Horseshoe Cottage

Royal Oak Hotel

"Great Ayton is an excellent place to stay, just off the Cleveland Way for hikers, and in a busy village with a few convenient shops. There’s plenty of free parking on street or in a little carpark opposite the pub. The Royal Oak is certainly a bustling pub that seemed to be constantly busy. On first entry the room felt a little basic, but it proved to be warm (without any heat on in March) and comfortable, with some nice touches like coffee bags and daily water bottles, plus it was extremely quiet, despite all the hub-bub downstairs. The ensuite in ‘Roseberry’ was very small but adequate and the towels were superb - huge, soft and thick! The breakfasts were excellent and everyday we were offered extra coffee, toast, etc. We also ate in the pub on 2 of the 3 nights we stayed, and couldn’t fault the quality of the food or the service. We were also pleased that a number of dishes have ‘smaller appetite’ options which is excellent. We had one criticism - on the evening of our arrival the pub was hosting a function. This meant we were forced to eat at 5.45p.m and then from 7p.m. onwards, had to either sit in our bedroom or go out elsewhere as the pub was totally rammed. This didn’t feel very welcoming to us as guests and it was extremely rude that the situation wasn’t flagged up when we booked the 3-night stay. In the current economic situation it was great to see a pub completely full and presumably making lots of money, but we felt that consideration ought to have been given to people who had paid to stay and had hoped to enjoy a relaxed evening meal and drinks in the bar."