Pint Of Ale

I have been a visitor to the schooner for about four years now,I found the atmosphere to be most welcoming, the staff work very hard and I loved the Indian restraunt,athough it only holds 2.5 stars I have found it more welcoming than a five star I have been to so many of those and still keep going back to the schooner .

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your comment on Pint Of Ale. It’s good to see good things written about Alnmouth, even if the Schooner is not my favourite pub for real ale in the village.

When you mention the Indian restaurant, do you mean in the hotel itself or in the village?

Did you ever see a ghost on any of your stays!?

I’m a Singaporean who was in Newcastle, UK in September 2006 to attend a friend’s wedding.
Arrived in Newcastle several days before the wedding.
While waiting, went to Alnwick Castle for sigh-seeing.On the way home, stopped at Schooner Hotel for lunch. Time was about 2.30 pm.
Just before we left, I paid a visit to the ladies’ toilet at the ground level. The lighting in the toilet was eerily dim.
When I sat on the toilet bowl, I suddenly felt a hand touched my head. I could feel that it was a hand and it was a big hand.
I did not see anything, but that was enough to send me fleeing from the toilet without a backward glance.

My husband and I have stayed at the Schooner on numerous occassions over the last 9yrs, mainly for sentimental reasons (husband proposed there). Over the years we have seen many changes, mostly in the staff but we have always enjoyed our stay.

Until this year…

Seems to have changed hands…..

now has an Indian restaurant in the middle of a traditional seaside hotel????

Buckets in the corridoor to catch the drops from the leaking ceiling, sheets that did’nt fit the bed, a matress so old and squashed I could sympathise with the princess and the pea story. There was also a large brown suprise at the bottom of the toilet when we were shown to our room.

All in all we will not be returning for next years anniversary.

We have visited this pub many times for lunch but never again after today (27th May 2007).
My daughter was provided with a “Coronation” Chicken Baguette which contained several cubes of totally raw chicken. We were reimbursed for the cost of the dish, but no apology or any comments at all from the staff. I wonder how many people they’ve poisoned today? There were loads of other things wrong, but nore more space. Please don’t ever visit this pub.

I’ve added a link to the Schooner’s own webiste on the right hand side of this page - it’s a pretty site that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

We first started to visit the Schooner Hotel- thiry years ago for our honeymoon! No ensuites in those days and the bathroom ran out of hot water.
We have been back many times for short stays mainly in the summer and a couple of New Year visits-ensuites in situ.
We are visiting Alnmouth this Nov as it is our thirtieth anniversary- staying locally self catering for a week- a much needed break.
We have followed the fortunes of the Schooner in recent years-I am sure we will go for dinner on our anniversary day - but unsure what to expect from all the reviews I have read!

Thanks for the comments, Barbara. I hope you have an excellent anniversary!

What a rip off! Went for a Halloween weekend/Murder Mystery. Tried to charge us again for the ghost tour which was supposed to be included in price. Murder Mystery never happened (I dont think they even booked it) The mnager was rude, the room was a disgrace could smell the damp as soon as you walked in the t.v. did not work I could go on but all in all will not be going again!

I stayed at the schooner in october this year and we stayed over night in room 17 and done the ghost hunt this was a suprise birthday present. All I have to say is the ‘Haunted Hotel’ really does live up to its reputation and I would recomend it to anybody looking to be scared.

NO TOILET ROLLS, NO HOT WATER,USED SANATARY TOWELS IN WASTE BIN .THE WHOLE PLACE WAS A COMPLETE MESS

i have stayed in this place afew times ,over the years and have enjoyed it even tho i havent encountered a ghost,but the last time i stayed there we could only have a curry im did enjoy it but the bed hadnt been changed there wasnt any hot water, rooms were cold ha the breakfast well eggs were not cooked the beans were cold the toast,was hard the service was slow i think the place has went down a lot if you want people to come back,try having a frendly place were the staff that run it make people welcome as it was left to the bar staff to do that just hope next time we visit it will be a lot better

I was in the Schooner hotel (sat 19th April)
It was a very intresting visit and the place was very nice i belive its changed hands and manegmant and now there runing ghost walks in Alnmouth and we had short walk round the hotel where the new manager was grate and tuck me and my partner to to the most haunted rooms in the hotel and told us off all there stories and i was amazed at place and the stake and Ale pie was a treat with real chips like my mum would cook and the cider was not bad eather.
All in all i found the place a nice place and the rooms i went into were nice rooms and where quite nice untill a quilt started moving and we were not tucjing it! spooky stuff but recormended.

went to the schooner new management have took it ova needs alot of work but its gettin there new mansagement team were trev and ann there were mediums so give us a brill ghost walk best eva trevor did my cards wow he knows his stuff only go if there r still running it there were friendly great company and we r going back all the time there are there if there leave so will we but indians who own it havent a clue martin the main boss needs to put the hotel bk on the map and take the indian side away from it indian restarant work well in cities but not in a country village needs to go back to the routes and let english people run it and get the customers back every one likes a good english pub but he idea of heating and hot water are out of this world there dont work because he thinks he is saving money people wont stay in a cold room with no hot water needs to read this and do something about it

very spooky place room 12 and 8 were very active and i haerd the little boys bell of his bike who normaly goes up the corridor outside room 18 the rooms we went into were clean the meals are fantastic and the staff were very helpful thank you for a great time

read comments about new managerment team thought i would give it a try got there no such thing indian owner and staff dont speak good english promised a ghost walk but previous ghost team were not on site the place was dirty under age drinking smoking in the buliding ,rooms were basic and sheets hadnt been changed the shower was a tap adapter which went out in the 80s there tryed to charge me double paid for evening meal 12.50 found out it was cheaper on the regular menu 5.00 for breakfast well mould on the table dirty table clothes placed should be shut down no ghosts not reccommened

me and my partner went for a meal a couple of weeks ago, the food was really nice and the staff were friendly to. i enquired about thier ghost night as i am interested in the paranormal. I have decided to take my mum and brother in June,event permitting.

I think Charles Dickens and the dirt from those days is still there as we went in the conservatory to the bar and it was filthy dusty and tatty. The bedrooms were basic and a coach party that weekend complained long and hard about lack of towels and pillowcases. We paid in advance or I would have not paid food terrible
and service worse Alnmouth is a lovely place and it is a shanme that these people who are running such a lovley old building are running it into the ground. No wonder southern people laugh at us northerners. There is only us who would stand for it, Goodness knows what impression it leaves foreigners!!!

My family and I have just returned from this appaling excuse of a hotel and I would advise anybody NOT to go there. No hot water, shower was a tap pipe that didnt fit,toilet seat not fitted,curtains were sheets hung on wire, carpets were filthy,room stank of the kitchens below, tv not working, beds lump city etc etc. Nobody there seemed to care one way or another. Shame really cos Almouth lovely place but next time pick one of the smaller inns.

Disgusting!The worst hotel I have ever stayed in. Room filthy,radiator hanging off wall, bathroom had flies everywhere, coffee cup had been used and not changed, when I took it to reception along with a sachet of coffee that had used chewing gum attached to it there was no apology, I was told I would have a new one in my room by the time I got back from dinner…it never arrived. By the time I got to breakfast I just wanted to leave especially as our continental breakfast consisted of toast or a cooked breakfast (which you would have had to pay me to eat) Its no wonder you have to pay on arrival,its so you can’t get your money back!An utter disgrace,should be no stars not two,don’t go there!

Agree with Eleana. A total dump.Offered a filthy room, bed not changed,shown two other rooms which were even worse, finally one with a broken toilet seat which we took. Public areas not clean, dangerously frayed carpets. Restaurant:food not as described on menu, dreadful quality, very poor service, staff don’t have an adequate command of English.One lad behind the the bar was drunk.The manager was unfindable on first evening.Cooked breakfast inedible. We left early after smelling smoke (turned out to be from a burning fence below our window) and being unable to find/contact any staff at 4 that morning.Car park was covered in broken glass in one corner.
On top of all this they wanted full payment up front - hardly surprising. Avoid this place at all costs! (The Hope & Anchor and others up the road much nicer, similar prices.)

i havent seen the hotel yet but i would definately stay here for a month, love the ghost idea…..i’d love to see one, and i think (from what i know) the staff are very friendly. i would definately stay here, keep up the work, 5 stars in my eyes