The Beach Apartment

48 Customer Reviews

• "Location is fantastic however, the outside area was overgrown with weeds."

  The outside drain was blocked, causing dirty water to overrun our outside area. Wet room extractor fan was broken, causing dampness throughout. The settee is dated, and in need of replacement.

  Reviewed by James2.5★Oct 2024

• "This is such a special place, instant peace."

  The apartment is great and the staff at the Grotto are super helpful and friendly. This was my second stay here this year and I will definitely be back. Thank you

  Reviewed by Anne4.7★Oct 2024

• "Our third visit to this property."

  Clean well equipped and comfortable. Great location. Great shower after a long day. Pub restaurant staff very welcoming.My dogs second home love it

  Reviewed by Peter5.0★Oct 2024

• "The place was lovely, as per the pictures."

  .. The Grotto restaurant / bar had fabulous staff, all really friendly and so dog friendly. Food was also fabulous!! It was a pleasure and the staff couldn't do enough to help. would recommend this for a short break, the walks around are good, and nothing beats a morning coffee watching the waves. Only improvements i would mention are, a new couch for the room, Lovely to look at, not so much to sit on, but then was only in the room on the evenings so no major issue. Also need a shelf or shower basket something to put toiletries etc. when showering only place is the floor or the top of the toilet. Sink is outside the shower room so couldn't use that. however we will be back i am sure ideal for a couple of days if you want to relax...

  Reviewed by Amanda4.1★Aug 2024

• "Great location and the staff were very helpful and friendly, however the cleanliness was poor, in particular the kitchen equipment i."

  E. baking trays were filthy and unusable, there were also huge cobwebs in the shower room and dust on the window blinds. One of the things asked of the guest is to ensure all dishes used were washed and put away, maybe they were left unclean as there was no washing up liquid, sponges or tea towels in which to do this, we bought the items from the supermarket but this should not be necessary. There was a few things which needed maintenance, the extractor fan in the bathroom didn’t work and the toilet seat was broken……more attention to details is required by the cleaners and maintenance staff

  Reviewed by Judith2.5★Jul 2024

• "The accommodation was not clean, smelled damp and of wet dog, and had hairs on the tiles."

  The bed needs replacing as very uncomfortable and one of the pillows had a blood stain on it. The baking strays and cutlery were dirty (I was going to cook breakfast but was put off). We left for home after the first night as I was not going to sleep there a second night. Very disappointed

  Reviewed by Kashia1.6★Jul 2024

• "Absolutely loved my stay and planning to come back again, my dog had the best time, the apartment was beautiful and had everything you might need, and I enjoyed the fact there was no mobile signal inside, it meant it was a true break away from everything, a short trip down the beach or up to the car park was enough to get full signal when needed!"

  Staff at The Grotto were all lovely and made a fuss of my dog, we enjoyed having lunch inside the cave and a daily mocha to take on a walk.

  Reviewed by Clare5.0★Jun 2024

• "Third time staying and will be more as absolutely stunning."

  Staff are excellent looking forward to booking soon.

  Reviewed by Kathleen5.0★Jun 2024

• "Lovely stay nice apartment really friendly staff at the bar and restaurant staff couldn't do enough lovely people"

  Reviewed by Angela3.8★Apr 2024

• "What a brilliant place, reading some of the previous feedback we were a bit concerned regarding cleanliness but found the beech apartment in lovely order (the manager also offered to clean the apartment whenever we needed it during our stay)."

  The views and beech were amazing. A 10 second walk back into the grotto when we didn't want to cook was very welcoming. A couple of pints playing cards watching the waves crash in from a lovely warm cave you don't get to do every day. The whole place was dog friendly. The staff are an absolute credit to themselves, nothing was to much trouble, the chefs take a real pride in their trade, I am now a converted fish eater, they all created a real family atmosphere. Thankyou all so much Martin, Julie, Humphrey.

  Reviewed by Martin4.4★Apr 2024

• "From the minute we arrived this property was just perfect for some lovely R&R."

  The staff at the Grotto were all lovely, welcoming and made our stay even better. Food in the Grotto was excellent. We had the best time.

  Reviewed by Anne5.0★Mar 2024

• "Great place to stay, we have already booked again."

  The staff are so friendly and made us feel so welcome along with dog too. The views are amazing.

  Reviewed by Colin4.7★Mar 2024

• "When arrived the 1st thing we noticed was how dusty and sandy the floor was Did take into account beach front but felt it could if done with a hoover and dust."

  Especially walls with cobwebs.The sofa seat is in need of new cushions. Some items were missing but staff went and replaced them. The pillows were so flat we requested new pillows. The properties kitchen was well equipped and the heating and and water system was good. Staff were helpful and friendly. In hindsight maybe we could of asked for the property to be hoovered and bedding changed more but had alot going on.

  Reviewed by Samantha2.8★Feb 2024

• "We had a fabulous stay."

  The staff are friendly and helpful. The view stunning and it was very dog friendly. I have read previous reviews and yes it needs a few minor maintenance tweaks but it met all our needs and was spotless when we arrived. I will book again.

  Reviewed by Jan4.4★Jan 2024

• "I can't put into words the disappointment that both my wife and I felt when we arrived at the apartment."

  The overwhelming smell of sewerage was too much to bear. Sadly, my wife noticed, as she went to put her bag down near the bed, that there were hairs on the bed quilt cover and a brown mark that looked like excrement. As she pulled back the cover, there were further black hairs and dirt. The settee in the apartment was covered in white dog hairs, and dirt. The tap nearly came off in my hand when I went to get our dog some water. The cooking hob was filthy and still cover in oil, dust and another couple of hairs. The window cills had dead flies on them and were covered in dust. This whole experience was extremely upsetting. This was a much needed and long awaited break and anniversary surprise for my wife. We had to delay coming away as my Mum was diagnosed with cancer and passed away last year. So this break was very important to both of us. We made Stacey Gibson at the hotel aware, and on her checking, she agreed completely with us and explained it was a drainage issue. We were so disappointed and felt extremely let down, that we just had to come away. After a 3 hour journey to get there, we had to find a pet friendly accommodation at short notice, and at further expense.

  Reviewed by Clive1.3★Jan 2024

• "It was verry nice."

  The staff was perfect, verry nice and helpfull. Everything was clean, but on the floor was dirt from dogs from the visitors befor. Mabay a better coocing equipe. Thanks and we wil come back.

  Reviewed by Eric3.8★Dec 2023

• "Lovely place, warm and welcoming."

  Right on the beach. Just one thing, maybe a more comfortable sofa...Lovely staff and great restaurant, great are to explore.

  Reviewed by Paul4.4★Nov 2023

• "What a wonderful little gem of a place!"

  I was slightly unsure as to what we would arrive to based on the previous reviews from this month but actually the apartment was clean and warm. We didn’t realise that it was right next to The Grotto Bar & Restaurant which was so convenient for us. The only slight thing to comment on is the sink tap being VERY loose and when we went to sweep up (walks on the beach does bring in sand on your shoes) we had a brush but no dustpan, but apart from that we didn’t any any other problems that previous posts mentioned. We would definitely go back again but will remember: 1. Take 5 pound coins for the car park (no card payments) 2. Take kitchen foil and other cleaning supplies for cooking our breakfasts The lack of WI-FI is a major bonus for helping us switch off from outside life but you can get a signal when you walk onto the beach. The staff of the Grotto are very friendly and the food is great too!

  Reviewed by James4.4★Oct 2023

• "Thoroughly enjoyed our week long stay despite Storm Babet!"

  !! The whole staff were an absolute pleasure led by Manageress Stacey, Chef Wayne and Steph who served us for our special meal on the 14 October. I couldn’t have enjoyed a better 75th birthday which was organised brilliantly by my wonderful wife Diane. Thanks for the memories.

  Reviewed by Gordon4.4★Oct 2023

• "Although in a fabulous location, the lack of maintenance and basic upkeep was really disappointing."

  The entrance was covered in weeds- which was really unsightly , the floors in the cottage were dirty and covered in sand, there were several things in the cottage that needed attention - kitchen tap, fridge (which hadn’t been cleaned from the last guest), toilet seat was broken- it just was such a shame, and not up to the usual Sykes cottage standards.

  Reviewed by Rachel2.2★Oct 2023

• "A bit rough rough round the edges outside but I couldn’t care less this was very much location location location it was wonderful ."

  The staff in the grotto were lovely very helpful can’t wait to come back

  Reviewed by Debra Jane4.7★Oct 2023

• "Very basic accommodation."

  Could do with a couple of chairs to sit on. A very low settee and 2 bar stools don’t make for a comfortable stay. The shower room could have had something to put shower gel etc on. What passed for curtains were very shabby, holed and far too long. The stench of overused oil from the next door kitchen vent was overpowering and sickening. For such a lovely location I feel it could be greatly improved. Sadly the‘restaurant’ next door was a grossly overpriced disappointment. On the plus side the staff were fantastic!

  Reviewed by Jenny2.2★Sep 2023

• "Only negative was the smell of damp but that’s more than likely due to the fact it’s part cave, easily sorted with air fresheners and fortunately weather was good so could open windows."

  Reviewed by Yvonne5.0★Sep 2023

• "So close to a great place yet upkeep lets it down."

  A beautiful location a well put together apartment yet weeds outside and a general feeling of unkept. Oven very dirty ….wouldn’t take a lot but surrounding area needs a clean up. Very close to thoroughfare yet still has a certain something that made the stay nice .Would we go back? Probably not due to cleanliness inside and out

  Reviewed by Diego2.5★Aug 2023

• "We had a lovely stay at the Beach Apartment."

  It’s in a fantastic position at the foot of the cliff, a few metres from the sea. The sound of the crashing waves and the kittiwakes is very soothing, and there are spectacular sunrises, Unfortunately the weather was pretty rubbish a lot of the time but there’s not much anyone can do about that. The apartment is quite basic but functional, we had to buy a few bits that were missing but it was no great hardship. Obviously there is no phone or internet but we knew that was the case so we took plenty of reading and the telly works fine. The Grotto serves lovely food so we had some meals there, and they were all extremely friendly. Seahaven was great to visit as was Seaburn and Roker, the beaches really are lovely here and not crowded. Platform 33 at Sandhaven does a great carvery, and is dog friendly, with a doggy menu, which was most welcome. Minshellas ice cream parlour is very nice too. Overall it was a great trip to a part of the coast we’ve never visited before but will definitely return to.

  Reviewed by Stephen4.1★Jul 2023

• "The studio apartment is a decent size."

  The bedding and towels were spotless, however the studio itself appeared to have been left out for cleaning. The skirting boards looked as though they hadn't been cleaned for sometime. There were cobwebs everywhere, the wooden flooring hadn't been swept and there was patches of mould on several walls. The outdoor space was disgusting with cigarette ends and dirt everywhere. A suggestion for inside would have been to have runners or mats so that feet could be wiped especially when it had been raining. The outside space really needs attention as the dirt was taken inside and the actual door mats were filthy. A mop would also have helped. I ended up putting newspaper down to walk on. This could have been perfect but let down badly by poor cleanliness.

  Reviewed by Matthew2.8★Jul 2023

• "We had a lovely stay at this cottage on the beach."

  We can never get enough of this location: you see and hear the sea 24/7 and it never ceases to impress. The cottage itself is nice and the staff of the Grotto are very friendly and helpful. Moreover, the restaurant is very good. The only thing we didn't like were the sound and smells from the restaurant which we often had outside due to its ventilation system but all in all, we had a wonderful stay and would really like to come again.

  Reviewed by Rob4.1★Jul 2023

• "A lovely apartment a few issues with maintenance which had not been fixed from ..."

  A lovely apartment a few issues with maintenance which had not been fixed from a post in June, overall happy with stay and lovely staff, a bit close to passers by to pub and not good if you have a protective dog if we had been aware there was a public right of way infront of apartment we may have reconsidered our choice, but fantastic views and walks and staff really friendly

  Reviewed by Karen4.4★Jul 2023

• "This property was a wonderful place for us and our dog."

  I have known the pub & beach since childhood and the investment in the property is very evident. Well equipped to a good standard. There are a couple of small maintenance issues with the Beach Apartment which do need attention to prevent them becoming worse. These did not prevent our stay from being brilliant. Thank you

  Reviewed by Elaine4.7★Jun 2023

• "Absolutely lovely location, apartment was very well maintained and clean, lovely decor, staff at the restaurant were happy to assist with anything we needed, would be more than happy to book again, even saw the dolphins on our last day."

  Reviewed by Jessica5.0★May 2023

• "What a little gem of a place."

  We wanted somewhere we could take our dog, where we could relax, unwind and walk by the sea. This place delivered just that. The apartment is cute with everything you need and the wet room is amazing. The views over the sea are stunning and whilst there, we saw lots of sea birds and dolphins. The staff are so accommodating and friendly, particular mention to Dillan who was just great! The food at the restaurant is lovely and eating in the cave is a real novelty. We will definitely be returning, but will stay longer next time!

  Reviewed by Jane4.7★Apr 2023

• "Just the ticket, we wanted a relaxed, romantic short break and we got it."

  The beach apartment is a hidden gem, luxurious, great views, fantastic food next door and the wet room is out of this world. Very kind of the staff to show us the very impressive hotel rooms upon our departure. Will definitely be staying again even though we only live 20 mins away it seems like a million miles. Very dog friendly holiday. Excellent. Thanks again.

  Reviewed by Michael5.0★Apr 2023

• "Really enjoyed our few days at beach apartment lovely area to visit our pooch couldn't believe his luck being so close to the beach the scenery was awesome, the staff at the grotto were all very friendly and helpful the only downside was the food."

  We would definitely return and hope they have managed to get a good chef by then.

  Reviewed by Susan3.8★Mar 2023

• "We had a lovely stay 27/12/22 for 3 days property was spotless and quirky."

  Perfect for us and the dog being right on the beach. Was worried it was going to be cold this time of year place was well heated .Had a really nice meal in the grotto next door we will definitely be back

  Reviewed by Dean5.0★Dec 2022

• "The best holiday i have had for along time."

  The comfort of the apartment was awesome.k The people very friendly. Lovely love beach walks. I will surely recommend you and will go back when i have the opportunity. The food is excellent. One happy customer.

  Reviewed by Sandra5.0★Oct 2022

• "An absolutely gorgeous place to stay."

  Lovely furnished and unique being built into the cliff. Bed was really comfy. Shower room was wonderful. Kitchen fully equipped with everything you need. Our first use of a double induction hob….going to buy one now. There have been comments on bad curtains, they have ‘black out curtains’ there now, though not perfectly fitted, they help cut out the floodlight. The floodlight must be a council legal requirement as there is public access to the beach via steps. The pictures really don’t do the view from the apartment justice. Sitting at the breakfast bar having b/fast, a coffee or whatever, was just great looking out at the sea and Marsden Rock. While there, the sea was calm..beautiful and also rough..amazing. It was really sad to leave that view that we had there. The adjoining pub/restaurant. Very very good staff and service. It might seem a bit pricey in the restaurant, but the food is extra special and served quickly. You might need to book at the bar to guarantee a table when you want, it books quick quickly. The restaurant is all under the cliff and with the subtle lights is quite enchanting. There are other places to eat about a mile north..walk..along coast, that offer very good food. Some pricey, but worth it. ( The new crown….the Sand dancer…both welcome dogs). Places we went to, Souter Lighthouse… 20 minutes walk south. Nice little cafe. Great views over the sea and if you’re lucky you may catch the resident pod of dolphins out to sea. Another 20-30minutes walk from there south is village Whitburn. At its centre 2/3 cafes with proper food at good prices. Half hour drive south from our stay is northern Sunderland and Roker pier and Lighthouse and beach. A lovely, surprising place to visit….probably more so in holiday season. We had it on good authority that the local pod of dolphins can come into the harbour around 5ish and ‘show off’. But sadly not for us. For further trips, about 40-60minutes.. Angel of the North is worth a quick check out and if you want a nice drive..90 minutes or so…westwards visit ‘Housestead Roman Fort’ very interesting and factual. There is a closer Roman fort, north of marsden rock about 2 miles. In the middle of a housing estate and quite hard to find, but well worth the visit, Arbeia it’s called There looks to be a good Pleasure beach Fun Park about 1.5mile from Marsden Rock, but we went out of season. Our view of “its grim up north” has totally changed, the area is beautiful, the people are so friendly and we’re going back so soon. Peoples comments have also mentioned the lift. Hmm, yes, well, It was installed in the 1950’s I think, so it isn’t going to be as fast as modern ones, but yes I have to agree with them. It is so SLOW!. So, Plus sides, -the view -the apartment -the restaurant and bar next door -the view -the area and facilities -the locals -lot of dog friendly places -the view. So, Downsides, -the lift -the lift.

  Reviewed by Judy5.0★Sep 2022

• "Fantastic location and facilities and lack of wi-fi a bonus."

  Just the relaxing break we needed. Two concerns sorted immediately with one phone call and hotel staff very friendly and extremely helpful at all times. Thank you. We hope to return!

  Reviewed by Richard5.0★Sep 2022

• "Absolutely loved our stay and everything about it was superb."

  Our dog was made to feel very welcome, it was his 1st holiday and we was nervous about taking him into the restaurant with us but he didn't disappoint and the young staff looked after all 3 of us wonderfully. The setting is amazing, the apartment was lovely and already I've passed on the link to two friends. I hope the owners are very proud of what they own because its a little gem on an amazing coast. Thank you, we will definitely be back ❤️

  Reviewed by Jeanette3.8★Aug 2022

• "Staff at the Grotto were very friendly and the food was top notch!"

  Reviewed by Lorraine4.7★Aug 2022

• "Great property, loved everything about it."

  Bar staff extremely helpful. We would definitely book again

  Reviewed by Linda5.0★Aug 2022

• "I must admit when we first arrived my heart sank."

  The car park looked unkempt ( we found it it is not owned by the proprietor) The entrance to the lift had also seen better days. I actually thought that we would not stay for a full week! When we got out of the lift it was like another world. We were hit by the aroma of fresh coffee and an amazing view of Marsden Rock. The apartment was well equipped and thoughtfully planned. It was obviously created within a cave which was charming. I will say there are many improvements which could be made, the rug was a trip hazard, the courtyard was full off weeds... Any issues we reported were dealt with efficiently and promptly. The staff made our holiday. They were so friend!y and helpful. The grotto restaurant is indeed a hidden gem! It was so pretty and unexpected. The food was acceptable and probably pitched correctly for residents and people spending the day at the beach. Could it be improved? Yes. Would the prices increase if it was upgraded? Of course. Would they lose local trade if prices increase, undoubtedly. In summary, we loved it. We were made to feel so welcome. Stepping out of the apartment onto the beach was great. Listening to the sea in bed was better than any app! And, my favourite, Beamish is only 11 miles away.

  Reviewed by Jacqueline3.8★Jul 2022

• "I have used Sykes many times in the past and will continue to do so in the ..."

  I have used Sykes many times in the past and will continue to do so in the future We arrived at the beach apartment to find it was as described by Sykes in their website inside it was modern clean and welcoming but that all changed on the first night as we tried to sleep The constant humming from the air conditioning unit attached to the pub next door was near our bed room which kept us awake most of the night To add to this the large led lights outside the property turned night in to day Someone had attempted to block out the light with a blackout curtain but to no avail So after 2 nights with little or no sleep we decided to leave and head for home We contacted the owner of the beach apartment and explained our reason for leaving we also contacted Sykes to explain our decision to leave However not long after we had left I received a phone call from Sykes offering 5 days of our money back in a refund which I accepted I'm not say that the beach apartment is a poor place to stay far form it a few tweets would make the beach apartment wonderful holiday

  Reviewed by Steve3.8★Jul 2022

• "Wow what can be said."

  Fab location eveything you need in basics bed comfy very clean. It was so cheap to eat out and there are so many choices the only thing I cooked was my very spoiled staffys food. No probs at all easy to use hob. Needs a few additions that would have made me barricade myself my hubby and my spolied staffy in until they could have made me to go home. One of which is a fly door prevention wotsit ... hate the things. The shining star is Julie the head housekeeper ... I have never seen a person besides myself graft like she did a very astute lady take note of her points she knows whats needed. She was ripping weeds up at full belt inbetween sweeping. Please sort the weeds out they didnt bother us but it gives the impression that our surroundings are not important because we have location location. The other bits Im sure Julie will get to ... shes one of the workers everyone wants. Will be back as often as is possible.

  Reviewed by Julie4.7★Jul 2022

• "The flat is very well set out with modern facilities fitted into a cosy space."

  The location is unlike anything, one of two cottages set into the cliff face opening straight to the beach front. Perfect for a couple with a dog. The bar and restaurant (The Grotto) is next door and serves an excellent seafood menu. The staff are so friendly.

  Reviewed by Steve5.0★Jul 2022

• "Very enjoyable stay in a unique property, the only thing that was missing was hoover ,mop and bucket to clean up sand etc."

  Reviewed by Sarah4.7★Jul 2022

• "Firstly, I must say that this place overall was a nice place to stay to be able to explore the coastline."

  However, it could be a VERY nice place with a few tweaks. Let's start with the positives. Waking up each morning with a beach as a front garden is pretty unique. Once the restaurant closes at 10pm along with the lift access, you pretty much have the entire bay to yourselves as the only route for the public is a brutal climb of a staircase. The shower room in the accommodation set in a cave is probably one of the best I've ever used although not much head room. Oh, the bed! Really comfortable. The staff in the restaurant next door are the point of contact for any issues and they were as helpful as you could hope for. Now for the down sides. Once the restaurant shuts, some serious lights outside stay on all night. It's something to do about safety providing light for the public who might want to wander down the staircase at night. My word, they are bright lights with one seeming to shine directly at the accommodation. The blinds on the windows are not man enough to keep the light out and our first night was unpleasant because it was like trying to sleep in the glare of a serious searchlight. As a temporary fix, the restaurant staff gave us a blackout curtain to hang up for our second night. It's the wrong size for the window (there's two windows btw....) but gave some respite from the glare of the lights from the window nearest the bed. The answer to this is quite simple. Install internal or external shutters instead of blinds that have little effect. There's also a lot of weeds, sand and general debris in the hardstaning next to and near the apartment which gives a sort of unloved look to the exterior of the place. Another downside were the pots and pans to use on the induction hob. Some are too small to activate the induction hob so are pointless. You just see an error code come up and on reading the manual, discover the error code means the pot is not big enough to work. Which does raise the question why are these pans in the cupboard? At the other end of the scale, the larger pans, although they are big enough to activate the hob, are a little too small. I struggled to cook a simple stir fry for two in the largest frying pan. The addition of a larger frying pan would be a boon. One last thing. The wifi and broadband access mentioned on the accommodation description is untrue as there is none. Although I seem to remember that the lack of phone signal is mentioned (you're at the base of a very high cliff) I was expecting to be able to do some work on my laptop via the wifi mentioned in the description whilst I was away and couldn't. If the owner was to spend say 24 hours staying here, it might go a long way for them to discover the negatives for themselves and tweak this accommodation into a VERY nice place to stay.

  Reviewed by John3.1★Jun 2022

• "Its such a beautiful little apartment, perfect location right on the beach with fantastic views."

  The decor is lovely, bed comfy, everything you need for a cosy break away. The only problem was the windows don't have black out blinds or curtains so as soon as the sun rises its like daylight at 4.30 in the apartment. So we were up really early. The patio area could do with a sweep and jet wash, weekly as its full of sand, bird feathers, weeds. But we loved our stay, and would definitely return every year!

  Reviewed by Gail4.4★Jun 2022

• "Location, location, location!"

  Wonderful position right on the beach. Small but very comfortable and an ideal base for exploring this glorious coast.

  Reviewed by Keir5.0★Jun 2022

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