Parking at Kings Arms Hotel, Berwick Upon Tweed

Situated within the town's medieval walls just three minutes walk from the old Quayside, the hotel has three restaurants and thirty-six elegantly decorated bedrooms. With a reputation built on first class service and individual attention, we promise your stay will be relaxing and memorable. Some 200 years ago, at the end of the 18th centry, the original hotel on Hide Hill was a posting hotel, for those travelling to and from Edinburgh, Newcastle and the South. The ground floor and gardens of the old town Assembly Rooms were stables and accommodation for the olsters and coachmen. A century later, by the end of the 19th century, the Kings Arms, as the hotel was by then called, became central to the towns social life and functions, and a base for the merchants and traders, whose business revolved around the former corn exchange at the bottom of Hide Hill, in Sandgate. Throughout the 20th century, Berwick changed slowly and steadily, as did the hotel, catering for the changing tastes and lifestyles of the towns residents and for the travellers and holiday makers who found North Northumberland an attractive place to visit. By the end of the 20th century, businessmen and foreign tourists had become the hotels main customer base as local residents changed their lifestyles to fast food and cheaper places to eat, and the former holiday makers changed their destinations with the advent of cheap airline travel to Europe and further afield. In to the 21st century, and a major decision had to be made on the hotels future. To consider selling to one of the major pub/restaurant/cheap tourist hotel chains, which would cater to the mass market, or to look to the future of Berwick as an attractive business/tourist/residential town, which would develop with its close proximity to Newcastle and Edinburgh. In effect, will Berwick develop as a town which needs a four star town huse hotel? We decided on creating a four star future for the Kings Arms, with a conversion cost of £750,000. To date some £400,000 has been spent on the hotel, with the original 36 rooms reduced to 26 larger more attractive rooms, including 3 suites with flat screen T.V's and the addition of 2 ground floor rooms, including a 'disabled guests' junior suite at ground floor level. Major refurbishment, redevelopment and the extension of our kitchen areas have taken place, so that although we have maintained the traditional exterior of the hotel, internally it has been transformed. The next stage in 2007 is to construct 15 new bedrooms overlooking the gardens of the hotel, and install a lift to cater for this new wing, and for access to the Assembly Rooms. The outcome will be a 43 bedroom 4 star town house by 2008. A four star hotel is not just the standard and facilities of the property, but the quality of services, accommodation and catering provided. From August this year Michael Gitonga Habea, formerly a sous chef at the 4 star Hotel L'Horizon in Jersey has become our new Head Chef, to be assisted by a team in the kitchen and restaurant, dedicated to creating superb meals in both restaurants and at functions. Full catering services will now operate throughout the year, and for the first time in 30 years we are providing a full Christmas/ New Year programme for both visitors and local residents.