Our pick of the loveliest stays within easy reach of the cliffs and beaches, from characterful townhouses to history-steeped inns
Helen Pickles Destination Expert
Helen began her career in radio journalism for the BBC (mainly Radio 4) before moving into feature writing. Having contributed to most UK national titles, from YOU Magazine to the FT, she unintentionally became a travel writer and hotel reviewer, primarily for the Telegraph, Times and Independent. She has also contributed to travel guides and platforms such as DK Eyewitness, Sawday’s, Time Out and i-escape.com.
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All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating.
Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review.
Coastlines always attract attention: the cliffs, the beaches, the mysteries of the horizon. And Northumberland’s coastline is no exception. Over half of its 70 miles is a designated National Landscape due, amongst other things, to its unbroken beaches, sand dunes, birdlife, rich farmland and historic buildings. Mainly quiet villages rather than towns, and with more castles than amusement arcades, it offers a relaxing, laidback seaside experience with peaceful walks, wildlife-watching and fresh seafood thrown in. Here you can find a room with a view in a quiet bed-and-breakfast, a dog-friendly welcome in a restaurant with rooms, a cheery family-friendly hotel or a romantic retreat in a boutique bolthole. Here’s our pick of the best hotels on the Northumberland coast.
How we review
All our reviewers are either resident destination experts or travel writers that specialise in hotels. Often they will have stayed at a hotel many times and so can see how it has changed for better or worse over the years. They know what makes a great hotel in that particular destination and will compare it contextually against local competition. When our reviewers first visit a hotel, they stay for at least one night, eat one meal in addition to breakfast and will experience all of the facilities on offer. Whichever category of room they stay in, they will see the entry-level rooms in order to assess them.
After their stay, our reviewers then give the hotel six scores out of 10, rating its location, style and character, service and facilities, rooms, food and drink, and value for money. The average of these scores then determines the overall score. Our experts then select reviews for curated lists like this – the best hotels in a particular destination for families, for instance – together with the Telegraph Hotels team.
This is a smart and sassy, dog-friendly seaside hotel near one of Northumberland’s most attractive beaches. It has a warmly rustic-nautical style, and its design gives many nods to its seaside location. The 22 rooms mix a rustic warmth with a designer smartness. Beams, exposed-stone walls and chunky wooden furniture sit happily with oversized scallop-edged headboards, statement lampshades and whimsical-patterned wallpapers. Given the location, unsurprisingly there’s plenty of seafood on the menu, but done with pizzazz – North Sea fishcakes with wasabi mayo, salt and pepper squid with chilli and spring onion, stone bass with cauliflower bang-bang, as well as enormous Alnwick ale-battered fish and chips.
From £ 263
per night
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The Bamburgh Castle Inn is perched above the harbour at Seahouses, a small but popular seaside resort on the north Northumberland coast. Bedrooms are spread out in a warren of corridors and staircases over three floors, with around half in adjoining converted cottages or outbuildings – some of them have full or partial sea views that are undeniably spectacular. Expect traditional pub food at the restaurant, plus one or two smarter options. Not surprisingly, it’s well-known for its fish and chips and homemade burgers, and the bar serves a number of real ales.
From £ 109
per night
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This destination eating pub with five flirty rooms is a 10-minute walk to one of Northumberland’s loveliest beaches at Low Newton. Rooms are big and sexy with deep-pile carpets, bold colours and a shameless 'boudoir' style – three have enormous baths set on plinths in the bedroom, a mirror at one side, drinks table at the other. All bedrooms include a make-your-own-cocktail kit; for an extra charge, you can order a romantic turn-down or bath butler service, which might include candles, rose petals or a bottle of prosecco. Otherwise, it is very much a pub with an all-day menu offering crowd-pleasing, above-average pub staples, from mussels in garlic to Northumbrian beef bourguignon.
From £ 180
per night
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The best hotels in Northumberland
When in Bamburgh, you either want to be in sight of the mighty castle or close to the sea. This place hits the jackpot, with a prime position in the shadow of the castle and just six minutes’ walk from the beach. Inside you can expect exposed stone walls, plenty of dark wood and tongue-and-groove panelling. It resembles a modish urban bistro rather than a village inn, and the seven bedrooms continue the sleek masculine style of the ground floor. Food is a highlight of a stay here with menus offering restaurant-quality, rather than pub-quality food, and with a strong focus on locally caught fish and shellfish.
The most romantic hotels in Northumberland
This restaurant-with-rooms, five minutes from the beach in one of Northumberland’s most attractive villages, has a smart rustic style and a deserved reputation for its food. You step off the street and fall, more or less, into the first of several dining spaces, with a cosy bar at one side. Bedrooms feature waxed-wood furniture, sea-blue and green panelled feature walls and wood-cuts of local coastal scenes. Menus, which have a Northumbrian slant, offer a mix of classic and smarter dishes, all cooked with panache and often with an Asian twist.
From £ 186
per night
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This small Georgian manor house hotel, close to the Scottish border and Northumberland coast, has been carefully but boldly styled with striking colours and fabrics. All 22 rooms (there are also five standalone pods) have the same understated elegance with a decorative scheme of creamy coffee shades and bold feature wallpaper to catch the eye. The overall effect is restful and spacious; even classic rooms have footage for a couple of smartly upholstered armchairs. The cliff top coastal path is a five-minute walk from the hotel and Berwick-upon-Tweed – with its Elizabethan walls, boat trips and art galleries – is just two miles away.
From £ 180
per night
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Although the nameplate is discreet, St Valery sits in a prominent position on the main street of Alnmouth, one of Northumberland’s most attractive seaside villages. The tall, Victorian end-terrace villa has been given a careful facelift that keeps original features – high ceilings, tile-inlaid fireplaces, a polished wood staircase – while injecting a sense of cool and lightness. This is a one-man show: owner Harvey Roberts runs the house with laidback, good humour and will dry clothes (wash, if necessary), store bikes and point guests in the direction of walks. Breakfast is a relaxed affair, and in the evening, the village has several choices for dinner.
From £ 180
per night
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Bertram’s sits on the broad main street of Warkworth, a handsome village of Georgian and Victorian buildings, close to the coast and dominated by its medieval castle. The stone, three-storey building, part of a terrace and formerly a pub, has been carefully modernised to offer one large, open-plan dining area, and the five rooms, on the first and second floors, have a light, modern cottage style. Warkworth has a handful of smart shops and cafés, and sits in a loop of the River Coquet with its beach a 10- to 15-minute walk away.
From £ 159
per night
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A townhouse b&b in a prime location on Berwick's town walls, with superb views over the Tweed estuary. Think ringside views of seals, boats and the magnificent bridges. Owners Stephen and Louise Scott welcome guests with tea and shortbread and there's a cost-price honesty bar in the lounge. The three rooms are light and spacious, with deep sash windows and enviable views over the estuary and bridges. Breakfast is handsomely served with proper linens and fresh flowers and then in the evenings, cold supper platters of local meats, cheeses, bread and pickles plus a glass of wine, can be ordered – just be sure to give the owners a heads-up in advance.