Where to stay in Whitby: holiday cottages, hotels and the best area for you

Which part of Whitby to stay in

The River Esk splits Whitby in two, and the two sides feel quite different.

The East Side is the older half of the town. Cobbled streets run from the foot of the 199 steps along Church Street, Sandgate and Henrietta Street, with narrow yards and alleys opening off them. Old fishermen's cottages climb the hillside below the East Cliff, linked by paths and steps, and many are now let as self-catering cottages. Henrietta Street, below the cliff towards the East Pier, has cottages with harbour and sea views. This is the side to choose if you want cottages in Whitby town centre with the abbey, St Mary's Church and the old town lanes outside the door. Expect steps, slopes and very little parking.

The West Cliff was laid out from the 1850s, when George Hudson, the railway promoter, bought the estate and began building a crescent of houses to rival Bath. Royal Crescent was only ever half built, but the clifftop that grew around it is now where many of the town's hotels, guest houses and holiday flats sit. Views from the top of the West Cliff take in the piers, the East Cliff and the abbey, and the beach below is reached by paths and roads down the cliff. Choose the West Cliff if you want a hotel or guest house and a sea view rather than an old town cottage.

The harbourside and the streets around the swing bridge sit between the two, close to the railway station and the shops. Beyond the centre, Ruswarp, Sleights and the farms and villages of the lower Esk Valley have cottages a few miles inland, and Sandsend is three miles west along the beach.

Kinds of accommodation in Whitby

Visit Whitby, the town's tourism website, groups places to stay into hotels, bed and breakfasts, cottages and self catering, and camping and caravan sites, and Whitby has plenty of each. Hotels range from large clifftop buildings on the West Cliff to small town houses. Guest houses and B&Bs are found on both sides of the river, with a concentration on the West Cliff streets. Some pubs also have rooms, including the Duke of York on Church Street; see our guide to pubs with rooms.

Holiday cottages and apartments are the largest group. They are let by owners directly, by local letting businesses and by national letting agencies. Caravan, lodge and camping parks sit around the edge of the town and along the coast towards Sandsend and Robin Hood's Bay; our camping and caravanning page covers the wider area.

Holiday cottages in Whitby: what to check before you book

Parking is the first question for any cottage in the old town. Parking varies a great deal: of the East Side places we checked, one inn says parking is not on site and points guests to the Church Street car park, while one group of Henrietta Street cottages has its own private car park. On the West Cliff, one guest house we checked offers on-street parking under a permit scheme rather than a private space. Ask the owner exactly where you will park, whether a permit is included and how far you will carry bags. Our parking guide covers the town's public car parks and the seasonal Park and Ride, which runs from April to October.

Steps and steep streets matter on the East Side, where many cottages are reached by yards, alleys or flights of steps rather than a road. If anyone in your group finds steps difficult, ask for the number of steps to the door and inside the cottage. Cobbles and narrow lanes also make wheeled cases hard work.

Dog policies differ from one cottage to the next, so check before booking; of the places named below, some welcome dogs and some do not. Our guide to staying in the moors with dogs has more general advice. Sea and harbour views are a selling point on Henrietta Street and parts of the West Cliff, but so is noise: the harbourside and the old town stay busy into the evening during events and in summer.

When to book

Whitby Goth Weekend is held twice a year, and accommodation books up months in advance for it. In 2026 it ran from 1 to 3 May and runs again from 30 October to 1 November. Whitby Regatta in summer and Whitby Folk Week bring further crowds, and the school summer holidays are the busiest weeks of the year. Book early for any of these and check our what's on calendar, as event dates move from year to year.

Outside the school holidays and event weekends, there is usually far more choice, and some cottages offer short breaks out of season.

Staying in Whitby without a car

Whitby is one of the easiest places in the North York Moors to reach and use without a car. The Esk Valley Railway runs from Middlesbrough to Whitby station by the harbour, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway brings steam trains from Pickering through Goathland, and the Coastliner bus links the town with York and Leeds. Buses also run along the coast to Robin Hood's Bay and Scarborough and north towards Middlesbrough. See our guide to getting around without a car for routes and tips.

Places to stay in Whitby: what each publishes

• Duke of York

  Type:

  Pub with rooms

  Where:

  124 Church Street, East Side, at the foot of the 199 steps

  Sleeps:

  Twin, double and family rooms; total number not published

  Dogs:

  Pet friendly rooms available

  Parking:

  Not on site; the pub points guests to Church Street car park, about five minutes' walk

  Booking:

  Online through the pub's own website, or by phone

  Checked:

  October 2026

• East Cliff Cottages

  Type:

  Holiday cottages and apartments

  Where:

  Henrietta Street, below the East Cliff

  Sleeps:

  Three ground floor apartments with two storey cottages above; sleeping numbers not published on the home page

  Dogs:

  No pets

  Parking:

  Private car park next to the cottages

  Booking:

  Direct, by phone or email

  Checked:

  October 2026

• Royal Hotel Whitby

  Type:

  Hotel

  Where:

  West Cliff, YO21 3HA

  Sleeps:

  142 bedrooms, including standard, superior and family rooms

  Dogs:

  Not published

  Parking:

  Own car park, with limited EV charging spaces

  Booking:

  Direct through the hotel's own website

  Checked:

  October 2026

• The Full English Guesthouse

  Type:

  Guest house (B&B)

  Where:

  9 John Street, West Cliff, YO21 3ET

  Sleeps:

  5 rooms

  Dogs:

  No pets

  Parking:

  On-street, first come first served, with a permit provided on arrival

  Booking:

  Online through the guest house's website, or by phone

  Checked:

  October 2026

Details are what each business publishes on its own website, checked October 2026. We have no connection with any of them and receive nothing for listing them.

Frequently asked questions

General Whitby questions: see the town guide.

More North York Moors questions? See the full FAQ →