The best hotels in Newcastle

The best hotel in Newcastle for affordability

Motel One Newcastle is an affordable, good-sized bolthole with a boutique feel in the heart of the toon. It sits on High Bridge, a street packed with independent shops (Retro Vintage, The End and Union Clothes) and perhaps the region’s best comedy club, The Stand. The three-star stay is also well-placed for anyone keen on sampling Newcastle’s raucous nightlife, with The Beehive, a local classic pub, and trendy Pleased to Meet You, steps away. The Grainger Market, home to a raft of street food stands, is also only five minutes from away. Interiors are sultry, with bursts of colour by way of teal wingback chairs. The famous barcode stripes of Newcastle’s cherished Magpies take centre stage on the walls in the lobby, alongside murals of the city’s famous bridges. An impressive hotel bar also serves quality cocktails and Newcastle Brown Ale. All 222 rooms are on the smaller side, modestly decorated and functional, if a little no-frills. Staff are jolly and lend-you-a-phone-charger helpful. Guests can also pay an extra £15 to have four-legged friends stay.

Address: 15-25 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EW

Jesmond Dene House

The best independent hotel in Newcastle

Grade II-listed Jesmond Dene House is the best of Newcastle’s independent hotels, though there aren’t many. Home to 40 rooms and a double AA Rosette-awarded restaurant, it feels a million miles from downtown Newcastle despite being just a ten-minute drive away. It’s set in the leafy Jesmond Dene valley and boasts a fine selection of rustic rooms with wildflower wallpaper, colourful, soft furnishings and ambient lighting. Most rooms and suites have at least king-sized beds, and the best ones come with views over Jesmond Dene – complete with window seats prime for a post-breakfast read. Student haven, Jesmond, is a stroll away, where you’ll find a collection of cafes (Café 1901 is delightful) and plenty of places to grab a drink. The aim of the game here though is relaxation and wandering through the dense wood is pure meditation – paths lead to a waterfall, petting zoo and various adorable moss-covered bridges.

Address: Jesmond Dene Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2EY

The Vermont Hotel

The best hotel in Newcastle for a city centre location

The Vermont Hotel is an independent bolthole bang in the centre of the city, right beside Newcastle Castle – a hulking Norman fortress – and overlooking the Tyne and Millennium Bridge. In a previous life it was Northumberland’s Country Hall Newcastle, which explains its prime location – Newcastle train station, Eldon Square, and the Quayside are all within a short stroll. An optimist may describe the rooms as old-world glamour; a pessimist could dismiss them as dated (think plaid carpets, abstract art and wood-veneer furnishings). Still, this neoclassical hotel has a certain charm, especially when sipping a glass of claret in the cosy Redwood bar, complete with a wood-panelled bar, brown leather Chesterfield sofas and old-school piano. Above, the hotel’s year-round high-energy rooftop bar couldn’t be more different: picture neon lighting, zigzag patterned floors and a modern outdoor terrace with panoramic views across Newcastle’s mesmerising nightscape.

Address: Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1RQ