It’s easy to walk straight past this quietly chic hotel, in a quiet street minutes from the grand gateway of Alnwick Castle. Other than some smart window-boxes in the neat sandstone facade it barely announces itself. As a former convent, discretion and sobriety are perhaps not surprising – but, my, how that changes once inside. It’s smart and sassy and richly coloured, yet with a ‘kick-off-your-shoes and make yourself at home’ feel.
The cosy sitting room (and it is a sitting room, not a drawing room) is a jolly jumble of wool-upholstered armchairs, little tables and standard lamps with an inviting wall of books. Walls, fabrics and lampshades are in striking shades of blue-and-white – a colour theme that continues, quite startlingly, in the dining room and, more subtly, in the 11 bedrooms. The latter, spread over a surprisingly large area of staircases and corridors, are plumply comfortable with luxury-hotel touches, while food is bistro-smart. A heated terrace at the rear makes a quiet spot for coffee and a book or drinks after a day of exploring the grand Castle and Garden or the famously wild beaches.
Highs
- The discreet location – it feels like entering a private house – yet close to the town centre
- Bold and striking colour schemes and style that are genuinely refreshing without compromising on practicality
- Cossetting bedrooms, at every level, and where everything seems to have been thought of
- A fun dining room – dazzling design, pretty touches – where meals are relaxed affairs
Lows
- The bistro has limited days of operation in the winter season
- Some bedrooms have limited or no views to speak of
- There's no private parking; but some off-street parking in front (arrive after 2pm and it's free until midday the next day), plus more options a few mins away
Best time to go
Both Alnwick Castle and Garden are closed during certain winter months (check websites) although winter – plus autumn – can be a good time if you enjoy bracing walks along the coast with fewer people. Come in April to catch the spectacular candyfloss blossoms of the Garden’s cherry orchard, while autumn should guarantee plenty of local game on the menu. Summer is always fun at the coast, with pop-up food carts, though the weather is not guaranteed.
Our top tips
Bring a bag of books, that others might enjoy, to ‘barter’ at Barter Books; specialist subjects, as well as fiction, welcomed. If accepted, you’ll be offered ‘credit’ which you can use towards the cost of any books you buy. Pack some sensible shoes for beach-walks; sliders are hard-going on Northumberland’s breezy sands. If visiting the castle or garden at busy times, book ahead to avoid queues.
- Boutique Hotel
- 11 rooms
- Restaurant and bar (open daily)
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
You realise the hotel’s neat façade is deceptive when you go to find your bedroom. Three staircases go up to three further floors (there's a lift) which also include a hidden wing at the rear. But, as there are only 11 bedrooms, it means they’re generously spread, with the illusion of staying in a rather grand, private house.
They’re a clever mix of country-house style – tongue-and-groove panelling, thick wool fabrics, a sprinkling of vintage – and townhouse smartness – dazzling blue-and-white colours, geometric feature wallpapers and glossy-white metro-tiled bathrooms. While there’s luxury-hotel-standard attention to detail and comfort (a slew of quality magazines, sockets where you need them, homemade chocolate truffles), it’s not overdone or fussy. Walls and wardrobes are painted in calming neutrals, and decoration is spare: perhaps a bold artwork or a couple of carefully chosen glass or ceramic vases.
We liked the top-floor rooms; St Cuthbert’s Cave with its free-standing bath, and the cosy, beamed Alnmouth with its roof-top views.
Features include:
- Central heating
- Coffee / tea making
- Hairdryer
- Satellite TV
- Toiletries
- WiFi
Eating
For a small hotel, it offers surprisingly smart cooking, and with separate vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian menus. Modern European dishes have pizzazz: an avocado and crab tian came with chilli hollandaise while pan-fried guinea fowl was paired with Puy lentils and Toulouse sausage. Wines, too, are classy. Courses are surprisingly robust. I scraped the plate of a spicy starter of roasted avocado and hot peppery bulgar wheat, then failed to finish my sea bream with saffron potatoes.
It’s the sort of dining room, jazzy in blue and white, where you want to linger – jugs of pretty flowers, proper napkins, framed collections of vintage cutlery – and where people end up chatting. Especially at breakfast. A cooked-to-order choice ranges from local kippers and pancakes to the full works, while a dresser is spread with pretty dishes of yoghurt, fruit salad and granola; even a full honeycomb. When did you last see one of those on a hotel buffet?
Features include:
- Bar
- Breakfast
- Kids' meals
- Restaurant
- Vegan options
- Vegetarian options
Activities
- Explore a bamboo labyrinth, poison garden, rose garden, grand cascade and the world’s largest cherry tree orchard; some of the colourful and watery experiences at contemporary Alnwick Garden
- Walk the battlements, be dazzled by state rooms, have a go at medieval soap-making at Alnwick Castle, home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland; even sign up for broomstick-flying lessons, as perfected by Harry Potter when JK Rowling’s books were filmed here
- Browse the shelves of Barter Books, one of the largest second-hand bookshops in the UK and set in Alnwick’s former train station
- Head to the coast for more castles plus windswept beach walks; Alnmouth beach, the nearest, is 10 minutes, while Embleton, Dunstanburgh Castle, Warkworth, Low Newton and Beadnell plus Bamburgh Castle and beach are all within 25 minutes’ drive
- If walking is your bag you're spoiled for choice with the Northumberland Coastal Path, St Cuthbert's Way, and even Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail which finishes at Wallsend to choose from
- Horse riding, fishing, golf and shooting are all popular country pursuits hereabouts
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Fishing
- Golf
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Horse riding
- Plantlife / flora
Kids
Children are welcomed, although it’s not an obviously family-friendly hotel (no big public spaces), with extra beds set up in the larger bedrooms. They’ll be enchanted by Lilidorei, a children’s interactive and imaginative play village next to Alnwick Garden, full of squeals and groans and giggles.
Best for:
Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years)
Family friendly accommodation:
The Suite (The Chapel) or Luxury (Goswick) rooms are your best bet if you're a family of four, for families of three go for Mother Superior or the other Luxury rooms. All rooms except Cosy rooms can take a baby cot.
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available
Kids Activities nearby:
- Alnwick Castle
- Lilidorei
- Beaches
- More castles nearby including Bamburgh and Warkworth
Distances:
- Airport: 40 minutes
- Shops: 3 minutes
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
On the northern edge of Alnwick, in mid-Northumberland, The Cookie Jar hotel is a five-minute stroll from the centre and a five-minute drive from the A1 while the nearest beach, Alnmouth, is 10 minutes. A car is essential for exploring the region.
By Car:
London 5.5 hours, Edinburgh 1 hour 45 minutes, Manchester 3 hours; see our car rental recommendations.
By Train:
Alnmouth station, 10 minutes by taxi, is on the East Coast line between London Kings Cross (3 hours 40 minutes) and Edinburgh (1 hour). Connections at Newcastle and York offer services to, for example, Birmingham and Bristol.
By Air
Nearest airports are Newcastle International and Edinburgh.
Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.
Airports:
- Newcastle International Airport 55.0 km NCL
Other:
- Beach 8.8 km
- Shops 0.3 km
- Restaurant 0.3 km
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