STAY NORTH YORKSHIRE: ARTSBANK APARTMENT, SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA

15-16/09/19

*AD: Gifted - this was a press visit and I was given a complimentary 2-night stay at Artsbank Apartment by Stay North Yorkshire in return for an honest review*

Why you should visit:

Stay on a pretty shop-fronted street
Take in the sea air and walk to the beach within minutes
Visit cute nearby cafes for tea and cake
Enjoy drinks at a cool ale and gin bar just down the street

DESTINATION:

My parents tell me I visited the Yorkshire coast when I was younger, but I don’t remember, so this visit felt very much like my first. Steve and I took a couple of days off work last month and drove the easy drive from Manchester to Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

A Victorian seaside town, it’s a place that definitely has a charm to it, with its cliff tramway (the oldest still working tramway in Britain), long scenic pier and pretty shop-fronted streets. We took a ride on the tram for fun, had a windy walk along the seafront, with its picture perfect multi-coloured beach huts, and then warmed up in local ale and gin bar, Guns Bar, which was a really cosy little place with a nice atmosphere.

Unfortunately we were visiting on a Sunday/Monday, a notoriously difficult two days in most places in terms of shops, cafes and bars being open, so we weren’t able to explore some of the local eateries, and were gutted that for our second night, Guns Bar was closed. We did get to visit a lovely interiors shop called Lillian Daph however, which was filled with gorgeous homeware and local art, and I wanted to buy everything!

Saltburn-by-the-Sea is the perfect base for exploring the rest of the Yorkshire coast. After staying local on the Sunday, we went on a day trip on the Monday and visited Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay and Staithes. All three are definitely worth a visit, but I think our favourite had to be the charming Robin Hood’s Bay, with its steep meandering streets, picturesque cottages and expansive seafront views. In Whitby we had a traditional seaside lunch and visited Magpie Cafe for fish and chips (which were delicious) and stopped off at Staithes on the drive back to our apartment, which was a stunning quaint seaside village.

DECOR:

Stay North Yorkshire have a small but impressive portfolio of properties all with modern and stylish decor. Artsbank Apartment is situated in an old bank, which became an art gallery before it was made into apartments (hence the name), and is on the second floor of an impressive townhouse style building, which originally dates back to the 1800s.

We found the apartment to be really spacious and there were only the two of us staying, but it sleeps four, with two good-sized double bedrooms. There is a light and airy open plan living space, with dining area, kitchen and living room, and a main bathroom and en suite in one of the bedrooms.

The decor throughout had a pared-back Scandi feel with a light colour palette and minimal accessories and furnishings. It was modern, clean and tidy and you could tell it had been recently renovated, although I felt it would have benefitted from a bit more colour and some additional art on the walls, to give a bit more warmth and character throughout.

We stayed in the bedroom with the en suite at the back of the property and the bed was very comfortable, with soft bedding and plump pillows. We both commented on how quiet the property was also, despite being in one of the main streets and near a busy supermarket (which was also handy for any groceries).

DEBRIEF:

We had an enjoyable stay at Artsbank Apartment. It was a relaxing two days, taking in the sea air across the Yorkshire coast and then retiring back to our accommodation to cosy up in front of the TV with a glass of wine. Stay North Yorkshire have some really stylish properties and this is definitely one of them and a great base to explore this area of Yorkshire.