Finding a hotel that willingly takes two big dogs is no mean feat, so imagine my delight when some idle Friday evening scrolling turned up the Bike & Boot in Scarborough.
A seafront hotel with amazing facilities, features include a really good sized grooming area to be able to wash and dry your dogs off after a day at the beach or tramping muddy footpaths, as well as storage for bikers, walkers and surfers! The very definition of hybrid and quirky, which is lucky as that’s exactly how they describe themselves.
We booked a large room and paid to include a sea view and it was totally worth the extra pennies. The room really was big, with a HUGE bed and lots of space surrounding the bed, super handy when you have big dogs who like to lie on the floor around you as you sleep. It also had a sofa and coffee table area and two mats laid out next to the fireplace for the dogs – each with a brand new red lobster toy. We were delighted, they were delighted, all round, a total win.
The sea view was truly lovely and the colours of Scarborough are honestly something else. The evening we arrived, the sunset was accompanied by the palest blush pink hue and the horizon line is always kind of blurred, which totally threw our youngest dog who set off on the longest trek of his life, seemingly thinking that it was totally flat ground and not realising it was the sea! Accompanied with the gorgeous mint green of the Spa Bridge, it was a memorable way to see Scarborough!
We dined in the Bike & Boot restaurant, Bareca, that evening which offers pizza, pasta and grill. We were sat in a really good space where the dogs could stretch out and the food was really nice. I had a Mediterranean salad with the house dressing accompanied by a sun-dried tomato and parma ham flatbread and Dave had a trusty burger and fries. He even decided to squeeze in an enormous chocolate ice-cream sundae which nearly tipped him over the edge, but he valiantly tackled it until the end!
Breakfast the next morning was equally nice. There’s a continental style buffet to choose from including cereals, fruit, pastries, yoghurt, toast and you can even soft boil your own egg to your liking. There was also a pancake builder area with bacon and maple syrup and I think I spotted some marshmallows too for the sweet tooth lovers.
There’s free tea, coffee and cake available from 4pm in the various downstairs lounge areas or you can get a drink in the next door bar in case you’d rather have your cake with a cheeky afternoon beer.
We spent the day wandering the streets of sunny Scarborough, with the most stunning cloudless blue sky for company. We enjoyed a visit to Scarborough Castle (also dog friendly!), lots of trips to the beach, a delicious ice-cream from a little hut down near Scarborough Spa and a lazy late afternoon catching up on some reading.
Tea for day two was definitely going to be fish and chips and it was really the only disappointing part of the trip. We decided after much deliberation to try Winking Willies and honestly they were rubbish. They tasted like they’d been there for a LONG time and neither of us finished them off. Top tip: don’t do it!
Another fab night of sleep in our sea view room followed by a second tasty breakfast and it was time for us to check out. Obviously after we’d done yet more beach walks, ball throwing and enjoyed a cuppa looking out over the bay, just near to the hotel.
Bike & Boot truly lived up to its dog-friendly reputation and I can highly recommend. Our beach view room was on the third floor but 6 flights of stairs didn’t put our lads off and they seemed totally chilled and relaxed there, which is not something we’ve found easy to achieve so far in other hotels.
The big space, the relaxed atmosphere, the friendly staff and just the overall vibe of the place really helped us to feel chilled and at ease, which obviously was reflected in their state of mind and behaviour too.
All in all, if you’ve got a dog and you’re keen for a weekend away, absolutely do it! We loved it and have already discussed going back again later in the year.
Bike & Boot are due to open another hotel in the Peak District and I’m sure we’ll be adding it to our list of places we can easily stay with the lads. I already can’t wait!
Chattering Claire 