Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Balmoral Hotel
Harrogate's boutique hotel eschews minimalism in favor of a
more old-fashioned decadent feel, with opulent designer wallaper, French armoires,
and indulgent bathrooms, in keeping with the Victorian details of the building itself.
Though families are genuinely welcomed (there are two family suites and games to
borrow), this is more the place to hole up with a partner, with a
restaurant
equally
dedicated to hedonistic pleasures (check out the range of Valrhona chocolate des-
serts). You also get free entry to a nearby health spa, although the equally close Turk-
ish baths (p. 645) offer the real deal. Rates vary widely by the day of the week/season/
local conference schedule.
Franklin Mount, North Yorkshire HG1 5EJ. www.balmoralhotel.co.uk.
&
01423/508208.
23 units.
£70-£170 double; £109-£190 suite. Rates include Yorkshire breakfast.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; free
use of nearby spa; Wi-Fi (free).
In room:
TV, Wi-Fi (free, in some).
17
Boar's Head
A cozier, more welcoming hostelry than this former coach-
ing inn in the idyllic, film-set-like village of Ripley is hard to imagine. The decanter
of sherry in your room on arrival and the vintage radios reinforce the feeling that
you've stepped back in time. Divided between the main building on the village square
and an annex across the road (best suited to families), rooms are old-fashioned and
homey, with quirky touches such as wooden boats for the bath. Owned by the same
family as the village castle (p. 645), the inn has a
formal restaurant
and a more
relaxed
candlelit bistro
best suited to families; ingredients from the castle's kitchen
garden are used to full effect in both.
Ripley, North Yorkshire HG3 3AY. www.boarsheadripley.co.uk.
&
01423/771888.
25 units. £125-£150
double. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; DVD library, games.
In room:
TV/
DVD, Wi-Fi (free).
Cropton & Keldy Forest Cabins
These woodland sites in the Moors
National Park are great for family breaks or holidays, with rangers' activities for a
variety of ages—the likes of Forest Survival and Dusk Watch—plus forest cycle, walk-
ing, and pony-trekking trails. Accommodations are in quite plush log cabins of various
sizes, some with outdoor hot tubs; the Keldy site has several with treehouse exten-
sions housing an extra bedroom. You may have squirrels and other forest critters
coming up to your terrace to say “Hi” as you relax in your hot tub. Though remote in
feel, both sites are handy for day-trips to Whitby (p. 648), Scarborough (p. 648), and
farther afield. Of the two, Cropton is the newest, smallest, and most peaceful site,
but most rangers' activities depart from Keldy, 2 miles away, and it has better facilities,
including a games room and a larger grocery. Cabin prices vary widely by time of year
and length of stay (starting at 3-night weekend or 4-night weekday stays).
Near Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 8HW. www.forestholidays.co.uk.
&
0845/130-8225.
80 units.
3-night weekend stay from £192 1-bedroom cottage (Keldy Forest only); from £146 2-bedroom cabin.
MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Activities; bike rental; laundry facilities; forest trails; outdoor play area;
shop.
In room:
TV/DVD, full kitchen, games, outdoor hot tub (some), BBQ equipment.
La Rosa Hotel
Super-kitsch seaside fun is offered in this Victorian building in
Whitby, with to-die-for sea and abbey views and an enviable history as the place
where Lewis Carroll stayed while in town (as a plaque outside attests). Decorated
with fleamarket finds and vintage wallpapers, it has an
Alice in Wonderland
vibe, with
Carroll's study re-imagined in the Lewis room but also nods to Bram Stoker, Angela
Carter, J. M. Barrie, and everyone from cowgirls to pirates. All rooms are doubles save
the attic Crow's Nest, which sleeps six and has a dressing-up box. Continental break-
fast comes in a hamper delivered to your room; there's also a retro tearoom, offering
