Hotel
Scarborough has been welcoming visitors for over 360 years and is still as popular as ever!
Commonly regarded as the UK’s first seaside resort, Scarborough has a population of over 50,000 and is the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast providing a wide selection of quality hotels – a great choice for a UK holiday or short break.
One of the town’s most striking features is its rocky headland, on top of which sits the 11th century ruins of Scarborough Castle, which was bombarded by the German warships in the First World War. Jutting out eastward into the North Sea, the headland splits Scarborough’s two sandy beaches, North Bay and South Bay, which are linked by Marine Drive, an extensive Victorian promenade, built around the base of the headland. Both bays have a wide range of local attractions, popular sandy beaches and numerous rock-pools at low tide.
South Bay
The South Bay was the site of the original early medieval settlement and the harbour, which form the current Old Town, and remains one of the main focuses for tourism, with a sandy beach, cafes, amusements, arcades, theatres and entertainment facilities.
Scarborough harbour has undergone major regeneration in recent years including new pontoons; free WiFi for visiting vessels and more pedestrian-friendly promenade, street lighting and seating.
South Cliff
Slightly less well known is the South Cliff Esplanade situated above the historic Scarborough Spa and South Cliff Gardens, commanding excellent views of the South Bay and the old town and from which many iconic postcard views are taken. Its splendid Regency and Victorian terraces are still intact and the mix of quality Scarborough hotels and desirable apartments form a backdrop to the South Bay. Scarborough’s South Cliff is also home to ITV television drama The Royal and its recent spin-off series, The Royal Today, which are both filmed in this area.
Scarborough Town Centre
The town centre is located approximately a quarter mile north-west of the harbour, where you will find the main transport links services, shopping, nightlife and town centre hotels Scarborough has to offer.
The resort centre provides a great choice of high street shops and boutiques. The Brunswick Centre is a prestigious all-weather shopping centre with a department store and thirty-five other retail outlets. The Centre is located in Scarborough’s pedestrianised shopping precinct, which, with the surrounding streets, has many individual boutiques, specialist shops and inviting cafes, restaurants and bars.
Scarborough Accommodation
If you are planning a holiday or short break in Scarborough you sure to find accommodation to suit your needs. There’s a huge range of Scarborough accommodation to choose between ranging from self-catering accommodation and cheap hotels to country houses and luxury hotels.
Scarborough has a vibrant nightlife and offers a wide range of bars, restaurants and clubs, and for those seeking a little more culture, there are four theatres. The most famous of these is the Stephen Joseph Theatre where most of Alan Ayckbourn’s plays have premiered. The others are the Futurist Theatre, the Spa Theatre and the YMCA Theatre.
Scarborough Nightlife & Entertainment
If nightclubs and bars are what you’re looking for, then Scarborough will not disappoint, offering a wide range of traditional British pubs, as well as modern wine bars and chain pubs including J D Wetherspoon, Barracuda and Blue Lounge. The main ‘pub run’ starts at the top of the town at The Lord Rosebery and winds through the streets of Scarborough to St. Thomas Street home of Boleyn’s Nightclub, Privilege Gentlemen’s Club and The Opera House Casino.
If loud music and discos aren’t your cup of tea, then check out the Scarborough jazz festival held in September or take a stroll down to the Scarborough Spa, where orchestras play at this fantastic Victorian complex on the seafront in South Bay (an ideal venue to enjoy a dinner and dance).
Whatever evening entertainment you are looking for, Scarborough won’t disappoint with shows galore for all the family throughout the year, including variety, musicals, comedies and big name acts side by side with contemporary plays and dramas. For a more informal evening, pop into one of the many local pubs and enjoy the live music provided by local and regional bands and keep an extra special eye out for Scarborough’s local legend ‘Danny Wilde’!
Day or night you’ll never be stuck for something to do or see, with a whole host of first class local attractions in Scarborough such as the award winning SeaLife and Marine Sanctuary, Scarborough Art Gallery, the newly refurbished Rotunda Museum and much more. Plus there’s a whole host of Scarborough festivals, including Beached, the Yorkshire Coast’s biggest free live music festival, ‘Acoustic Gathering’, a free one day music festival held annually in Peasholm Park, Seafest, the Scarborough Jazz Festival, Bike week, Scarborough Fayre and the Scarborough Cricket Festival, providing you with all year round events. For more information on what to do in Scarborough, visit the local attractions section which is packed full of Scarborough tourist information.
Scarborough also boasts many quality restaurants many serving a variety of fresh local produce. Scarborough restaurants cater for all tastes with everything from seafood and a la carte establishments to Italian, Greek, Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisine. There are literally hundreds to choose from but be sure to check out the Multi-award winning Italian Restaurant Lanterna as well as the Michelin recommended restaurants Peppers, The Sea View Restaurant at The Royal Hotel and Wrea Head Country House Hotel’s Four Seasons Restaurant. Walk in service is available at these restaurants, however, due their popularity, we strongly advise that you to pre-book to avoid disappointment.
When visiting Scarborough, one thing is for certain; whatever you decide to do or wherever you decide to visit you will always receive that warm Yorkshire welcome!
