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My husband and I took friends from australia to stay at the Sportsmans. Our rooms were spacious and had spectacular views of Dunstanburgh Castle. We ate in the restaurant and the meal was excellent as was the breakfast. One or two problems with the building which is being addressed, but nothing more than you would expect for a building of that age. Our Australian visitors were so impressed they are looking to revisit and to play the golf courses in the area.

Date visited: 24th June2010

Review by Juliet on 10th November, 2009

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We would definitely go back! I can appreciate exactly what other customers have said in their reviews and I had doubts myself during a somewhat hit and miss booking process, but having been there - loved it. No things weren`t done immediately, sometimes we`d have to remind someone about something we`d ordered and no it wasn`t always easy to find someone to ask! (there`s no reception as such!) But - once we tuned into the wavelength of the place (so laid back it`s practically horizontal) we found it an amazing place to be. I booked as a surprise for my husband`s birthday, with our five year old son we wanted somewhere informal but close to the Northumberland coast - and the Sportsman was just perfect for us. The setting was beautiful - on arrival we sat on the terrace with a bottle of wine and just gazed at the sea. Our evening meals in the lovely, intimate little restaurant were fantastic - the food was excellent quality, beautifully cooked and presented, the wine very good, and all the guests were happy and enjoying themselves. Our room was fine - I agree it could probably benefit from a lick of paint and new carpet, but that`s not what we were there for - we were attracted to it for it`s location, food and relaxed atmosphere. The roll top bath was a bonus! They had added a camp bed for our son and we were warm and comfortable and had amazing views from our window. We`re not into stuffy, formal places: with young children a relaxed atmosphere is a must for us. The staff were all young and relaxed and to be honest (and I`m sure they wouldn`t mind me saying so) looked like they`d just walked in off the beach - and they were lovely and chatty with us and our little boy. I would say it boils down to what you want out of a holiday, and your expectations. We`ve stayed in many hotels, and no, if we were in a city, London for example, this laid back attitude may not have gone down so well. But this is a rural, coastal village, a good walking area, fabulous beaches and castles, somewhere you might go for a relaxing break by the sea to kick back a little and opt out of busy hectic lives. If you like to go places where someone is available to attend to your every need without hesitation, who run a very tight ship with "snap your fingers and we`ll jump to it" type efficiency, then this may not be the right choice for you and you may end up frustrated. But if you like an easy going, no rush / "manana" attitude, in a fabulous location, comfortable surroundings, more likely be called "mate" than "sir", with great food and wine, and don`t mind giving just a gentle reminder when you`re still waiting for the drink you ordered, then you`ll love it here - we certainly did!

Date visited: August 2009

Review by Nigel Dilley on 12th May, 2009

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Having read the reviews about the food at the Sportsman Inn we decided to try the place out during our stay in Northumberland last week. Our first attempt was on Sunday 3rd May, but unfortunately we couldn't get in due to the fact we hadn't booked, which was understandable on a Bank Holiday weekend. Not ones to be put off we tried again the following night and walked in about 8 o'clock to find the place almost empty. I asked if we could have a table for four and the chap in charge looked around, said he was a bit rushed as he was also making starters and said, 'yes I think so'. We sat ourselves in the bar area and then waited 10 -15 minutes for a drink. We then ordered and 20 minutes later we were taken to our table, being told our food was ready. It turned up 10 minutes later. We then ordered another round of drinks, however he seemed to forget about us as he continued to serve the other tables (2 - 3 at most). Then a young couple walked in and the people sitting behind us got up, met them and then proceeded to serve them drinks!!!! Not impressed, to say the least! Why couldn't they help out in the first place? On the plus side the food was excellent, however the service was very poor. We had a great time in Northumberland, but wouldn't recommend the Sportsman, unless of course you were the couple who walked in and received preferential treatment! Oh, almost forget about the other couple who walked in, waited at the bar for 5 minutes and when no one appeared, walked out again. The couple sitting behind us made some comment 'I think they were after directions!' Poor service!

Date visited: 4th May 09

Review by Anthony Hall on 24th April, 2009

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A visit to the model railway exhibition at the 'Crusty Miller' Centre near Melksham is one of the highlights of the year. Certainly the very best such event for many miles around. The variations of guage, scale, layouts and stalls make it a must for anyone interested in model railways. The only grouch is the lack of sufficient car parking space in the area but one cannot blame the exhibition organisers for that. I hope there may be an annual railway exhibition on this site for many years to come. If not it means journeys to Bristol or Swindon for most of us in the area. Long may you survive !!

Date visited: May 2008

Review by carol herd on 23rd September, 2008

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Myself & 5 work colleagues stopped overnight before a charity bike ride at the sportsman's inn on Thurs 18th Sept 2008, we were greeted by a friendly , smiling young lady called Jess who did everything to make us welcome and got the trip off to a good start. The hotel has the best amazing views , 5 mins fro the sand dunes & beach. The food was fantastic - compliments to the agency chef - hope he stays!The name of this hotel does not do it justice , nor does the exterior , but what you find inside far outweighs the negatives... Will def recommend to others , Thanks for a great night.........

Date visited: 18th sept 08

Review by Helen Price on 31st July, 2008

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I was hugely disappointed with the Sportsman Arms. My husband booked well in advance as we were competing in the local Northumberland Coastal Run on 20 July 08 and several other of our running club members were staying there also. First impressions were poor - the fabric of the place appears shoddy, despite obvious attempts to smarten the place up over recent years. The sea-facing windows were (obviously) recently replaced and of good quality, but surrounding decor left a lot to be desired. There was no carpark (a major deficit, although it was possible to park in the road) and the outside patio showed signs of neglect with lots of weeds and litter. We were charged 110 pounds per night for staying at the Sportsman Arms and to my mind that puts the place in a different price bracket. It certainly wasn't worth the money, the standard of the room - notwithstanding the view - was very low, fittings and furntiure were poor and the decor was awful. We had a meal there with other club members on the Friday and I have to say the service was poor, food mediocre and overpriced. This could have been redeemed with a decent breakfast, but I have to say that the much-vaunted "Northumberland Breakfast" was not of particularly high standard and there was not enough of it. The mueseli was nice (I like mueseli), but the rest was disappointing. Amazingly, live music BEGAN at 1100pm and created a huge disturbance for most of the hotel guests that night. We were on the top floor and it penetrated through to us, Lord only knows how it was for those on lower floors. I'm told that the music was a result of something the landlord/manager wanted, so all I can say is that he knows how to make sure his customers don't come back ..... So overall a resounding thumbs down. There is infinitely better value for money out there in the general vicinity, the Sportsman Arms is best avoided.

Date visited: 19-20 July