Spotlight on Scarborough

Britain's first holiday resort is getting its act together

Over the years, this reviewer has been very closely connected with Scarborough. As a child, it alternated with Blackpool and Bridlington as a family holiday venue. As a teenager, it offered an alternative to the urban fleshpots of Leeds. When I started my career in a Leeds based advertising agency, one of the accounts I handled was, you've guessed it - Scarborough! Promoting the 'Queen of the Yorkshire Coast' as it was styled in the 60s and compiling the Scarborough guide made me something of an expert on what the resort had to offer.

My last business visit to Scarborough on was in the early 70s when I was involved in organising a conference in the town. By this time, the UK's first seaside resort was suffering from a lack of investment and the knock on effect of the change in holiday habits. The annual holiday exodus was now to the Spanish Costas and beyond. A saving grace for Scarborough was its superb location, the Spa Conference Centre, which still provided the ideal setting for many of the major UK conferences, plenty of hotel rooms and the bracing sea breezes for the loyal, older holiday maker. Going back after over 30 years filled me with trepidation.

The drive over the Humber Bridge and the approach to Scarborough via the Yorkshire Wolds is still awe inspiring, even though the weather was far from kind. As I parked my car, I was aware that the place was buzzing, the car parks and the hotels were full - and then I realised that, in Yorkshire it was still half term.

A walk reminded me just how bracing Scarborough can really be. The wind chill factor made my cheeks glow but the cobwebs of a busy week were quickly blown away.

The weekend had been organised by the Scarborough Conference Bureau. Our host had provided an itinerary designed to enable the party to get a feel of what Scarborough and the surrounding area has to offer. The Spa Complex is still a major asset able to provide facilities for quite large conferences of up to 1800 delegates. State of the art in its day, it will be shortly undergoing a major facelift to enable it to compete with the best around. As you would expect in the 'close' season, many of the hotels were visibly investing heavily to improve their star ratings. Our guide reminded us that The Britannia Grand Hotel was the very first 'Grand hotel' anywhere in the world. Designed around a theme of time, the hotel has four towers for the seasons, 12 floors for the months, 52 chimneys for the weeks and, originally, 365 rooms for days of the week. Covered in scaffolding it is currently undergoing major refurbishment.

Money has clearly already been spent to ensure that The Royal Hotel maintains its reputation as the most comprehensively equipped conference and leisure venue in the resort. With 118 ensuite bedrooms, 2 elegant ballrooms and a further 6 state of the art function rooms, the Royal offers a complete and highly flexible service. The Crown Spa Hotel is a leading venue for delegates and offers some of the best accommodation and associated facilities as well as exhilarating views of the Norman Castle, Harbour and South Bay. The Crown also boasts a dedicated Conference Centre, Fine Dine Restaurant, Brasserie, bars and the award winning Spa Health Club. The owners are confident that the additional investment currently underway will help it to achieve 4 star status. Many visitors are unaware just how well placed the town is to act as a centre from which to explore to the wonders of the North Yorkshire Moors and adjacent resorts such as Whitby and Bridlington. York is less than an hour's drive down the road. A visit to Raven Hall Country House Hotel, Conference Centre and Golf Course reminded me just how stunning the area is. The hotel is located in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, halfway between Scarborough and Whitby.  Standing dramatically on the cliff top, it enjoys panoramic views overlooking Robin Hood's Bay and out to sea. The golf course is 'challenging' to say the least!

Scarborough has much to offer conference and meetings delegates after the day's proceedings have finished. There are many quality restaurants to choose from, with all tastes catered for. If you want great Yorkshire fish and chips, superb fish restaurants or a more cosmopolitan fare you will have no difficulty finding what you want. If its entertainment you are after, you will be spoilt for choice. There are four fantastic theatres, each offering something different. One of the most famous is the Stephen Joseph Theatre, home of the playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn. 

In the thirty years since my last visit, nothing appears to have change outwardly. Get behind the façade, as we were able to do, and Scarborough is clearly maximising its scenic asset, bringing its facilities up to the standard of the very best and setting out its stall as a major contender in the UK Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions markets. Interested in holding your next event in Scarborough or anywhere else in the UK? Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it