La Rosa hotel, Whitby

When I stay in a hotel (which isn’t very often unfortunately), it’s usually for a specific purpose (work/weddings etc.) and/or because I am visiting a city, meaning that there’s lots to do. I always lament that I don’t get a chance to just enjoy the facilities. Thanks to timing and the weather that wasn’t the case when I visited the beautiful La Rosa hotel in Whitby earlier this year.

This is definitely my fave hotel that I have ever stayed in. I went for my birthday in February after looking longingly at the website a number of times, which boasts “Victorian seaside fun”. I was so excited and I was not disappointed. I had originally booked into the Little Red room as I am a sucker for a dark fairytale theme but on arrival we were upgraded to Arabesque (inside the genie’s bottle!), which was even better as it had an amazing, massive free-standing bath which I certainly made use of (I am a massive bath fan!).

We had a lovely, high four-poster bed and beautiful decoration and detail everywhere. Due to the fact that Lewis Carroll used to stay in the building when  he was in Whitby, there is a very pretty Alice in Wonderland café downstairs and we had Alice in Wonderland themed tea and chocolate clocks in our room, with lovely vintage china. This place is all about the details. They have some really unusual books and vintage nick nacks dotted all around too.

As it was a freezing and blustery mid-week in February, Whitby was quiet (and quite romantic I thought!). We went out and about during the day and for drinks and a meal on the night but for once the itinerary was not so packed that we couldn’t actually enjoy luxuriating in the hotel facilities, especially the bath!

The hotel keeps a big stash of DVDs downstairs too, which guests are free to borrow. It was great to cosy up in such beautiful and unique surroundings on a cold winter’s birthday night.

Finally, I couldn’t not mention the breakfast at La Rosa. Rather than having to get up and eat breakfast in a dining room with other guests, La Rosa staff drop a basket of breakfast goodies off outside your room and what a basket of delights it is! Vintage china and glasses and lovely serviettes, with cheese scones, boiled eggs, cake, fruit, yoghurt and more. Amazing!

I really can’t recommend La Rosa enough. I LOVED it and would really love to go back some time soon. I really want to try the campsite too but I fear I have left it too late in the year once again to make it this summer. Maybe next…