Lancashire

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About Lancashire

Between the Lake District and the Irish Sea, Lancashire is a rural feeling region, with plenty of Areas Outstanding Natural Beauty, including the Forest of Bowland, the Ribble Valley, the Alt Estuaries and the edges of both the Lake District and the Pennines. So many of our recommendations for the best places to stay in Lancashire will appeal to walkers, and outdoors-folk, or anyone looking for a break in the countryside. Lancashire’s coastline has plenty of appeal too! Old seaside charmer, Blackpool is in Lancashire, as are Morecambe Bay, Southport and Lytham St. Annes. County town, Lancaster, has been around since the Romans, but is better known for its Georgian architecture! When it comes to great places to stay, we've discovered charming B&Bs, family friendly seaside properties, boutique pads and country house hotels. In short, there's accommodation here for all tastes and budgets!

Lively, yet genteel, Lancaster is a good base if you’re hoping for an historic mini-break. Its ancient castle holds tales of many monarchs and their plights, but these days it is more of a university city than a seat of kings. Just outside Lancaster are the deep, wooded valleys and heather moorlands of the Forest of Bowland, a spectacular area perfect for walkers and keen anglers. Keen culture vultures should also visit Clitheroe Castle, the ruins of Sawley Abbey and the Judge's Lodgings — once the home of witch-hunter Thomas Covell, who 'caught' the Pendle Witches. Oudoor enthusiasts should add the West Pennine Moors, the Fylde coastal plain, and the Morecambe Bay region.

The Lancashire coast has been a popular holiday destination since Victorian times, when Blackpool was queen of the seaside resorts. The pier, tower, ballroom, 16 hectare Pleasure Beach, model village, zoo, and the annual illuminations still draw a crowd. Many of the best places to stay in Lancashire’s coastal regions are seaside hotels, pubs-with-rooms and guesthouses. If you’re looking for luxury you’re more likely to find it inland, in one of the county's many manor houses. Many now belong to the National Trust, so you can’t always stay there, but you’re most welcome to visit!

The Best Places to Stay in Lancashire

For a Countryside Escape

The 1823 Spinning Block at Holmes Mill was built in the Victorian era. As well as being a 39 room hotel, the building now also houses a brewery, a food hall, beer hall and restaurant. Some of the original mill features have been retained, and there’s industrial design throughout. The location makes it an ideal pick for keen walkers — it’s close to the Ribble Valley, Pendle Hill and the Forest of Bowland. It’s also family friendly.
The Coach and Horses is a sophisticated seven room inn in the idyllic village of Bolton-by-Bowland in the Ribble Valley. The rooms are individually designed and decorated — some are done with families in mind, while others are all romance. There’s an in-house brewery, a pub-restaurant and a large and welcoming beer garden.
The Inn at Whitewell is superbly positioned on the Duchy of Lancaster estate, in the heart of the Forest of Bowland. There are 23 rooms and suites, including a handful with four-poster beds and roll-top baths. The Reception doubles as a wine shop, but there’s a very good pub and restaurant onsite too. Kids and dogs welcome.

For the Beach

The Midland Hotel is an Art Deco masterpiece overlooking Morecambe Bay. The hotel was built in 1933, and has recently been restored to much of its former glory. It’s big, but actually only has 44 rooms and suites, the best with sea views. The hotel has a stylish restaurant overlooking the coastline too, and a spa. Memorable for all the right reasons.
Number One South Beach goes further on decor than our other Blackpool recommendations. These 15 rooms and suites are all individually decorated with plenty of colour and personality — they’re very varied, so have a look at a few before your choose. Most look out over the beach, and several have a private balcony. The restaurant can be simple, but it can also do fancy if you want it to.
Mode St Annes is a great choice for families, located right by the beach in Lytham St. Annes. It has just 19 contemporary rooms, suites and apartments, with plenty of interconnecting options to explore, and lots of space. Our favourite rooms have private balconies and sea views. There’s a bar, and they serve Continental breakfasts, but there’s no restaurant.

For Families

There are lots of great family-friendly hotels in Blackpool, but we picked out Hamptons by Hilton especially for its simplicity. Its 130 rooms and suites are all alike, and designed for comfort, light and space, rather than to impress, but there’s a good range of sizes, with plenty of family-friendly configurations. All the rooms have huge windows, and our favourites have sea views. You’re just the right distance from the busiest parts of Blackpool. There’s no restaurant, but they offer a very nice breakfast, and there’s a cafe in the lobby.
The Boulevard Hotel is also in Blackpool, right beside the Pleasure Beach — in fact the hotel has private access — but the design team have married the rollercoaster views with a sleek approach to decor. Its 120 rooms and suites offer plenty of scope when it comes to size and shape, with family suites offering bunk beds in separate rooms, and living space. There are also some more grown up room types too, with the two top floors reserved for adults only. The restaurant serves classic British cuisine, and there’s a rather chic bar.
Mode Lytham is a spacious and comfortable, well priced stay in pretty and peaceful Lytham St Annes, quite close to the coast. The hotel has 16 rooms and suites, with a number of excellent interconnecting options for families. The decor is simple, with pops of bight colour, and while there’s no restaurant officially, there is a restaurant on the ground floor of the building which guests are given a discount for.

Best Pubs with Rooms

The Toll House Inn is an historic pub-with-rooms in the heart of Lancaster, close to Lancaster Castle. There are 28 rooms plus the pub, and a pub restaurant known for its locally-inspired menu. The decor in the rooms is simple and stylish, while they’ve gone for a bit more pizzazz in the pub and restaurant.
The Fleece Inn is an 18th century coaching inn, with an award-winning restaurant, just outside Lancaster, in Bay Horse. The rooms upstairs and downstairs have original oak beams, and some have exposed stone walls and open fireplaces too. The Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland are both a 30 minute drive.

For Walkers

The Spread Eagle is a riverside pub-with-rooms in the Ribble Valley with beautiful views of the Pendle Hills, within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and also close to the Yorkshire Dales. So it goes without saying that t’s a great spot for walkers! There are seven bedrooms, plus a cosy pub and dining room — warmed by huge fireplaces when required.

For a Rural Retreat

Lancaster Barn is an adults-only countryside escape in the Bay Horse area, just 30 minutes drive from the Lake District. The nine rooms and suites have been converted from a huge barn, and now have a decidedly Scandinavian flavour, with exposed stone, plenty of light, and lots of pale-coloured wood. Expect plenty of nice details, and a delightful homemade breakfast.
Fence Gate Lodge, located near Burnley in the Pendle countryside, is a chic escape for walkers and cyclists. The 24 rooms and suites are all individually designed and decorated, with bold patterns and smart, marble bathrooms — some with roll-top baths. The restaurant of sister property the Fence Gate Inn is very good, and just a short stroll from the Lodge. Family-friendly and pet-friendly.

For Foodies

The Eagle and Child is a quaint inn in the bustling market town of Ramsbottom, known for its multi-award winning pub and restaurant, and fantastic views across the Irwell Valley. Each of the five rooms has been individually decorated, with original art and a great variety of styles. Pet-friendly, family-friendly, and close to the start of some seriously wonderful walking routes. Affordable too.
Moor Hall is an award-winning fine-dining restaurant-with-rooms, converted from an historic manor house. The restaurant is the main event — there are actually two to choose from — plus a dairy, a dry-aging room, a bakery and a microbrewery. There are five rooms in the main house, including some very romantic suites, plus two rooms close to the lake. A foodie hot-spot perfect for a romantic mini-break.

For Great Value

Lancaster’s The Sun is a 16 room hotel, which has been welcoming guests to its Church Street address since the 17th century. Apparently past guests include Turner, Dickens and even Bonnie Prince Charlie. It offers a great range rooms — there are some compact excellent value options, as well as spacious, high-ceilinged suites. Breakfast is served until 11am at the weekends, and in summer it spills out into a sunny courtyard.
The Big Blue Hotel sits right beside Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach — some of the rooms have rollercoaster views in the foreground, and the sea in the background. Which is just one of the reasons why it’s a great choice for families. The bunk rooms, and family suites are another reason, and there's also a friendly, relaxed restaurant, and a huge range of breakfast choices. The helpful staff can book you into the gym, arrange a massage, or tickets for the Pleasure Beach, or they can lend you a Playstation.

Best B&Bs

The Ashton is an exquisite Georgian manor house turned B&B, only five minutes from the centre of Lancaster. There are just five, carefully styled rooms; you can expect a hearty breakfast and relaxing atmosphere.
Park House is a peaceful pick in pretty Gisburn. Converted from a townhouse, there are six rooms, all uniquely decorated based on the house’s original features — but with contemporary furnishings. Downstairs there’s an elegant lounge, which offers the cosiness of a great hearth when needed, and a yellow-painted dining room where breakfasts are served.

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Travel Information

Lancashire is easily accessible by train, because Lancaster is on the West Coast Main Line which is regularly connected to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, the Lake District, London and Glasgow. If you want to get close by plane, Manchester Airport is a good option, about an hour away from Lancaster by car or taxi, or two and a half hours by bus. Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Leeds Bradford Airport are also worth considering. If you’re coming from London, the direct trains run out of Euston, and take about two and a half hours. Scotland’s airports and stations are not inconvenient either.
If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
If you want to time your visit to Lancashire with the region’s best weather then aim for the late spring and summer months, May through September. Lancashire’s autumns and winters are cool and damp, but not freezing, so there’s no reason to be put off. Blackpool’s famed illuminations, which start in September until the end of the year, certainly draw a crowd, but the town is really at its best in the summer sunshine, between June and September too. Whatever time of year you plan to visit our Gurus advise you carry wet weather gear.

Still not sure where to stay?

Refine your search to the best places to stay in Lancaster or Blackpool
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The best hotels in Lancashire

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Big Blue Hotel

Blackpool (Pleasure Beach)

Big, blue and family-friendly modern luxury hotel situated next to Blackpool's pleasure beach. Designers Guild fabrics and thoughtful interior design give it a twist. Ideal for families who want a bit of contemporary comfort, in a good location.

Child friendly
Sights nearby - Right next to the Pleasure Beach
Lively
Seaside

from £55 for 1 room, 1 night including taxes & fees