Ever since the Victorian times, Whitby has been the holiday choice for a lot of holiday visitors. The bracing air of the North East Coast and the freshness of the North Sea together with the historical background and the golden sandy beaches have made the town of Whitby an extremely sought after holiday choice.

With the introduction of the Steam Railway in the 1830s, the increased holiday population led to the construction of the many hotels and boarding establishments. Many of these larger purpose built hotels remain today alongside a large variety of different types of holiday accommodation.

Hotels are currently governed by strict rules regarding facilities available under the umbrella of the English Tourist Board, so too, are the Bed and Breakfast establishments. Certain rules must be adhered to for any accommodation listed or recommended by the Tourist Information Office or advertised in the local council holiday brochures.

Many of the holiday cottages and holiday apartments are in the same manner guided by these rules resulting in the higher quality of accommodation across the board.

There exists a wide selection of choice available for people wishing to book hotel accommodation. The English Tourist Board grading system indicates the facilities and quality of each individual hotel which are yearly inspected by an 'undercover' visitor.

There has been an appearance of individually designed theme hotels such as an old fashioned hotel decorated in the period of Lewis Carroll. An increasing number of of the hotels are open year round as in previous decades the majority of the larger hotels closed 'out of season', or perhaps opened for school parties either side of the summer months.

The majority of the Bed and Breakfast establishments register with the English Tourist Board and are annually inspected. Fire and safety regulations have to be adhered to for establishments taking more than six guests. The standards have risen dramatically and it is more often than not that the sleeping quarters are en-suite. Here too has been the emergence of themed holiday accommodation, a gothic bed and breakfast and one with each bedroom featuring the theme of different countries as an example.

Holiday cottages and apartments are really popular. There are a selection of old fishermen's cottages to rent in the area. This olde worlde accommodation is more or less nestled around the harbour area or along Church Street. They may be old but if the accommodation is ETB inspected, then the standards are set high.

Regarding holiday apartments, these are very often in the larger older properties on the West Cliff however there's been an emergence of brand new purpose built flats specifically purchased with the intention of holiday accommodation. These contemporary surroundings and home furnishings are in direct contrast with the more quaint traditional types of accommodation. Many of the holiday apartments are also ETB inspected and graded.

Not all holiday accommodation in Whitby and the vicinity is restricted to bricks and mortar. There are a selection of caravan parks and camping sites. Those on the cliff tops as well as offering very good facilities, have extensive coastal and country views. To be sure of high standards, the sites chosen should also be ETB inspected, Caravan Club members or inspected by the local council.