The Little Haven Hotel in South Tyneside

Revisited after a five year gap since a last visit to consume morning tea and discovered the service previously applauded had evaporated. Argumentative table service after a minor question over legal tender and the attitude off-hand and rude...waitress (?) had to have the last word...of course as she knows everything. Beverages as appalling as the service and the single slice of ham in the sandwich may yet win an award for becoming the thinnest gauge of processed meat in the delicatessen hall of fame. Avoid at all cost.

Great friendly service and food that exceeded my expectations.

Went for Sunday lunch with family.was most disappointing Waited ages for the meal to be served when it came it was lookwarm .

Excellent in every way, if you want quality and value for money when you stay in south shields then you cannot get any better than the little haven hotel great staff, great food, great service, great place for your wedding or any other party you have planned quality food friendly people relaxing atmosphere not far from the town centre and the show ground, beaches are a short walk from the hotel

First time in this lovely hotel it definitely won't be our last. The staff can't do enough for you. The food is lovely and plentiful

Was there for a wedding, excellent location, watching the ship's on the river, friendly helpful staff

We have stayed in this Hotel numerous times, we spend a week in the North East and always take a Penthouse Suite. The Hotel has changed ownership and it has gone down in my estimation. We arrived after a 4 1/2 hr drive in monsoon rain , the girl on reception informed me we were early and not allowed in our room for another hour but if the suite was ready why couldn't we ? so immediately I realised the customer service was not as it had been, keep in mind first impressions. We eventually got to our room I opened the wardrobe to put my clothes away and the handle fell off, I sat at the coffee table opened the drawer and the handle fell off ok small things I will continue the plug in the basin was not attached to the chain the new carpet in the bedroom was the cheapest you can buy I know we own a carpet warehouse the curtain pole was visibly too short for the window in the bedroom bearing in mind we are paying over £200 per night not good enough. The food is reasonable but don't ask for lemon as there wasn't one in the place not even the bar, thank God I didn't order a vodka and tonic so you get the drift all minor things but it shows standards are not being met its all down to expectations and I expected better. On the plus side things were dealt with quite quickly but the lovely warm comfortable friendly ambience of the hotel is sliding away. I understand the new owner has no hotel experience. Well it shows. Talking to other guests they had been put in a room that wasn't cleaned the bed wasn't changed she tried to use the small bin she pressed the pedal and the bin lid flew off so there it is not sure we will stay again sad the hotel is in a wonderful spot lets hope they get their act together my advice is you need a good manager who has standards but i suppose its a matter of where the hotel is pitching itself I don't think they know!

Can you please pass on our thanks to the staff, both front of house and in the kitchen on the evening of 30th august. They really helped to make the celebration special. The Buddin party of 3 white haired men and their wives.

We stopped here for a Saturday night. Our room was on the first floor and had amazing views over the River Tyne and the North Sea. Was lovely to watch the boats coming in and out. The room was clean but a little tired however it satisfied our needs. We had a sit outside on the lawn and enjoyed a drink from the bar in the sunshine. Breakfast was included in the price and was a standard serve yourself buffet. Good value for the price and we would definitely stay there again.

Lovely hotel location beautiful, good value for money

I had a lovely weekend at the Haven Hotel The staff were lovely and couldn't do enough for you, especially a young blonde lady, who looked like she was doing everything in the hotel and did everything wearing a smile. We ate in the restaurant, although the menu had limited choices what we all ate was lovely. The location was perfect beside the beach. If I'm to give an honest review, the restaurant is a little dated but wouldn't put me off returning.

Superb hotel nestled right on the sea front. Rooms are spacious, comfy, some with great views !! Stones throw from the beach and pier, great for an evening walk if the weather is nice. Staff are all friendly and helpful. Great place to stay 👍🏻👍🏻

Great location over looking the river Tyne. Very clean dog friendly hotel. All staff very pleasant and helpful. Excellent hot and cold breakfast. If in the area again would not look for anywhere else to stay for a short break.

Visited for an alcoholic drink, lovely weather, so sat outside overlooking the river, can't comment on rooms, as not used or seen them

Worst restaurant for Dietary Requirements. A group of around 15 of us went to the little haven for afternoon tea. In the group we had someone with celiac disease and someone with a gluten intolerance. We informed the restaurant 2 months in advance of this and was told it wouldn’t be an issue however, on the day they were given 2 slices of white bread with grated cheese inside and no dessert - this is whilst we had a full afternoon tea each. We approached the staff and asked for a dessert to which we waiting half an hour for a half defrosted slice of plain cheesecake (they were not given a choice, just given the dessert). To our surprise they needed to pay full price for an afternoon tea too! So disappointed I forgot to take a picture, Awful.

Such a shame . I visited on Saturday for one night . I have been going to this Hotel since 2011 as I have family in SShields. Room 119. The beds were tiny . The bed wasn’t made properly . The quality of bedding was cheap and nasty. The room smelt . I have noticed the last few times I’ve been that the Hotel standards have slipped but this was terrible. I didn’t complain at the time as I was visiting very sick family member and was drained. Please 🙏 sort things as it’s a lovely hotel .

Booked a room for our 10 year wedding anniversary as we got married in south shields,but sadly the room just wasnt upto standard lots of Mark's around the room foist like smell in the bathroom,good job the walls around the beach where good as we only had to sleep in the room until we left early next morning not a very good £108 spent

Great place for a drink overlooking the river Tyne and watching the ships!

13th July 2024, Held my 80th birthday celebration with family and friends which included overnight stays. The whole of the celebrations were first class, we were lucky enough to have the pent-house room wonderful. Thank you to all staff for your help and patience

Lovely hotel. Beautiful view and staff are lovely. My only critique is the room whilst very very clean is a little dated. My nana would absolutely love it. But don’t let my criticism put you off. It’s in the most perfect place. And it’s very very busy which is a good sign it’s well liked and so it should be 👌

Had a drink and snacks here services was lovely! Definitely recommend this place everyone was very respectful

Nice place, but anyone going there as a customer should beware of the parking penalty if they do not log in their car registration number. It is disgusting that there is poor signage or instructions as to where the machine so as to register. It seems to me that Parking Eye has deliberately made any guidance very difficult so they can line their greedy pockets. Anyone who has been caught by this daylight robbery should complain to Little Haven management.

Just visiting for lunch on Father's Day. Dining room light and clean with no frills. Good 'home cooking' style Sunday lunch. Shame the pork was not freshly sliced from a joint! Price very reasonable.

We'll not return due to the parking charges. As a paying patron of the restaurant we were very unhappy to fine that days later we received a parking fine. The signs are inadequate and there was nothing that stood out to draw our attention to this.

Little Haven hotel South Shields. Beautiful river side position with parking. Many rooms catering for weddings, funerals, parties, conservatory for food.

Needs to be updated but coffee great

Had a lovely time at Little Haven Hotel. Went with the Red Hatters and had a 3 course meal.Food was delicious. We also had excellent entertainment.

We enjoyed our stay, the rooms were clean, they have ground floor rooms but we stayed on first floor. They allow dogs which is a bonus. Friendly staff too. Booked to stay again

Exemplary service from first contact with them to the day of our event, so professional and helpful. Can't thank the Little Haven team enough or praise highly enough.

Called in for lunch. Got a seat easily and looked at the menu. We chose the lasagne and the roast of the day. I went to order and was told there was no lasagne and the roast of the day was ham! Not my idea of a roast but others might disagree. At no point were we informed that the lasagne was off or what the roast was. Nothing on any notice board or on the tables which I may add were not very clean.

We booked here for 3 nights but unfortunately had to leave a few hours after arriving the receptionists offered to help pack there wasn't any hesitation on getting our money back which we didn't expect we can't praise the staff enough thank you very much

Excellent Easter Sunday lunch fast service perfectly cooked meal 5 stars as always.

First time visiting south Shields and the little haven hotel ,happy reception staff very helpful always said hello good morning good night ,rooms were quite big clean comfy bed ,staff in the canteen wonderful food gorgeous but a lot of it ( need to diet again 😜) overhaul experience great ,I was there on a sewing retreat first one there my experience was a good one

Exceptional service and kindness from Alyson and all the restaurant staff at breakfast both mornings, even when they were so busy. They made our stay!

Fish was ok chips where just say warm and the peas where cold got the order wrong so one of our party had to wait for their order would not go back

Very well run hotel. Friendly hard working pleasant staff. Good food. Well placed.

One of the best run hotels in the region, with some unique rooms with outstanding views and plenty of great dining options.

Lovely rooms with plenty of space, nice views and a fabulous breakfast

Went for a friend's wedding was a blast staff really friendly.

Lovely coffee and cake. Nice staff. Alison friendly good service. Nice spot at window. Good price 4.95 coffee and cake 🥮

A most lovely site with views of the mouth of the River Tyne. The room had a marvellous vista, but was very cold when we first arrived although the central heating did work. The telephone in the room was unplugged. The Room Service was good and the breakfast was first class. We have been to the Little Haven Hotel many times and no doubt will return.

We had a valatine meal 14th , in evening, my family waited over half and your for there food , l. Approach one of the staff, and told my being waiting quite awhile, she was very rude to me, later she apologised, but it was no need to be rude to me affront my family ,l know her very well

We have been coming to the Littlehaven hotel for almost 25 years now and always enjoyed having a coffee and more than a few meals and also meeting new friends , however of late the standard of the coffee has deteriorated to the point where we and quite a number of other regulars just dont enjoy it anymore . Is it because you have changed the coffee brand for a cheaper one ? Also on numerous visits the coffee has been stewed and much too strong ! Please go back to your old normal blend .

I had fish and chips and tk be fair, it was the worst I've had in the last 10 years. Really disgusting with raw chips and soggy batter. My wife had the carbonara which she said was quite nice. If I reviewed it only on the fish then it would have been 1 out of 5.

Attended a wedding here recently and everything was great

First visit to this Hotel but definitely not the last, a welcoming, clean spacious room as you enter, lovely welcome from the young ladies on reception, a no hassle booking in for the night, logged the car in then it's free parking for the stay. After booking in we ordered our evening meal and walked for 2 hrs taking all the sights in, a very nice area. We arrived in the restaurant slightly early but Katie showed us to our table we had a drink while waiting then Shay came over when he saw we were ready, again pleasant and polite and very attentive to our needs. The food was excellent and plentiful and hot, they both returned to our table to check all was OK had a little chat then served others. When we arrived for breakfast we were met by Alison and Ava who looked after us like we were old friends, again the food was excellent , plenty of choice and everything was hot and dishes taken away when empty, we really can recommend this Hotel, thanks to everyone who made it a very pleasant stay. PS the Yorkshire Puddings were fab :)

We have stayed at The Little Haven lots of times, and always enjoyed it. We have a sea view room which is clean, with refreshments provided. We must comment on the dining room - we think the time of breakfast should be extended to finish later . Guests have to be seated before 8.45 and 9.15 at weekends . When guests are on holiday they do not want to get up too early . Breakfast is good quality , except for the mushrooms which are chewy and tasteless. We are also disappointed with the toaster , cooks one side and if retoasted, it is burnt . Probably this could be looked at .

Had the most tasteless prawn cocktail ever, even worse , it came served on a piece of slate with a spattering of salad. The look as well as the taste was disgusting. Unfortunately I was there by invitation from a friend ,or it would have gone straight back to the crazy chef!!!!

I fabulous place to stay with a beautiful outlook.

Absolutely brilliant place to stay

We have stayed at the Little Haven 4 times now 3 of them on the xmas package which is great value. Service has always been and the food is excellent but it just did not feel the same since Heather sold the business. The Hotel is looking a bit tired in certain areas especially the bar and main restaurant but i am sure the new owner will get it sorted. It is a great location right on the beech and on the mouth of the river Tyne. This has not put us off and will definitely return to the Little Haven

We ordered two coffees and a tea and waited nearly half an hour to be served before I complained how long it was taking to be served. The restaurant was not remotely busy at the time and there were plenty of staff. Awful service.

Breakfast upto 9:15 on a weekend.... should really be 10 or 10:30....

Went to a funeral. Private room with buffet. The bar .restaurant and private xmas parties were all in full swing. Never heard any noise..the soundproofing must be good

Went for Christmas Show and it was a lovely afternoon venue food and entertainment were great . Well worth the money thankyou Little Haven hopefully see you next year

Perfect venue to enjoy drinks,coffee, tea inside or outside Nice views and plenty of seating. A must visit 🔥 🔥 🔥 NEWS CAR PARKING. YOU MUST REGISTER YOUR CAR REGISTRATION WITH THE PARKING EYE COMPUTER OR YOU WILL BE FINED. PARKING EYE WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY EXCUSE UNLESS YOU HAVE DIED, 😆 SO BE WARNED!!!

Got married here the 2nd of december all the staff were lovely .the food was great all of me and my husbands guests were impressed. Jan did an amazing job helping us with the wedding planning

Very nice hotel staff very friendly write on the river excellent view of the river Tyne.

Enjoy a Christmas Party with friends and family. Everything and everyone was made to feel special

Absolutely lovely hotel. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Breakfast was lovely

was at a wedding on Saturday and was so impressed with hotel cafe and hard working staff .

Great place. Lovely food, good value, nice atmosphere, in a superb setting, on the beach front at South shields.

Nice food, but time stood still waiting for desserts and tea's. After waiting ages we spoke to waitress who took drinks order again. Consequently two lots then did the rounds. I would still go back just be prepared to have a wait and experience mix ups if the place is busy

Very nice hotel with friendly staff and food is very good.

Had a great break at littlehaven this is our 4th stay here and once again no complaints,we always stay on ground floor and had a room with view of beach and river ,nice to see the ferries leaving the Tyne,room very comfortable.there was karaoke on our first night there ,but didn't hear it in our room and it finished at a reasonable time,breakfast superb with staff very pleasant and efficient,reception and book in very easy also very pleasant staff.have seen a couple of negative reviews about new car parking system,but it is to the benefit of the hotel guests and is very easy to just put your car registration in and our friends visiting just did the same with no charge.would recommend this hotel to all ,we will definitely be back.

We got married in secret, so there was only 4 of us at our wedding. We had the service and returned to the Hotel. Alison and the rest of the reasturant staff had made a lovely table for us to have lunch. Alison was so attentive for the two days we where there. All staff were above and beyond helpful and happy to do everything to make our wedding a very happy day.

Having brothers celebration of life here, staff where really excellent, menus great and supply gluten free menu

Got off to a bad start with the room, but reception staff soon sorted it and ended up with a loverly room, bar staff very friendly and breakfast was good

Lovely hotel with beautiful vistas of South Shields and North Shields piers. Update 6th November. It's under new ownership but still the same excellent quality.

We have attended the hotel for many years and have had many enjoyable times.But after are last visit we will no longer return due to the sneaky car parking system which has been set up.We where not advised by any staff about the new system and did not see any signs informing us to register our car registration.After many years and a lot of money we have spent supporting the hotel we now feel let down.

We stayed in the Marco Polo suite and were impressed with the river/sea views Room had fantastic facilities however the Staff deserve a special mention . Jan and the function made our function memorable Food was first class but the service was impeccable.

Very cozy with beautiful and respectful staff

Had lunch with family today. Alison was very attentive and the food was lovely. Excellent service. Will be back

Didn't stay but had a meal. The staff are so helpful and lovely

Nice place for wedding venues, social meetings, a stones throw away from the river Tyne/North Sea.

AMAZING. From check-in to check out. The friendly staff. The clean, comfy rooms. The breakfast. The location.

I didn't have a room, but went into the cafe (open to non residents), and had a bacon sandwich and latte. Both were fantastic and tasty. Reasonably priced, too. Sat in their large conservatory/cafe/reception room and watched storm Babet outside, whilst enjoying the food and drink. Service was fantastic and staff were polite and friendly. Definitely will go again.

Great hotel staff very helpful and the food is excellent would not hesitate to recommend a stay here love to go back soon

Stopped in for Sunday lunch absolutely amazing. Both had soup to start so thick and creamy delicious. Hubby had turkey which was very plentiful and tasty massive Yorkshire pudding and perfectly cooked vegetables. I had Dover sole which was cooked to perfection just slid off the bone. With drinks came in at just over £30 a bargain in anyone's book. Service spot on with friendly helpful staff. Definitely recommend!!!!

We come here for lunch when we visit South Shields. We came today, not having been this year and noticed that you now need to register for parking which is free for users of the hotel and restaurant but you do need to register your numberplate or face a fine. We had morning coffee then a light lunch - a jacket potato and a sandwich. Both were very nice and the jacket potato was particularly good value.

Excellent hotel, we had a brilliant stay, Everything was perfect, room, meals, staff and service Thankyou to Kieran who served our meals both nights he was brilliant and couldnt have been more helpful

Excellent in every way. Just returned from another few days away at The Little Haven. Wonderful as always, service and accommodation first class.

Lovely afternoon tea and good value, however, decor now beginning to look tired and tatty.

Went for Sunday dinner with my wife and we both ordered beef , the dinner was very nice but when the waitress brought my dinner she spilt the hot gravy off the plate as she attempted to put the plate on the table the hot gravy went all over my right leg and all she said was sorry can I get you any more sauces, I had to use the tissue that the knife and fork were wrapped in because the waitress never showed any remorse she just walked away , my wife went into the boardwalk to get extra knapkins so I could clean myself up, can I ask if this is company policy for waitresses just walk away when they spill hot gravy over you.

Lovely really enjoyed our stay x

Had our wedding here, had an absolutely brilliant weekend

Adequate place to stay at a beautiful location. Unfortunately we've had a bad experience. Checking in we were told by the receptionist "Put in your details into this machine for parking, it's free. But if you get a fine don't call us, I'm sick of getting complaints". We put in our car's details. A week on however, we've just received a parking fine. Clearly this hotel has an issue with its parking service, and we're not the first ones affected. Would not recommend.

Very nice Hotel right on the Tyne watching large boats coming in

Lovely hotel with the most amazing sea views

Coach trip from Worcester with GB Tours ...can not fault this place, excellent service, staff could not be more helpful, very friendly, food was fresh, well prepared, deliciously cooked, plentiful and lots of choice. Special mention to Ali, Sharon, Louie, Shay, Thomas, Erin, Craig, Toni and Stevie ...sorry if I missed anyone, but ...a very sincere thank you...thoroughly enjoyed my stay xx

Lovely place only popped in for a drink

a hotel in a fantastic location. service is great. restaurant food is good. the hotel is in need of a bit of love. all looks a bit tired.

Went to little haven for lunch food was unremarkable but OK. Service was good. Parking charge was extortion the restaurant is in a nice location but it appears they have parking enforcement that fine then refuse to look at any evidence that proves you were...

Always very good in there. The staff were run off there feet as there was a wedding and a large coach party. Although the service was a bit slower than usual they still managed walk in customer such as the wife and I well done and thank you.

Lovely hotel. The staff couldn't be any more helpful and friendly. Views are fantastic. We will go back again

Hotel although on the flat is a long way from anywhere, no pubs or anything. If you have mobility issues not the place to stay. Food in the evening was awful. Roast potatoes were white as were chips. Only veg was cauli, broccoli and carrots every night. One night I has cream of chicken but it was curdled and looked like cheese floating in it. Sadly I won't be returning nor would I recommend.

Stayed over for a 2night break , great Location for a stroll along the sea front , few beers & a bite to eat .hotel staff are a credit to the hotel very friendly & helpful.will be staying over again sometime in the near future .

Fantastic location next to the beach. Breakfast is very good. Enjoyed our stay.

Lovely setting for this hotel. Very helpful staff.

I can't believe how amazing our wedding experience was at the Little Haven Hotel! From the beautifully organized event to the incredibly helpful and prepared management team, every detail was perfect. The food was beyond brilliant, and the service from the staff was absolutely excellent. The penthouse suite was the icing on the cake, offering breathtaking views over the river mouth. Our special day couldn't have been any better thanks to this wonderful hotel and its dedicated team. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the site DJ, who was absolutely fantastic! They kept the energy high and had everyone dancing throughout the night. And speaking of the night, the waiting staff, bar staff and night porter went above and beyond, working tirelessly to surprise our guests with fun additions like the shot cart to ensuring all of our flowers were looked after. Their dedication and attention to detail truly made our wedding a memorable and joyful experience. Thank you to the entire team for making our special day even more incredible! A special mention goes to the event manager, who was truly on the ball. Jan went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly, even helping us capture the perfect cake-cutting photo. Her attentiveness and support added an extra layer of perfection to our already magical day. We would absolutely recommend the Little Haven as a wedding venue!