Short break: Hotel Victoria, Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire

It is one of the most photographed and recognisable views in Yorkshire and continues to capture the curiosity of both seasoned locals and visitors alike.

Now you can wake up to the very same view and take it all in at your leisure – from the comfort of your own room in an historic hotel that has undergone a stunning refurbishment over the last 18 months.

It was once claimed that Hotel Victoria, in Robin Hood’s Bay, had the best beer garden view in North Yorkshire.

It is quite a bold statement but as you cast your eye across the spectacular scene in front of you – traditional fishing boats, red roofed cottages, winding cobbled streets, farms and moorland which roll into the distance and the North Sea, which on any given day can range between visibly irate and a sparkling sense of calm – it needs no further explanation.

The well-known hotel. Image: Scott MurrayHotel Victoria has been keeping a close eye on these proceedings since it was purpose built in 1897 and commands its spot on the dramatic cliffs which dominate this stretch of coastline.

And now its place in village life has been reinforced following a significant take-over deal.

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Businessman, Andrew Long, bought Hotel Victoria in November 2023, adding it to his expanding Loxley Collection hotel portfolio and giving it a comprehensive renovation that has just seen the latest phase completed.

When he took over the hotel it had 16 rooms. By last summer, following a six month refurbishment programme and the purchase of a pair of former bed and breakfast properties next door, there were 23 bedrooms in total at Hotel Victoria.

A beer garden with a great view. Image: Scott Murray Seven more were completed in February at one of the properties, now known as Captain’s Quarters North. The other being Captain’s Quarters South.

No room is exactly the same and it has been a restoration of a grand old Victorian building which, thankfully, has swerved a repetitive and ultra-modern overhaul.

Think period features, window seats, slipper baths, vintage furnishings, roaring fires, big leather armchairs, original tiled floors and a show-stopping chandelier over the central winding staircase and that is what you will find here.

You will also find locals from Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby, which is just six miles away, in here for a pint and a meal, dogs, kids, day-trippers and hotel guests alike.

Try a Smuggler’s Ruin cocktail!. Image: Scott Murray On a spring or summer day, there really are few finer places to be than that beer garden enjoying a glass of something cold and refreshing. On a wet and wild winter day though, the lounge bar, renamed The Loxley, with its cosy interior of wood panels, armchairs and fire is the perfect port in a storm.

The restaurant is now called Osborne’s and serves an a-la-carte menu with a tempting mix of dishes influenced by the bracing North Sea, the more summer vibes of the Mediterranean and the local countryside.

It has been developed alongside a cocktail bar and lounge which has a list of mixes that have been crafted in house. The signature one though pays tribute to the history and heritage of Robin Hood’s Bay and is aptly named “Smugglers Ruin”.

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