Scarborough Travel Forum

We will be there March 10, 11, 12 and will be staying at the Grand Hotel...seems that some really like it and others really hate it...any feedback?
Also, where to eat, how's the weather and will we have time for the Moors and York, Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay? Any nightlife this time of year?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Terry

There were some problems with food poisoning at this hotel a few years ago and the authorities closed it down . It has been reopen for a few years now with no problems but it tends to cater for elderly people on inclusive holidays - I would think clean and basic describes as best.
There is a train to York every hour ( less on Sundays)and it takes 40 minutes. Go to www.northernrail.co.uk for details. For Whitby there is a regular bus that takes one hour but for the best journey take a bus to Pickering and then a steam train on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway ( www.nymr.co.uk) to Grosmont and then a train to Whitby with a bus back to Scarborough. You can find details at www.sjd117.freeserve.co.uk/yorkbus/.
Scarborough is a wonderful town - it has the most wonderful view from the hotel across the harbour and the town is good to explore on foot. It can be hilly though.
The weather is unpredictable I am afraid. It could be anything in March from snow to rain to reasonably warm and bright but the nights will be cold.

Can't say anything about the Grand other than that the famous vet Herriot stayed there during his service during WWII :)

Scarborough is indeed nice but I definately recommend a trip to both Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay which are wonderful :) Getting to York you will certainly have time for even if the city deserves at least a day. Scarborough-York is not as scenic as Whitby-York which crosses the North York Moors National Park with its sheep in the heather :)

www.yorkshirecoastliner.co.uk is another way of getting to/from York if the train is too expensive or wrong hours.

With 365 rooms (one for every day of the year) the Grand is something of an institution, a traditional British hotel with traditional British service (which can occasionally leave something to be desired) it has been there forever and I think they built it round some of the staff, but the quirkiness of the place is what makes it.

As Colin said, it did have a hygiene scare last year (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/series7/dirty_hotel.shtml) but the new owners, Britannia Hotels, will have gone all out to improve matters since then with a 7 million pound refurbishment so you should be fine and I personally would have no qualms staying there.

Scarborough generally is a good place to visit, there is a wealth of history in this area and you have made good choices with Whitby, York and Robin Hoods Bay. Scarborough has character, there is good nightlife and plenty of places to eat all year round, where to go in the evening will depend on what exactly you want.