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SALTMOORE in North Yorkshire has been named a top beach hotel in the UK and is run by a reality star turned hotelier.
Montana Brown who rose to fame on Love Island in 2017 has left her showbiz beginnings in the past and is now the owner of an award-winning hotel in the UK.
SaltmooreThe rooms are modern with a vintage twist[/caption]
Montana Brown and her fiancé mark O’Connor own SaltmooreMontana Brown
The beachfront hotel in Whitby is a project Montana and her fiancé, Mark O’Connor, took on in May 2023.
The hotel was formerly known as Raithwaite, and went under a huge £10million redevelopment plan to become a wellness retreat.
At the time, Mark, who works as an Investment Director at O’Shea Group, told The Scarborough News: “We will ensure everything they love about the heart of Raithwaite, and its welcoming Yorkshire spirited personality remains untouched.
“We hope our guests will see us as a leading destination for a UK retreat.”
It seems their hard work paid off as this year, The Times crowned Saltmoore as the Best Beach Hotel.
The Times praised the hotel, and Montana, and said: “She’s transformed a run-of-the-mill seaside hotel outside the town into a super-sexy bolthole with a spectacular, relatively empty beach a ten-minute walk away.
“Saltmoore House has 43 chic bedrooms inspired by the striking coastal surroundings, with a further 29 in the family-friendly Beach House in the grounds, and Brown now has a spa expansion in her sights.”
Saltmoore has 43 stylish bedrooms and an additional 29 in the family-friendly Beach House on site.
The spa is kitted out with an state of the art gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room, relaxation room, ice bath, spa pool and a cryo chamber.
It’s not just a great place to relax either, it’s also a hotel where you know you’re going to eat well.
SaltmooreThe retreat is in Whitby near the coast[/caption]
SaltmooreThe restaurant is run by a Michelin star chef[/caption]
The culinary experience at the hotel is under the watchful eye of celebrity chef Tommy Banks who owns the Michelin-starred Black Swan at Oldstead.
The Times went on to add that during their stay, they sampled “fish pies and burgers with retro-revelling dishes such as pork schnitzel with fermented celeriac remoulade and ribeye steaks with pork-fat chips” – which all sounds delicious to us.
When Montana and Mark first took on the hotel, it was called Raithwaite, which some visitors said was “dated”.
The pair have since transformed it into a luxury spa retreat called Saltmoore and have received rave reviews.
One wrote on Tripadvisor: “The newly revamped hotel now carrying the Saltmoore brand has delivered beyond expectation.”
Another added: “An absolute gem! The new decor is absolutely stunning and our dogs were made most welcome!”
A third said: “I have previously stayed at this hotel when it was Raithwaite. I liked it then but it became dated . Wow! Saltmoore is spectacular.”
Last year, Montana posted about the hotel saying she was “so proud” of what had been created.
To stay at Saltmoore, you can get B&B doubles from £280 and mains courses at their restaurant from £22 (saltmoore.co.uk).
Here’s a hotel in Covent Garden that has 57 rooms and has been described as a ‘hidden gem’.
And a luxury hotel named one of the world’s best budget breaks.
Here Are Four Of Our All-Time Favourite Hotels
One of these hotels has its very own 'welly wall'...
The Swan, Lavenham
Looking at the sleepy medieval village of Lavenham in Suffolk today, you’d never guess that 80 years ago, more than 350,000 US Army Airforce troops were based in the surrounding fields and countryside.
In the heart of the village lies The Swan at Lavenham Hotel – a magnificent 15th century timbered building with a cosy, luxe interior where the building’s period features shine, from oak beams and flagstone floors to open fires and cosy nooks.
Harry Potter fans should enquire after the tiny door under the stairs which opens into an enchanting bedroom. Its Airman’s Bar is named after the British and American servicemen who used the pub as their local when stationed at nearby RAF Lavenham.
The intimate boozer is stuffed full of military memorabilia but most haunting is a wall covered in the signatures of over 1,000 servicemen.
And make sure to dine at the Gallery restaurant, with its soaring beamed ceilings and minstrel’s gallery, serving up sophisticated British bites – Head of Travel, Lisa Minot
The Retreat, Berkshire
My only regret when I visited The Retreat at Elcot Park in Berkshire earlier this year was not arriving at the crack of dawn to take advantage of the beautiful patch of countryside that this hotel sits on – not to mention the excellent facilities.
The whole place has a chic Cotswolds members club vibe, with cosy rooms occupying the upper levels of a characterful 18th century Manor House and coat-wearing pooches padding through the lobby where a large fireplace is roaring at all hours of the day.
A handful of the rooms are dog friendly (£30 per dog per night which includes a dog bed, two dog bowls, some doggie treats and a handy dog towel) and pooches are welcome in certain restaurants, including the Atlas Room and bright Orangery.
Doggie people will know that Muck Boot wellies trump all other brands for a proper country walkies – and guests can borrow a pair for free from the hotel’s “welly wall”.
Don’t forget your swimmers either! There’s a lush spa on site as well as an outdoor pool overlooking a well manicured lawn and parkland – Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski
Artists Resident, London
London is hardly short of amazing hotels – home to the both the most expensive and biggest in the UK.
But my favourite is one that makes you feel like you are staying at your cool mates pad, with a few extra treats which is where Artists Residence enters.
Having opened their first one in 2008 in Brighton, it has now spawned another four across the UK in Cornwall, Bristol, Brighton and London. Their London branch is one of my favourites, found in Pimlico.
There are just 10 rooms, but each is designed by owners Justin and Charlotte, full of retro art prints, thrifted furniture and exposed brick walls.
And I’m still dreaming of the food, gorging on rich gnocci, fresh foccaci and some of the best seafood I’ve had in a while – Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey
Warwick Castle Hotel, Warwick
Hotel stays can often be very bland with big-chain brands having the same personality-deprived features like a lonely wardrobe, a stale desk and a rock-hard bed.
Luckily, the newly-opened Warwick Castle Hotel didn’t get the memo, much to my relief.
From the lobby and the rooms to the huge banquet hall, the Warwick Castle Hotel is a place where history, literature, myths and legends all seamlessly collide to create a fun-filled family-friendly overnight stay.
One of my favourite features has to be the huge animatronic knight on horseback that sits in the lobby, but I was equally impressed by other medieval motifs like a coat of arms and tapestry-inspired artwork that decorates the walls.
Rooms are equipped with comfy beds, a set to bunk beds and other practical features like a desk area, vanity mirror and USB and USB-C charging ports.
There are lots of adventures to be had outside the room too, including a host of activities for younger guests like a tiny training camp for would-be knights and an archery station.
When you’ve worked up an evening appetite, hotel guests can head to the Knight’s Village, a medieval banquet hall with a carvery buffet station – there’s also pots of pasta and hash brown bites, for pickier eaters – Travel Reporter, Hope Brotherton
SaltmooreSaltmoore is one of The Times’ favourite hotels of 2025[/caption] 
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