With an impressive aspect - especially when approached from the coastal road, '
The Sands' is a brand new 5-star self-catering apartment block right next to the beach on Scarborough's North Bay, next to Peasholm Park and indoor pool.
When we (a family of 5) arrived, a member of the friendly and helpful Reception staff assigned us a numbered parking spot in the covered area of the car park, and then came out to escort us to the Reception area. In icy conditions, the uncovered areas of the car park should be used with care!
The lounge / kitchen / diner was very spacious with modern furniture and a large sliding glass door presenting an excellent sea view and balcony. You could almost believe you were on a cruise ship. The double bedroom was en-suite and the twin room was just opposite the spacious master bathroom. Our youngest child slept in a travel cot assembled by the staff before arrival. The only sounds heard in the apartments were ours, and a low muffled rumble from the sea – soothing at night, and a gentle nudge in the morning.
The sliding windows (lounge and twin bedroom) can be locked to protect the children, although the locking mechanism is fiddly. If you have a toddler, it's worth placing something heavy behind the main apartment door so they can't get out.
O2 mobile reception was unavailable from the apartment. Orange was better, if a little patchy. If you have a 3G Internet connection, you may find it won't work.
A short exploratory trip around the building revealed a roof-top terrace with impressive all-round views and a well stocked – free-to-use gym in the next apartment block – all accessible using the electronic keys provided.
Since the apartment was self-catering, access to food was essential. On the ground floor of the apartment block (outside) there is a mini supermarket, and restaurant / bar. A very short walk away is the Glass House Bistro. The welcome pack also provides telephone numbers for restaurants and take-aways, with menus available from Reception. The
Tikka Tikka Indian restaurant was especially delicious, with ample portions, delivered quickly. On the sea front there are plenty of take-aways and restaurants.
Children enjoy Scarborough's sandy beach even in winter. The spades and fishing nets graciously provided by 'The Sands' added to this. Although many of the shops on the front are closed low season, Scarborough still has quite a few local attractions including slot machine arcades, cafe's / restaurants, theatre and bargain stores, with more open in the Town Centre. Scarborough is also close enough for a short excursion to Filey (checkout the Brigg), Bridlington and Whitby.
For those times spent in the apartment, the DVD player and Nintendo Wii were fed with discs from the free DVD and game library available in Reception.
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