last phase of a major refurbishment, which included refreshing bedrooms in the main building, as well as the contemporary rooms in the Herb Garden. Communal areas have been updated and the restaurant remodelled, with an extended terrace to provide more outdoor dining. A contemporary zinc bar, with additional low-lit seating, has been added and the Library has been created as a quieter space.

The hotel now offers guests a choice of 26 rooms, including one suite, and 11 garden rooms with private terraces. The award-winning restaurant holds 2 AA rosettes and serves seasonal, local produce, including many homegrown vegetables. A relaunched menu, where taste is everything and simplicity is key, is complemented by a new, interactive wine list on iPad.

The state-of-the-art Secret Garden Spa has benefited from a £1.5 million investment, with improvements to the facilities and four treatment rooms, new equipment and the creation of a relaxation area. In April 2013 the spa announced its partnership with specialist brand Elemental Herbology (elementalherbology.com), offering a new menu of treatments, and packages for non-residents. Spa facilities include a 12-metre swimming pool and a thermal suite – with sauna, bio sauna, steam room, experience showers, footbaths and an outdoor hot tub. Other facilities include a croquet lawn, putting green and tennis courts.

Nicholas Dickinson has spent his entire working life in the luxury hotel business. Early on, he worked at the five-star country-house hotel Chewton Glen and Raymond Blanc’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. In 1994, Nicholas formed a partnership with Nigel Chapman, who had developed Woolley Grange in Wiltshire. Together, they created Luxury Family Hotels, which soon became the market leader in the UK for luxury family short breaks, and Alias Hotels, for the stylish mid-market corporate and leisure sectors. Both groups were successfully sold and Nicholas and Nigel went on to develop Martinhal Resort on Portugal’s Algarve. This is Nicholas’s first independent hotel project.

Speaking about his first solo project, Nicholas Dickinson says: "Following the refurbishment at the beginning of the year we have been delighted with the feedback from all our guests, some who have stayed at the hotel before but many who have stayed for the first time this summer. Congham Hall provides the ideal springboard for a new generation of hotel group based on traditional hospitality but with an array of leisure activities for guests to enjoy and much homegrown produce for the table. Situated just 12 miles from the coastline, with its idyllic beaches, this really is a very special place to stay."