The bedroom could have belonged to any hotel. But the view from the window was resolutely Rotherham . . . a corner of an industrial estate with plastic bags cartwheeling in the winter wind.

No matter. My wife and I have a soft spot for Rotherham. We met there, many years ago, on the top deck of a 69 bus. Despite our nostalgic link with the former steel town, however, even we might think twice about choosing it for a romantic break.

We’re clearly not alone. Last week, Thomson Holidays axed an advertised St Valentine’s Day package to the Hellaby Hall Hotel after it attracted not bookings but ridicule.

The town hit back, with a council spokesman pointing out that Rotherham’s boundaries include “three country parks and several beautiful villages”.

We went sightseeing clutching the Medieval Trail leaflet, which suggests just three places to see. The highlight, a 15th-century chapel, is attractive, but would look better without the supermarket trolleys dumped in the river below it.

Hellaby Hall, five miles out of town, nestles alongside that industrial estate. It has a dramatic late 17th-century frontage and a modern warren of 90 bedrooms, spa, swimming pool and leisure club.

The rooms include a suite with a four-poster bed, but most, in their anonymous way, are geared to the conference and wedding markets.

Ours had a comfortable bed, an efficient bathroom, and an atmosphere that suggested nothing more romantic than reading the agenda for a team-building session.

The staff were friendly, both in the pseudo-stately reception hall and the restaurant. The menu includes imaginative dishes (a substantial, if dry, baked cod fillet with cous-cous) and novelties (a bland carrot pancake with mozzarella and crème fraîche).

This being South Yorkshire, there was no standing-on-ceremony. “Cod?!” demanded the waitress with a stare as she brought my main course. I wouldn’t have dared argue.

All told, a pleasant enough place to stay. But Romantic Rotherham? Try the 69 bus.

Sampling the fare: dinner for two, with wine, from about £55.

Bottom line: doubles from £79.

Need to know: Hellaby Hall Hotel, Old Hellaby Lane, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire (01709 702701, www.hellabyhallhotel.co.uk).

Room: 7 out of 10
Food: 6 out of 10
Service: 8 out of 10
Cupid rating: 6 out of 10

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