Comfort and style
Aug 24 2010 by Amy Hunt, The Journal
LONG viewed as a great place to visit, the North East boasts some top-notch accommodation and the transport links to make any trip a cinch.
From seaside B&Bs to luxury city centre and countryside hotels, the region has something to offer any traveller.
And our transport network of road, rail, bus, ferry, air and the Metro, means it’s easy to get around.
The regeneration of the quaysides of Newcastle and Gateshead have seen the area become a top destination, with tourism worth £1bn to the Tyneside economy alone.
Hotels such as the Malmaison and Hilton have sprung up while the Albatross Backpackers’ Hostel on Grainger Street, Newcastle caters for a different part of the market.
The Grey Street Hotel offers a more boutique experience, while the picturesque setting of Jesmond Dene House offers relaxation within easy reach of the city’s treats.
Elsewhere in the region country retreats such as Matfen Hall and Slaley Hall provide an escape from the rat race.
The recently refurbished 18th Century Rockliffe Hall in County Durham boasts golf courses galore, spa and fitness facilities and 61 luxurious bedrooms, while double Michelin-starred chef Kenny Atkinson is in charge of its Orangery restaurant.
New rooms are being built all the time, with the Sleeperz hotel chain the latest to bring its business to the region.
Tourism chiefs say by 2018 there will be 3,000 rooms within a 20-minute walk of the St James’ Park in Newcastle and 6,000 within 20 minutes transport.
One of the North East’s big plus points is how easy it is to go from city to country, inland to coast, thanks to our excellent transport links.
One of the jewels in the North East’s transport crown, the Tyne and Wear Metro has just celebrated 30 years of service.
Opened in August 1980, the light railway and underground carries 40m passengers a year and connects the urban hearts of Newcastle and Sunderland with the Tyneside and Wearside conurbations.
From the centre of city to the coast is just a few stops on the Metro.
The link to Newcastle Airport, which opened in 1991, provides the shortest airport to city centre journey in Britain. The airport has also celebrated a milestone birthday this year, turning 75 in July.
A key gateway to the North East, the airport welcomed a total of 4.6m passengers through its doors in 2009 and annually it pumps £400m into the regional economy.
One of its most successful link-ups has been with the Emirates airline.
The daily Newcastle to Dubai service, providing connections with more than 50 other destinations, launched in September 2007 and quickly became Emirates’ best performing new route in the UK. The same month a new state-of-the-art £8m air traffic control tower, called the Emirates Tower, opened at the airport.
Durham Tees Valley airport is another vital link to the region.
And the Port of Tyne provides a seafaring link with the continent via DFDS Seaways’ route to Amsterdam.
