The Good Hotel Guide is the leading independent guide to hotels in Great Britain & Ireland, and also covers parts of Continental Europe. The Guide was first published in 1978. It is written for the reader seeking impartial advice on finding a good place to stay. Hotels cannot buy their way into the Guide. The editors and inspectors do not accept free hospitality on their anonymous visits to hotels. All hotels in the Guide receive a free basic listing. A fee is charged for a full web entry.
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Best family friendly hotels in North East
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
Middlethorpe Hall & Spa
York, Yorkshire
'Tailor-Made Break' Special Offer
Just over a mile from York, this imposing William and Mary country house in 20 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland offers 'luxurious rooms and amazing food'.
Headlam Hall
Darlington, Co. Durham
'Summer Escape' Special Offer
The real charm of this grand country house, with sweeping gardens, terraces, oak panelling and swish spa along with a convenient location in a hamlet a few miles from the A1 lies in its warm and informal atmosphere.
The Pheasant
Helmsley, Yorkshire
10% Discount Special Offer
This popular hotel and restaurant in a former smithy, shop and barns overlooking the village duck pond might have changed ownership, but it is 'as good as ever', reports a returning guest.
The Devonshire Arms
Skipton, Yorkshire
Four Nights for the Price of Three Special Offer
A former 17th-century inn, which is part of the Duke of Devonshire's 30,000-acre estate at Bolton Abbey, is today an impressive country-house hotel, with fine dining and a spa.
The Cookie Jar
Alnwick, Northumberland
Three Nights for the Price of Two Special Offer
A jar of cookies in the bedroom is just one of the quirks at this fun, intimate boutique hotel, with bedrooms that mix vintage and modern, contemporary British cooking, great service – and Alnwick Castle a stroll away.
Battlesteads
Hexham, Northumberland
Two and Three Night Taster Menu Special Offers
A superb base for stargazing at Battlesteads Observatory, Dee and Richard Slade's hotel, restaurant and village pub also stands out for its approach to sustainable tourism. Using carbon-neutral heating and hot water, it incorporates much of its own produce on the menu; there is also a mushroom farm, and duck, chicken and salmon are smoked on site.
More Best family friendly hotels in North East
The White Swan
Pickering, Yorkshire
The Buchanan family's 16th-century coaching inn offers a warm Yorkshire mix of traditional pub, smart food and modern bedrooms with character. Overlooking the market square, it's a popular locals' spot both for the ales in the fire-warmed bar and snug and the accomplished cooking.
Grassington House
Skipton, Yorkshire
In a 'near-perfect position in the village square', this handsome Georgian house, now a restaurant with rooms, offers food that is 'tasty without being over fussy', 'unfailiingly attentive and friendly staff' and 'great value for money', write readers.
Newbegin House
Beverley, Yorkshire
The 'ridiculously good value' offered at this B&B astounds readers, who love staying at Walter and Nuala Sweeney's Georgian town house, where personal photographs and heirlooms complement the handsome original features.
Grays Court
York, Yorkshire
Steeped in history and dating in parts from Norman times, this extraordinary hotel has antique-filled bedrooms, an oasis rear garden bounded by the city wall, and a fine-dining restaurant.
The Middleton Lodge Estate
Richmond, Yorkshire
Leave the fuss and fret of the AI(M) at Scotch Corner to reconnect with the land at this idyllic hotel, centred on a Georgian coach house amid gardens, parkland and woodland.
Lastingham Grange
Lastingham, Yorkshire
Old-fashioned and nurturing, the Wood family's hotel in flower-filled gardens on the edge of the moors inspires devotion among those who know it.
Brocco on the Park
Sheffield, Yorkshire
Behind the solid exterior of an Edwardian park-side villa lies a Scandi-chic boutique hotel and popular drop-in restaurant.
The Star Inn at Harome
Nr Helmsley, Yorkshire
Rising phoenix-like from the ashes of a conflagration, Andrew Pern's thatched village gastropub retains its joyful eccentricity, with quirky, rustic bedrooms in converted farm buildings, while Mr Pern's modern Yorkshire cooking has lost none of its spark.
Chillingham Manor
Alnwick, Northumberland
This light-flooded Georgian manor house, between Northumberland's beaches and hills, feels like a private country retreat – but with fabulous, leisurely breakfasts thrown in.
The Durham Ox
Crayke, Yorkshire
With views over the Vale of York, this village inn has all the warmth, character and robust food expected of a 300-year-old country pub. Owners Michael and Sasha Ibbotson ensure guests, and their dogs, are well cared for.
The Blue Lion
Leyburn, Yorkshire
Dogs and their people receive a warm welcome at this 18th-century former coaching inn, with cosy bar and candlelit restaurant, a mix of contemporary and country-style bedrooms in the inn and converted stables, and inventive seasonally changing menu.
Swinton Park
Masham, Yorkshire
Much altered since it was begun in 1695, the Cunliffe-Lister family's neo-Gothic, castellated fantasy castle is 'a very special place, grand and imposing', in 'simply glorious' pleasure grounds and parkland.
The Tempus
Alnwick, Northumberland, United Kingdom
Designers have let rip to create this fun, friendly and affordable hotel on a 150-acres estate, with an Alice in Wonderland vibe, occupying new and repurposed farm buildings, with a wide choice of rooms and suites, a cocktail bar and a restaurant serving pub classics and fancier dishes.
Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa
Helmsley, Yorkshire
There is a clever mix of the traditional and modern at this Victorian coaching inn with contemporary main-house, poolside and spa suites, inventive cooking in the restaurant, and an all-year heated outdoor pool.

Yorebridge House
Bainbridge, Yorkshire
A riverside conversion of a Victorian grammar school and headmaster's house gains an A* for splendid, characterful, boutique-style bedrooms, some with terrace and hot tub, and short, set-price, foodie-pleasing menus.

The Pipe and Glass Inn
South Dalton, Yorkshire
In an enchanting village, this coaching inn impresses with its cosy beamed bar, indulgent bedrooms with private patio, and Michelin-starred chef James Mackenzie's spin on classic British dishes in the restaurant.

The Blue Bell
Harrogate, Yorkshire
A handy stopover on the A1, this is the very model of a perfect village pub, with flagged floors, beams, wood-burner, comfy seating, neat, fuss-free bedrooms, and menus that mix pub classics with more elaborate dishes

The Carpenters Arms
Thirsk, Yorkshire
With far-reaching views over the Vale of York, this village inn blends olde-worlde beams, cottage-style bedrooms and luxury Scandi-style garden suites, while pub classics sit alongside creative modern dishes on eclectic menus.

The Lord Crewe Arms
Blanchland, Northumberland
Bedrooms (most across the road at The Angel) blend contemporary chic and modern comfort with notes of rusticity at this historic hotel in a conservation village, with the barrel-vaulted Crypt bar, and simple, excellent food in dining areas.

Matfen Hall
Northumberland, United Kingdom
Enjoy Victorian Gothic splendour and fine or more casual dining at this country mansion with a spa and golf course in parkland.

Simonstone Hall
Yorkshire
Against the backdrop of Stag Fell, with views over Wensleydale, this many-gabled stone-built retreat offers the perfect country house escape, with antiques, comfy armchairs, warm hospitality and modern cooking of local ingredients.

Seaham Hall
Seaham, Co. Durham
Garden suites with hot tubs, a state-of-the-art spa, brightly coloured sofas under gleaming chandeliers . . . this country house hotel offers luxury with a contemporary edge.

The Beaumont
Hexham, Northumberland
The open-plan restaurant and bar, serving creative modern British dishes, provides a buzzy meeting place at this Victorian townhouse hotel overlooking abbey and park, where individually styled bedrooms have feature wallpaper, designer fabrics, modern bathroom fittings.

The Fauconberg
Thirsk, Yorkshire
With views to the Howardian hills, this traditional village pub with individually styled bedrooms serves hand-drawn ales in the bar, alongside honest, locally sourced, classic country food in the characterful dining room.

Beadnell Towers
Beadnell, Northumberland
A stroll from the beach, this family and dog-friendly hotel offers a mix of individually designed bedrooms, a fun, quirky bar, and a restaurant serving locally sourced gastropub-style cooking.

The Alice Hawthorn
York, Yorkshire
Overlooking the village green and duck pond, this 18th-century village pub is a friendly local drop-in and foodie destination with Scandi-cool house bedrooms and spacious, eco-friendly, super-duper, stripped-back-chic timber garden rooms.

No. 1 York
York, Yorkshire
Cool styling and 'whimsical touches' characterise this Georgian town house with its comforting Yorkshire food, cocooning spa and sunny welcome to all, dogs and children included.

The Wold Cottage
Driffield, Yorkshire
This 'cottage' is a handsome Georgian manor house in landscaped gardens, with bedrooms ranging from traditional and gracious with antiques, to boldly contemporary, a log fire to curl up by, and tempting breakfast choices served in the red-walled dining room.

The Ellerby Country Inn
Whitby, Yorkshire
In a quiet village on the edge of the moors, this country inn is a beacon of good service, value and simple comforts, with unfussy bedrooms, modern bathrooms, thoughtful extras, and pub classics served in bar, restaurant or garden.

Fairhaven Country Guest House
Goathland, Yorkshire
There are far-reaching views of the North York Moors from this substantial Edwardian house, a traditional, homely, owner-run B&B where a locally sourced breakfast includes Whitby kippers.