The Waves FAQs

Do you cater for special diets?

We are always keen to cater for vegetarians and vegans and include a number of choices on our breakfast menu. If you have other dietary requirements such as gluten free (coeliac) or dairy free we are happy to discuss our food and ingredients with you to ensure that we will be able to give you a suitable and tasty breakfast. Please let us know as soon as possible about any special needs you have so we can be prepared.

Can you describe Scarborough in three words?

Beautiful. Quirky. Unique. Scarborough really is special, and there’s nowhere else like it. So the answer is, ‘No, I can’t describe Scarborough in three words.’ I can’t even say ‘I can’t describe Scarborough in three words,’ in three words.

What is your music policy?

We believe that music is a crucial part of any seaside break. As a result we provide a jukebox in the guests’ lounge with a selection of music in keeping with its own era (to the end of the Seventies). A hi-fi with a wide range of LPs and CDs is also in the lounge for your listening pleasure. At breakfast time, and even at other times, you will hear great sounds in the dining room – and if you have any particular taste then please let us know because we fully believe that, when it comes to breakfast, getting the music right is as important as getting the eggs right. We have a PRS licence to play music for guests.

Do you love Scarborough?

Yes. And we want you to enjoy being in Scarborough as much as we do.

I’ve been to Scarborough before and thought it was rubbish, why was this?

First of all, you mustn’t blame yourself for thinking this. This is something that can happen to people who sat in a traffic jam all the way along the A64, left glorious weather behind a couple of miles from the coast and arrived during a sea fret, dropped their ice cream down their front and then lost all their money by trying to win a pile of two pence pieces in the amusements. Follow our Guide to Scarborough and you’ll discover what Scarborough is really all about (and it does include the A64, sea frets, ice cream and two pence pieces).

Do you believe that the rooms in seaside B&Bs should be crammed with all sorts of frilly and flowery stuff and have knitted covers on the spare toilet rolls?

There is an argument that if the room isn’t crammed with frilly and flowery stuff, then it isn’t really a B&B. We don’t agree, we think it’s more important to have a comfortable bed and a good breakfast. We are working on the knitting though.

Why The Waves?

Early in the morning, or late in the evening, when the sun is about to break through the haze, walk down to the beach below us and stand toe to toe with the biggest wave. Look out to sea, and wonder. Whatever the weather, the waves are beautiful, and they never stop. However you feel, you’ll feel better by watching the waves. And in the same way, we feel better by being The Waves.

Who owns the waves?

As King Canute demonstrated, no-one can ever own the waves. The Waves, however, is owned and run by Ruth and Kevern Stafford. We took over what was the Adene Hotel in the summer of 2008 after moving back home to Scarborough from York, and we love it.

Should I bring holiday reading?

All the holiday reading you’ll ever need – well, for a weekend – is available direct from The Waves (which, out of interest, is a novel by Virginia Woolf). JookBoxFury, the cult tale of the life and death of popular music, is available for sale at the guest house. By pure co-incidence it was written by Kevern Stafford, who along with Ruth runs The Waves, but who has been quite impartial in deciding that it is the ideal solution to guests’ holiday reading dilemmas.

Do you have a sea view?

Technically, yes. You can see a small patch of sea from the guests’ lounge and from one of the bedrooms – but to be honest, it isn’t the best sea view in the whole of Scarborough. But, we are so close to the sea that you can often smell it from the front door – and the view of the castle and South Bay to the north, and the sweep of cliffs south towards Filey Brigg and Flamborough Lighthouse is unrivalled in any seaside town in Britain. It’s such a magnificent view that we recommend nothing beats the two minute walk to the Esplanade to experience it in full, whereas to look at it all the time out of your bedroom window would be overdoing it, both spiritually and financially.