The Cookie Jar

The Cookie Jar puts you on Bailiffgate beside Alnwick Castle, so the location is the main reason to choose this Alnwick boutique hotel.

Photo of The Cookie Jar by The Cookie Jar on Google Maps

The building was formerly the Convent of Mercy, and the stay keeps that sense of character rather than feeling like a standard chain hotel. It sits on the cobbled street of Bailiffgate in historic Alnwick, with the hotel’s own bistro, residents’ lounge, and walled garden giving you places to stay in rather than only a bedroom to sleep in.

Rooms at The Cookie Jar include proper named details rather than vague hotel basics. The Bailiffgate room is on the first floor, faces west over Bailiffgate, and has a Super King size bed with a roomy bathroom. Room features include a drench shower, Hypnos bed, fine English linen, fluffy towels, Penhaligon’s toiletries, super-fast Wi-Fi, a plasma screen TV, tea and coffee facilities, complimentary water, and a jar of house cookies.

Other rooms add character through details such as wood-panelled walls, sitting areas, bay windows, stained-glass windows, and views toward the museum or castle. The suite uses the building’s former chapel, which gives the property a more individual feel than a newly built hotel. The tone is boutique and personal, but the confirmed room facts are practical too: strong bedding, specific bathroom features, and in-room refreshments.

The stay works well inside the building because breakfast is available, the hotel has a restaurant, and dining can be taken on a heated terrace. There is also a cosy lounge and a garden, so bad weather does not leave the room as the only indoor space. The Cookie Jar also has a drying room with gun cabinets and kennels, which makes the property more useful for countryside trips than a simple town guesthouse.

Dogs are welcome in guest rooms, but they are not allowed in the communal areas, including the Bistro, Garden, and Residents Lounge. That is the main limit to know before booking if you are bringing a dog.

The Cookie Jar in 360°