Hotel Victoria, Robin Hood’s Bay: Behind the scenes as iconic Yorkshire hotel undergoes modern transformation

Last year the historic hotel, originally built in 1897, officially reopened following a six month multi million pound refurbishment, which has included the redesign of the hotel and it's dining and entertainment spaces.

The now 30-bedroom hotel offers guests a range of elegantly decorated and comfortable bedrooms, many with views of the spectacular coastline.

The hotel has enjoyed an extensive facelift with decorative additions such as the pagoda in the grounds, a newly added garden bar and terrace area and the renovation of its next door Captain’s Quarters.

Andrew Long, owner of Hotel Victoria said: “Since acquiring the Hotel Victoria, we have undertaken a sensitive refurbishment programme, and we are delighted with how our vision of showcasing the hotel’s elegance and style whilst retaining its iconic historic charm, has come to life."

Hannah Burwell was the interior designer for the hotel and tasked with sensitively restoring the hotel and breathing new life into its walls.

The mother-of-two studied textiles and interiors at university in London and then worked for soft furnishing companies for 10 years.

She moved out of London in 2012 and started working at Luxury Family Hotels - a smaller chain of luxury boutique hotels working on their refurbishment projects.

The chain rebranded as Luxury Hotel Management and Hannah was approached by them to refurbish The Victoria.

As she lives in Wiltshire, she worked remotely a lot of the time and was sent photos of the hotel before going to have a look around.

"Prior to the refurbishment it was very dated but you could see the potential. I could see it could be amazing.

"The chandelier in the lobby was beautiful but the decor was dated and needed work. There was 80s style swirling, mismatched patterned wallpaper and it didn't elevate the beautiful building - it made it look like you were going to grandma's lounge.

"The pub felt like an extension stuck onto the beautiful building and I wanted to make it into a cosy pub you would want to spend time in.

"That was the most fun and the most challenging - transforming it into a community pub, rather than one just used by holiday makers and walkers.

"The key thing was to keep it traditional with contemporary elements. I wanted to keep the style and traditional feel of The Victoria, such as the dark wood staircase but use modern lighting and contemporary fabrics."

Sitting at the eastern end of the 190-mile Coast to Coast Path, the hotel offers the ideal base from which to explore the region’s renowned coastal locations such as Whitby, Scarborough and Staithes, as well as the treasures of the North York Moors National Park.

From the cosy pub to the comfortable rooms with sleek, contemporary bathrooms and pretty views the hotel is buzzing with life and in a simply ideal location in Robin Hood's bay - a mere (if steep) stroll to the beach and the collection of charming little shops and eateries.

Next door to the main hotel, seven new bedrooms have been created within the Captains Quarters - two renovated townhouses merged into one as part of the refurbishment programme but still boasting two stained glass front doors.

The entrance way into the Captain’s Quarters has sky high ceilings, shimmering stained glass, original coving and patterned floor tiles that give off a real feeling of Victorian grandeur. Also, In the dog friendly Captain's Quarters there are two rooms with an accessible wet room at the back and wheelchair access.

"In the Captain's Quarters South I did a soft refurb. I just did decorating but the Captains Quarter North took seven months.

"It had to be fully gutted - all stripped out and joined together and the bathrooms put in. It was almost a copy of Captain's Quarter South but with a few tweaks."

Hannah says the restoration of the Captain's Quarters brought her a lot of satisfaction. The refurbishment took 20 months.

"It was really fun and something to get your teeth into. When you are stripping everything out and putting it all back together it gets more exciting. It's lovely doing the fit outs and putting it back together and to see my designs come to life.

Local illustrator Jessica Hogarth was called in to design the new sign for The Loxley Pub, which is part of the hotel.

The artist who lives in Whitby said she wanted to depict the iconic view from The Victoria Hotel.

Jessica, 37, who has an interiors shop in Robin Hood's Bay says she used lots of colour and detailing the views that can be seen from the Hotel Victoria’s terrace and garden bar, a view she has never captured before.

Her bespoke coastal cottages wallpaper can also be found in the renovated toilets

"They wanted to work with local artists and asked me to collaborate,” say says. "I know there is a market for my work but it's not necessarily to everybody's taste.

"A pub sign everybody sees. It is in a prominent position and is looking fantastic."

Business Development Manager Beverley Rutherford has been with the hotel for more than ten years and says during the refurb the hotel was still open.

"It was like changing rooms," she says. “People were going out and coming back to different, far superior rooms."

Beverley says the hotel, where the Daniel Lewis film Phantom Thread was filmed, has a real family feel. "It's a special place for people to come back to and bring their families and extended families."

Having been acquired in November 2023, the hotel is now part of the expanding Loxley Collection hotel portfolio, owned by businessman Andrew Long, which includes The White Hart and The Judge’s Lodgings in Lincoln and Polurrian on the Lizard in Cornwall.