Ad-Press Trip*. Having a birthday in very early January sucks. Everyone is broke, no one wants to do anything, and most likely 99% of people have burnout, flu or a cold. So when the Maritime Apartments in Scarborough invited me to come stay and enjoy their Penthouse Apartment I knew my birthday weekend would be the perfect occasion for it. Where better to have a fresh start to the year than the East Coast of England? Plus, as the title suggests, we also got a heap load of snow. Only adding to the feeling of a fresher new year start, and making our penthouse apartment with amazing sea view feel even more like a cosy bolt hole for the weekend.
We arrived at the Maritime Apartments to a hail storm which was a prequel to the subsequent snow. We picked up the keys from the Maritime Apartments Hub up the road, and parked up right outside our building. ( A permit for the roadside parking is included in your stay which is super helpful! The road is long so there’s plenty of space if you can’t get right outside.) Then it was time to climb the 3 flights of stairs to our penthouse apartment and wow! The view from the road level was great but this was another level, quite literally. Definitely worth the climb! Although the husband may say different after he had to traipse up them with all my luggage on multiple trips haha!
Location of the Maritime Apartments
Set facing the North Bay of Scarborough, a classic seaside town on the East Coast of England, its the perfect base for exploring all the town has to offer. (More about that further on!) With sea views across the North Bay, with Scarborough castle to the right, and the much more modern Sealife Centre building to the left. The views really do take in all of the North Bay. The balcony is the perfect viewpoint too. With two barstool type seats it’s a lovely place to sit and take in the view and fresh sea air.
Scarborough holds many memories for me, from family holidays in classic bed and breakfasts. To spending our6th wedding anniversary there too. In fact without Scarborough I wouldn’t exist, as my parents met whilst on holiday there! So safe to say I was excited to enjoy it in the winter with our apartment as the perfect base to do so.
The Maritime Apartments Penthouse Tour
The Penthouse at the Maritime Apartments sleeps 4 and can be booked here on Airbnb on booking.com here or you can find their site here. They have many apartments on offer, so it’s great if a few families are wanting to stay. Its proximity to the beach is great at any time, but for a family summer break it would be perfect.
The entrance is flooded with light thanks to the sky light. It was even letting light in with the snow building up on it when we arrived. The bedrooms are to the right of the apartment, one is a king size room and one is a twin room. Then the bathroom with a large bath with shower above is straight ahead. The open plan living area spreads across the left with a balcony with bar seating to take in the views. I even managed to grab some snowy sea air when we first arrived from it! We loved the open plan area. It meant we could chat whilst cooking, easily grab snacks, and of course eat with a view.
My favourite parts of the apartment were simple touches and thoughtful designs:
- The high dining table with bar chair seating to take in the views
- The pillow options- it was giving hotel! I slept like a baby!
- The recliner sofa perfect for watching a movie on the smart TV
- The illuminated mirror in the bathroom- I want one!
The bathroom’s lovely large bath was perfect for a soak, or to bathe the kids in. Bonus was towels big enough to wrap round yourself too! Having a kitchen was so handy, it meant we could enjoy a M&S dine in, hunker down and watch films. The Apartment got so warm, and had a Hive thermostat so could be adjusted as we wanted to as well. Perfect for the cold snowy weather. We also enjoyed freshly baked (from frozen!) pastries in the morning. For longer stays the fridge freezer is a great size too so easy to get a shop in and quickly cook things off after a busy days outings!
Things to Do
Whilst we had very much planned to rest and reset, there was still a host of things to do in the area. Of course I couldn’t resist at least exploring a little in the snow!
The Seafront
Of course we had to get down to the sea front even with the snow. Without, its probably a 5 minute walk down to the front, the snow meant it was about 10. Still super quick and such an ideal location. We had a bracing walk for all of 5 mins before we decided it was time for fish and chips!
That said there’s plenty of other places to visit in the area too with Whitby, Sandsend, Filey and Bempton Cliffs (for puffin spotting in season!) All within 30-40 mins away.
Eat and Shop Local
We decided to go back up to get fish and chips and discover what’s around the Maritime Apartments. We popped in the One Stop down the road and got some all important wine (and squash!) There’s a couple of pubs, a few more convenience stores, and my fave, a MIND charity shop. We added to an already large stack of board games at the apartment and also topped up my jigsaw stash. I also noted a fab shop called Mrs Pots Pots, which is a paint your own pottery and craft studio. Alas it was closed for a January break but I’ve earmarked it for a return visit!
We ended up at Rennards Fish and chips, and although they do offer an eat in area we took ours to go and walked the 5 minutes back to enjoy them with a view from our dining table. Bliss. They were utterly yummy!
It’s also worth noting you can get to the south side of Scarborough in about a ten minute walk in normal conditions, which was our original plan to do. When we saw the forecast though it did put paid to that. But there are the usual chain shops and an all important M&S food there if you need one. I also got recommendations from Rachel Nicole, Scarborough Aficionado who recommended GEO for cocktails(about 10 mins away) and Cowshed for burgers (a 6 min walk). All this is pointing the fact we need to go back again I think!
Sit in a Sauna
You may remembermy trip to Alpamere waaay back when, and I was excited to go back as it had recently reopened. Alas I had minor surgery less than 2 weeks before this which meant I couldn’t go swimming etc due to the stitches (such bad timing!) But I’m informed its worth the current price of just £40 for 3 hours pp. Its off season so they have lower prices. Its still a waterpark too so great if you have a family, Off season pricing varies but it was £14.50 for adults and £11.50 for kids for 3 hours for the dates we visited. The sauna and hay room are great, and you can walk down to their infinity pool with views of the sea in front.
Wildlife Watching
Then there’s of course the Sealife Centre. Another great rainy day activity. we could see the building from the apartment. It’s under a 25 minute walk away and great to keep all the family entertained. I’d also recommend the Italian gardens as they are host to some cute squirrels and we were lucky to see them and feed them peanuts on a previous trip to Scarborough. I also couldn’t not mention the classic, Peasholm Park. Home to swans and ducks there’s the pedalo’s, mini golf and walks around the Japanese inspired gardens too.
Relax at the Maritime Apartments
Of course what’s better than taking time out with a new year and new age to reset and relax. We crafted on the seaview table making our vision boards for 2026 too and it was the perfect place to do it! I completed jigsaws on my jigsaw board resting on my legs thanks to the recliner sofa, which was just perfect. Youcan see what else I did to reset and relax over on Instagram here. safe to say this was the perfect haven to do it in though.
I loved visiting the Maritime Apartments and Scarborough in the snow, and felt so relaxed after this trip. I’m thinking about maybe a revisit in spring/summer so we can explore a bit more and maybe do some pottery painting! Have you been to Scarborough before, would you add anything to my next trip itinerary there?
*Indicates an event/experience I was invited to as a blogger. I may also receive gifts as part of the event for consideration of review after. As always thoughts and opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate links. For further details please refer to my PR and Disclaimer Page in the menu above