The Holystone Bar and Restaurant
Simple rooms above a neighbourhood bar and restaurant
About this hotel
The Holystone Bar and Restaurant offers a pub-stay format: simple rooms with free Wi-Fi and free parking, set above or alongside a working bar and restaurant a minute's walk from Whitley Road-Holystone Drive. It's a no-frills option inland toward Newcastle, suited to families who want a genuinely local, low-cost base rather than a branded hotel chain. With 463 reviews behind its 8.4 rating, it has an established local following, and being kid-friendly means families are a normal part of the mix here rather than an afterthought. None of that makes it the flashiest stay on this coast, but for a family whose priority is the water park itself rather than the hotel, that's precisely the point. It won't suit every family, but for the specific trade-off it offers, it's a genuinely sensible choice worth shortlisting alongside the other options on this coast.
- Free parking
- On-site restaurant
- Kid-friendly
Our take
This suits budget-conscious families wanting a genuinely local pub-stay feel over a branded chain hotel. It's a simpler offer than the larger hotels on this list, best suited to a short, low-cost visit. It won't be the right fit for every family, but for the one it does suit, the value on offer here is genuinely hard to beat nearby.
- ✓Check room noise levels if booking during a busy evening, since rooms sit above or alongside an active bar and restaurant.
- ✓Use the on-site restaurant for an easy, low-cost dinner after a full day at Wet N Wild.
- ✓Confirm parking availability directly, since a pub-stay format can have fewer dedicated spaces than a purpose-built hotel.
Why we love it
- Genuinely local pub-stay feel
- Free parking included
- On-site bar and restaurant
- Kid-friendly atmosphere
Why guests love itThis was more pub than hotel in feel, and honestly that suited us for a short, budget trip. The room was simple but clean, and having a restaurant and bar right there meant dinner after Wet N Wild took zero planning. It's not a place for anyone wanting hotel-style quiet, since it sits above an active local pub, but for a low-cost overnight it did exactly what we needed.