Crown House @ No 20, Scarborough
Conjuring up more than a hint of the grandeur Scarborough possessed in the days when it was a wealthy seaside resort, this B&B is about enjoying slices of homemade cake served from individual glass bell jars, and bookshelves packed with contemporary fiction, local history titles and art books. The owner is planning a seaside-themed courtyard garden later this year, but in the meantime there's plenty of space to relax in its two vast, high-ceilinged bedrooms. The Cream Room has a superking (or twin) bed with a modern bath and a poundingly strong shower, while the Pink Room (more soft blush than Barbie) has a kingsize bed and a double shower.
• 20 Filey Road, 01723 375401, Scarborough, crownhousescarborough.co.uk. Doubles from £90, B&B
Gallon House, Knaresborough
There are three killer attributes at this classy B&B. The first is its view – from the building's clifftop balcony, the earth drops dramatically down to a curve of the River Nidd, with an ancient viaduct to one side and Knaresborough Castle to the other. The second is co-owner Rick's cooking, which takes his restaurant background and puts a Yorkshire, slow-food spin on it with dinners such as roast lamb with a trio of homemade hedgerow jellies and breakfasts that include cinnamon-laced fruit compotes alongside more usual suspects. The third is his wife, Sue's, instinctive nous when it comes to style and service (bedrooms come with both Clarins toiletries and a basket of essential "forgottens" from tights to toothbrushes). These put Gallon House's three bedrooms on a par with hotel levels of comfort, and justify the higher-than-average-B&B prices.
• 47 Kirkgate, Knaresborough, 01423 862102, gallon-house.co.uk. Doubles from £120, B&B, three-course dinners £36pp
Black Horse Inn, Kirkby Fleetham
Named after Black Bess, Dick Turpin's horse (the highwayman was once a regular), this gastropub with rooms has been open for three years and is pleasantly non-blokey. Gingham-laced chairs, pastel striped curtains, grey-green walls and fresh flowers form the backdrop to its dining areas (Fridays is fish and chips night) while rooms come in two flavours. Above the pub are three large suites decked out in Cath Kidston roses and bright checked blankets or more subtle, sagey florals while the rooms across the beer garden are more bling – Shergar has a padded, cream headboard and its own little garden, Milton is more masculine with black painted furniture, a pencil post bed, slipper bath and walk-in shower and the Red Rum suite is a bit Moulin Rouge with a gilded room divider shielding a free-standing bath and a fake fur rug draped across the bed.
• Lumley Lane, Kirkby Fleetham, 01609 749010, blackhorsekirkbyfleetham.com. Doubles from £80, B&B
The Bivouac Bunk Barn, Masham
Possibly the most stylish bunk barn Yorkshire has seen, the Bivouac's 12-bed dorm opened on 3 April a few miles outside Masham. Above seagrass flooring and surrounded by vintage coat hooks and armchairs are six bunks. These were salvaged from an abandoned youth hostel before being stripped back, mended and upcycled into smart modern beds, each ready supplied with bed linen (except towels, which can be rented) and boasting its own double socket, reading light and lockable drawer. At one end of the room is a sink with hot drinks facilities and there are a range of equally "salvage chic" toilets and showers in the courtyard just below. There's no communal kitchen but, with a great on-site cafe and farm shop, you won't go hungry.
• High Knowle Farm, Knowle Lane, Masham, 01765 535020, thebivouac.co.uk. Dorm beds from £18pp. Read a full review here
The White Swan, Pickering
If Farrow & Ball did pubs, they might look like this one, in the small market town of Pickering. Taupe woodwork and a neutral-hued tartan carpet (a nod to the owners' Scottish heritage) run from the pint-sized bar and lounge, with their open fires and pints of local Anglers Reward ale, to a flagstone floored restaurant that sources all its meat from a Ginger Pig farm (thegingerpig.co.uk) just down the road. The 12 bedrooms in the main building have more character than the nine ultra-modern "hideaway" suites in the courtyard; number six has a towering Princess and the Pea style four-poster with a shower of rainbow-striped bolsters strewn across it. Guests can also use the Club Room, a converted barn with an honesty bar, pool table, open fire, help-yourself tea and cake and velvety sofas and chairs.
• Market Place, Pickering, 01751 472288, white-swan.co.uk. Doubles from £112, B&B
The Mount House, Terrington
Four miles from Castle Howard and with easy access to the dales, moors and (Hockney lovers, take note) wolds, this sun-dappled B&B sits by a little green. An old farm building with a modern extension, it's bright, light and open-plan downstairs, with a shiny modern kitchen opening into a huge lounge and a cosy dining space, with open fire and antique table (owner, Kathryn, used to run a catering business and now offers French and Italian influenced dinners made with Yorkshire produce). The ground-floor twin is the one to splash out on, with a big new shower, an array of paintings by friends or family and its own private snug with armchairs, books and fire. There's also a small but pretty double in the attic and a larger double on the floor in-between with a "wowy" en-suite wet room.
• Terrington, 01653 648206, howardianhillsbandb.co.uk. Doubles from £80, B&B (£100 for the ground-floor twin)
The Lion, Settle
Revamped in early 2011, this old coaching inn lies just outside the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales national park. The pub mixes Inglenook fireplaces, wooden panelling and a motley collection of historic photos with a menu that's big on local produce and post-hiking or – biking comfort food (try the Settle Pudding – beef cooked in Thwaites ale and topped with suet pastry). The 14 bedrooms are less traditional. Though most have the odd heirloom piece of furniture among the fittings they're otherwise fairly plain, and best approached as somewhere to roll into after dinner rather than a decadent weekend hideaway. If space is an issue, you can pay a £15 supplement for one of two larger "character" rooms.
• Duke Street, Settle, 01729 822203, thelionsettle.co.uk. Doubles from £85, B&B
The Dutch House, Crayke
This family-friendly garden attraction and art-themed cafe is run, as the name suggests, by an energetic Dutch couple – one a graphic designer, the other manager of York's Museum Gardens. As well as various activities, events and "arty parties" they also run a one-room B&B. Set in an old cottage, the room has views over the gardens and fields, a large, separate, bathroom, twin beds and artistic touches – a clothes hanger crafted from a fallen branch and painted wooden furniture. Guests also have private access to a downstairs snug with two big armchairs, a woodburning stove and a piano. Breakfast is served here too; with the owners being Dutch, expect a continental spread rather than a fry-up.
• Mill Green Farm, Crayke, 01347 889431, dutchhouseyorkshire.com. Doubles from £70, B&B
The Oak Tree, Helperby
Just off the A1, near Easingwold, this sister inn to The Durham Ox (thedurhamox.com) opened just over a year ago, following a big refurb (a third pub in the group, thecarpentersarmsfelixkirk.com, is launching bedrooms in June). Like its older sibling, food is the big draw here, with the pub's menu of classic British dishes made with ingredients bought in from Yorkshire suppliers. But, though more expensive, the six bedrooms here are better value than those at the Durham Ox, with fancier fittings, Hypnos beds, underfloor heating in the bathrooms and more of a commitment to expensive-looking plum and sage furnishings than cheap pine furniture.
• Raskelf Road, Helperby, 01423 789189, theoaktreehelperby.com. Doubles from £120, B&B
The Lawrance, Harrogate
A collection of 19 serviced apartments split between a trio of Harrogate properties, you get more space for your money at The Lawrance than at many of the town's hotels. The cheapest apartments are at the Kings Road address, opposite Harrogate Conference Centre and five minutes' walk from Bettys Tea Room (bettys.co.uk). But, though these apartments are good value, and come with a range of Ren toiletries, they have more of a corporate look than those at the other two locations, with shiny chrome stools, dark brown furniture, solid oak floors, slate-walled bathrooms and functional kitchens. For lighter colour schemes and more characterful furniture it's worth paying a bit more for an apartment in one of the other properties, around 10 minutes' walk from the town centre.
• Kings House, Kings Road, Harrogate, 01423 503226, thelawrance.com. Studio apartments, sleeping two, from £95
• Have we missed out your favourite place to stay in North Yorkshire? Add your recommendation to the comments below
