The Chaise: Staying in the Best Guesthouse in Sunderland, England
When I decided to spend a couple of nights in Sunderland instead of Newcastle, a few people around me raised eyebrows. This only made my heart grow more eager to visit Sunderland, without doubt the stronger beast of the two north east cities in terms of exceeding expectation. We all know about Newcastle – the Likely Lads, Ant and Dec, Alan Shearer, Newky Brown…but just south sits the city of Sunderland.
Sunderland Pier and Roker Beach, England.
Sunderland boasts an impressive stretch of North Sea coastline, in particular the promenade by Roker Beach. This place has become a popular place for Guest Houses and B and Bs over the years and as such there are MANY of them. So how do you choose the right one? It didn’t take me long to find a proper family run Guest House that also has a licensed bar, a good reputation and of course, the luxury of a sea view. So when I found the Chaise Guest House online, I booked in for a couple of nights. The Chaise has been going for 28 years. Here are the top 5 things I loved about my stay in the Chaise.
The Chaise: Staying in the Best Guesthouse in Sunderland, England
1. Family Run Guest House
Many guest houses may claim to be “family run” but The Chaise truly is. The owner John greets you, meets you, asks about you and makes you feel at home. He wants you to enjoy your stay and he cares about you. When I arrived, John checked me straight into my room and gave me all the details I needed for the next 2 days, including breakfast times and information on decent local restaurants.
The Chaise is a cool family run Guest House.
At breakfast in the mornings, John came over to chat. You always feel you are in a good Guest House when the owner comes to chat and is approachable. It’s no surprise that the Chaise has been running for so long.
Hallway at the Chaise.
A Room with a View.
I had a room at the front of the Chaise, overlooking the beach. The room was warm, cosy and a great place to sleep for two nights. I also had a kettle with tea and coffee and a Television (I don’t get much time to watch TV but I did watch the News on it).
3. North East Breakfast
I’m going with “North East Breakfast” here as it differs from the breakfast in the south of England, and from the Scottish and Northern Irish breakfast. Gone are haggis, soda farls and tattie bread. In is black pudding.
Full North East England Breakfast with a good old cup of tea.
Range of cereals at The Chaise.
4. Location
The Chaise is on Roker Seafront. If you want you can ask for a sea view in your room. I found this especially amazing as I could waken up to the sunrise over the pier and Roker Beach.
Before the sun comes up.
Sunrise from my room in Sunderland.
View out my window at night.
Aside from the seaside location, you are a 3 minute walk from the relaxation of Roker Park and a mere 10 minutes walk from the Stadium of Light metro station. There are some cool sights to see in and around Sunderland away from the hustle and bustle of Newcastle Upon Tyne and Gateshead.
5. Fully Licensed Bar
John tells me that the Chaise is currently the only Guest House in Sunderland that has a fully licensed bar. Saves you having to walk down the road if you fancy a pint.
Fully licensed bar at The Chaise Guest House, Sunderland.
As well as catching up with some work and sleep in The Chaise, I also toured the cities of Sunderland and Newcastle and I enjoyed my time here. If you fancy heading to Sunderland, it’s a great choice!
The Details:
5 Roker Terrace
Roker
Sunderland
SR6 9NB
England
Manager: John Snaith
Telephone: (0191)5659218
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Jonny Blair is a self confessed traveling nomad who founded and blogs at Don’t Stop Living. He sees every day as an adventure. Since leaving behind his home town of Bangor in Northern Ireland ten years ago he has traveled to all seven continents, working his way through various jobs and funding it all with hard work and an appetite for travel. Don’t Stop Living, a lifestyle of travel’ contains over 1,000 stories and tips from his journeys round the globe. He wants to show others how easy it is to travel the world, give them some ideas and encourage them to do the same but most of all he aims to constantly live a lifestyle of travel. He is currently based in Hong Kong and on Twitter @jonnyblair.
