The spirited wildness of the North Yorkshire coast exerts a powerful romantic pull. Towering dunes and vertiginous cliffs come down from the land to clean, sandy beaches where the land meets the chilly, churning North Sea. The towns along this stretch — among them Whitby, Saltburn and Robin Hood’s Bay — blend the charm of fading Victoriana with the kitsch appeal of a British seaside holiday. You feel, looking across the waves to Denmark and Norway, as if you’re on the edge of the world. To stand on this coast is to sense, for a moment, what it must have been like for Dark Age Britons when Vikings made ground here a millennium and a half ago. It’s not hard to see why Bram Stoker set Dracula at Whitby.
Whitby, North Yorkshire.
All of which makes Saltmoore a rather curious hotel indeed, for this is a seaside hotel where you could quite happily spend a few days without ever recalling that it’s in the same postcode as the fine beach at Sandsend, a couple of miles north of Whitby. Located a few hundred yards off the main coast road, Saltmoore is tucked away amid 85 acres of hills and woodland, a hidden retreat from the world where only the occasional waft of sea spray on the breeze reminds you of where in the world you are. This is a world of plush rooms, a sensational spa and garden, and excellent dining. It’s like a miniature Yorkshire version of Shangri-La, where the reality of the world seems to disappear from your mind.
The rooms
There’s been a country house hotel on this spot for many years — it used to be called Raithwaite Hall — but the place was completely re-done before opening in Autumn 2024 as Saltmoore, with 43 charmingly decorated rooms in the original period house, and a further 29 in a newly-built annexe dubbed ‘The Beach House’.
We stayed in the latter — despite its name, there are views only of the car park in one direction, and woodland in the other — in a generously-proportioned room called the Beach House Suite. It was perfectly big enough for a family of four, with a vast bed plus a sofa-bed and a Z-bed for the kids, plus a free-standing bath in the bay window and a en-suite bathroom. The pictures here speak for themselves: it’s a beautiful space, even if the relaxing blue paint of the wood-pannelled walls is as close as you’ll get to seeing the sea.
Up in the main hotel, the rooms are even more eyecatching: the Nest Suite, with its impossibly shiny bathtub, is nominally the best room in the house, but the Orchard Suite’s terrace with outdoor bathtub is also the sort of room where you’d happily disappear for days without feeling the need to surface.
Eating and drinking
Saltmoore currently has a brasserie in the main house and a (superb) pizzeria in the Beach House, with food under the eye of executive chef Adam Maddock, who’s been poached from the Fife Arms, and oversees everything from the Yorkshire breakfast and the chic bar to the picnic baskets that you can take down to the beach.
A fine dining restaurant will be opening in the coming months, but there’s no need to put off a visit on account of the food: The Brasserie earned a special mention in the Michelin Guide a couple of months ago, with the ‘wonderfully pure Whitby crab’ earning special praise.
How they’ll keep you busy
If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably noticed that this isn’t a place where you’ll feel like you need to do any more than just relax — and to help you do so, the Sanctuary Spa is delightful, with a decently-sized indoor pool with sauna, Jacuzzi, steam room and views out of glass walls of the gardens and woodland around. It’s worth bearing in mind, both for those who have children and those who don’t, that barring a couple of hours a day this is a child-free space.
Should you be feeling more energetic, we’ll remind you (and you may need reminding) that the sea really is just a ten-minute walk down the long hotel driveway. Surfing lessons, horse riding, cycling and even a coastal running club can all be arranged by the Saltmoore team.
What else to do while you’re there
Whitby, a couple of miles to the south of the hotel, has one of the most dramatic and beautiful abbeys in the world, a towering Gothic run atop a hill with views of the town, the harbour and out to sea. Saltburn-by-Sea, a quarter of an hour or so drive to the north, is also worth a visit, if only to ride the glorious Victorian funicular railway that plies the route between the beach and the town.
The wonderful old funicular down to the sea front at Saltburn-by-Sea.
And of course, from Whitby you have the entire North Yorks Moors National Park to enjoy, whether you do so on foot, by car, or riding the gorgeous steam railway. And while it’s a longer drive, the magnificent Castle Howard is absolutely one of the finest houses in the country, and an absolute must.
Who is it for
Couples — of all ages — looking for a luxurious escape where you can do as much, or as little as you like. While children are catered for, will enjoy the sandy beaches, and were doted on by staff, we’d say that adults will enjoy Saltmoore’s vibe more.
What gives it the ‘wow’ factor
Easy: the Sanctuary Spa’s pool.
The one thing we’d change
Have we mentioned the lack of sea views yet? Okay, so it’s not something that can be changed, but it’s a compromise you’ll need to be happy with.
Insider tip
One of the stations on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Goathland, might look familiar: it’s world famous for playing the role of Hogsmead Station in the Harry Potter films.
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