Places to Stay With a Restaurant in Staffordshire

What 18 stays with a restaurant actually look like here

There are 18 places to stay with a restaurant published on BritStays in Staffordshire, and the pattern is clear once you look at the facility counts. Fourteen are hotels, two are caravanning sites and two are camping sites. All 18 serve food on site, 13 have parking, 13 are pet friendly, 13 have WiFi, 10 are near a train station, nine have a bar and nine list disabled access. Only three offer takeaway food, so if you like the option of eating in your room or at your pitch, that is worth checking before you book rather than assuming.

One quirk to be aware of: 11 of the 18 are filed under Staffordshire itself rather than a named town, with two in Sutton Coldfield and one each in Freehay, Uttoxeter, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Read the full address on the booking page before you commit, because a county-level listing tells you very little about whether you will wake up on a high street or down a lane.

Town bases versus countryside bases

Staffordshire is landlocked, so the real choice is between a town base with rail links and something quieter in open country. If you would rather not drive, the fact that 10 of these stays are near a train station matters. North Stafford Hotel in Stoke-on-Trent sits in that bracket, with a bar, restaurant and disabled access, and The Bridge House Hotel and Restaurant is listed specifically as near a train station. Travelodge Newcastle-under-Lyme Central is the sort of straightforward town option that works when the stay is a base rather than the point of the trip.

For a countryside feel, Spring Slade Lodge pairs its restaurant with indoor areas and parking, which is the useful combination when the weather turns and you want somewhere to sit that is not your room. The Upper House Hotel and Swan Hotel both have a bar alongside the restaurant, and Swan Hotel also lists a cafe, handy if you want coffee and something small rather than a full sitting.

Families, couples and dog owners

• Families: on-site food removes the evening scramble after a long day out. Quarry Walk Caravan and Camping Site in Freehay has a swimming pool and hot tub as well as a restaurant, which is a lot of entertainment in one place.
• Couples: Moor Hall Hotel & Spa in Sutton Coldfield lists a swimming pool, gym and spa, so you can eat, swim and stay put for a weekend without moving the car.
• Dog owners: 13 of the 18 are pet friendly, which is unusually generous. The Upper House Hotel is pet friendly with a bar and restaurant, and several of the Travelodge listings combine pet friendly with disabled access. Always confirm whether dogs are allowed in the restaurant itself, or only in the room — that detail is rarely in the facility list.
• Drivers of electric cars: The Hart at Uttoxeter lists EV charging alongside its bar and restaurant, which narrows the field considerably.

Eating on site under canvas or on a pitch

Four of the 18 are campsites or caravan sites, and that changes what a restaurant means. Uttoxeter Racecourse Caravan and Motorhome site has a bar, restaurant and toilets, so you can arrive late without unpacking the stove. If you are touring and want a night off from cooking, these are worth holding on to.

What to do once you are there

Stately homes are the region's strong suit: Shugborough Hall, Sandon Hall, Wootton Lodge, Soho House Museum and The Oak House Museum are all within reach, with Stafford Castle covering the heritage side. Alton Towers Resort and The Black Country Living Museum are the big days out, and both reward an early start and a late dinner back at your stay.

For quieter afternoons, the Museum of Cannock Chase, Brampton Museum and Redfern Cottage are all in Staffordshire, while Stourbridge Glass Museum and Dudmaston Hall sit over the border in Worcestershire and Wroxeter Roman Site Museum, Wroxeter Roman City Museum and Ditherington Flax Mill in Shropshire.

When to book

With only 18 restaurant stays in the whole region, and only four of them campsites or caravan sites, availability thins quickly at peak times. Book well ahead for school holidays if you are heading to Alton Towers Resort, and for any weekend with racing at Uttoxeter. Pet friendly rooms and accessible rooms are allocated in small numbers even at properties that list those facilities, so reserve them directly rather than hoping on arrival. Restaurant tables are a separate booking from the room at most hotels — ring when you reserve, and ask about the last sitting if you are arriving by train in the evening.