When you live in a city, there is something a little counter-intuitive about a city break: why leave the fast pace of one metropolis only to submerge yourself in the hustle and bustle of another? That's not to say I don't love visiting other cities - I just like them served on the side, as it were. So I can enjoy shopping, buzzing nightlife and culture - without waking up to it outside my bedroom window.
Enter Newcastle's Townhouse - which should perhaps more accurately be called the "ever so slightly out-of-town house". Owners Catherine Knox and Sheila Armstrong realised there was a boutique hotel-sized hole to fill in the leafy suburb of Gosforth and opened their hotel in December last year. A mile out of the city centre, it's situated where, I'm told, "all the footballers come to live". Just a Metro-hop from the hubbub of town but far enough to feel your stress levels go down a notch or three.
We arrive in Gosforth buoyed up from a day spent exploring Newcastle's Baltic Museum and bustling quay, and downing a few pints in the friendly local. The hotel is just off the high street on a tree-lined residential road, keeping company with an art gallery and a clutch of churches, one of which turns out to be a Loch Fyne restaurant, complete with original stained glass windows.
First impressions of this elegant Victorian townhouse are good: a generous sweeping bay window overlooks the street, smart teal blue walls are hung with abstract oils and an honesty bar provides the extra "make yourself at home" touch. Would the rooms meet expectations?
Ours is tucked up at the top of the house, one of just 10 rooms, all individually designed by Cathy and Sheila. It's decorated in warm chocolate browns and velvety greys, with silver detail on the baroque wallpaper, and on the cushions and throws on the large bed. Coffee and a selection of loose-leaf teas are laid out with a welcome home-made chocolate brownie. But the really eye-catching feature is the lighting: delicate bedside chandeliers, warm reading lamps and overhead spots turn this pleasant boutique room into a memorable one.
Oh and the bath. How have I not realised until now that it is really, really important to be able to watch Coast on a flat-screen TV from the comfort of your bubble bath? This particular one is theatrically placed in a raised window alcove in the bedroom, with brocade curtains to screen you from the room if you have a touch of stage fright. And it's long enough for you to stretch your tippy toes right out. There's also a good-sized limestone bathroom with rain shower and Arran Aromatics smellies (although the tiny sink requires some contortions when it come to tooth-brushing).
All this means we are rather late hitting the town, so we decide to give the thrills of Newcastle's infamous Bigg Market a miss and instead have a delicious Italian meal beneath the branches of an indoor olive tree at nearby Adriano's (adrianos.co.uk).
When I wake up I realise I have no idea if it's morning, noon or night, such is the peace and quiet. What is more surprising is that when breakfast finally tempts me from beneath the duvet, I discover that there are several families with children staying here - and not a peep made it up to our Domain of Sleep on the top floor.
We sit reading the papers over our hearty breakfast in the light and spacious cafe - which also serves meals until 7pm. My partner appreciatively tucks into a full English with black pudding, while my free-range scrambled eggs and Scottish salmon leave barely enough room for an extra cup of coffee before we set off for a last tour of the town. By chance the first train to arrive is going not to the city centre but to Whitley Bay. A moment's hesitation and half-an-hour later we are watching surfers on the beach - well you can't shop all the time. There is a credit crunch on, you know.
• The cost: Doubles from £75 a night B&B. National Express East Coast (nationalexpresseastcoast.com) has returns from London King's Cross to Newcastle from £28.
