The Best Hotels in Darlington

Darlington Hotels

Once surrounded by the industrial – and at times gritty – Tees Valley in the northeast of England, this underrated market town holds a pleasant olden day charm. Relatively unknown to tourists, Darlington town centre still focuses on its vast market square, where you can uncover goodies at the weekly indoor and outdoor markets. A bit of a mecca for railway fanatics, the Stockton and Darlington Railway ran the first steam passenger train through the town in the early 19th century.

Things to see

With its impressive railway heritage, you can’t stay in Darlington without visiting the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. Located in the town’s original railway station building – a Grade 2 listed well-loved structure – the museum has exhibits on loan from the National Railway Collection, including ‘Derwent’ – the earliest remaining train built in Darlington. The museum also displays various train memorabilia including signs, furniture and railway worker uniforms. Once you’ve swotted up on your locomotive history, you can head into the town centre to peruse the shops, which include a range of well-known high street brands alongside independent galleries and stores, before heading to the market to buy some fresh local produce. Next to Market Place, the 12th Century St. Cuthbert’s Church is worth a visit as one of the oldest ecclesiastical buildings in the area – Christian worship has taken place on the site for over a thousand years.

Hotels in Darlington

Many Darlington hotels can be found in large Victorian era period buildings, where you could find yourself sleeping in a grand high-ceilinged room with original sash windows, a fireplace and intricate cornicing. Most of these offer at least 3-star amenities, with some offering 4-star rated accommodation. Further out of town in the countryside vast manors, country mansions and even the odd castle have been turned into stylish luxury hotels with vast grounds and upscale amenities, perfect for some peaceful get-away-from-it-all relaxation time. For a cheap hotel, some of Darlington’s smaller B&Bs or large chain hotels offer good value for money.

Where to stay

As a burgeoning modern town, Darlington has sprawled out over the last few years, with many new residential and industrial estates being built around the town’s ever-expanding outskirts. If you want to be able to walk to the town centre restaurants, shops and sights then you should take a hotel within or very near to the market and shopping precinct. For less expensive accommodation, head out to one of the newer areas where larger well known branded hotels have popped up among the new build developments. Countryside hotels offer a secluded rural alternative to the town centre accommodation.

How to get to Darlington

Darlington is well connected to the rest of the country. The M1 skirts the western edge of the town, linking it to Durham and Newcastle to the north, and Leeds to the south. Main-line train services also stop in the town, so it’s perfectly feasible to leave your car at home. Local bus services offer routes around Darlington, and also link the town to other northeast villages. If you’re staying out of the town in a rural area you may want to consider travelling by car, or hiring a car from one of the town’s rental firms.