Help me find one of those last minute bargain short breaks that everyone else seems to find but I never can

[StealthPolarBear]

We just want to go away for a couple of nights next Thursday and Friday. There are four of us, two adults, two dc young enough to share our room or old enough to be in a neighbouring hotel room.
Were in the NE and don't want to go more than a couple of hours. We've looked at alnwick angd Ambleside (weren't working our way down the alphabet :)). Airbnb had limited availability and eye wateringly high prices. Hotels are mostly booked. Everyone else manages these last minute bargains, please help me find one.

Have you tried the usual suspects like Lastminute.com, hotels.com etc?

Cottages.com. and Sykes Cottages quite often email me with last minute breaks, are you on their mailing lists?

could you get 2 rooms in a place like this, which is located in york? breakfast is included in the room price x

Thanks but ive just tried that one in York and they are fully booked.
I have tried some of the last minute type sites and Airbnb.

I'm in N Ireland so all the websites I usually use are Ireland based but here we have loads of websites that do short breaks - supermarkets like Lidl, SuperValu etc have websites for hotel deals. Then there are several radio stations who have travel websites, and a few newspapers too.

Is there any equivalent in England? Or is the radio station/travel agent crossover a uniquely Irish thing ?

I think it must be unique. I've never heard of it
(can we come and stay with you? :o)

I'll make up the sofabed for you all

It's not a city break.... does youth hosteling fill you with horror?!

DC and I have stayed in bell tents/tipiis and in private ensuite rooms very cheaply and loved it. Most are really well catered if you don't want to cook. It's not the hippy communal scene it once was.

Check YHA The Sill at Hadrian's Wall.

Yes sorry horror doesn't even come close to describing my feelings. It needs to be on a par with home at worst :)

What's the sort of budget?

You can get a family room plus family theme park tickets to Gullivers world for 2 nights for £400

Gullivers world hotel link

Thank you, that's probably the very top end of our budget but is also further than we really want to travel.
I know it sounds like I'm being really awkward but I feel like I'm being flexible, anything in the ne or North Yorkshire ish, except durham area.

IME youth hostels are more expensive than budget hotels. OP have you tried booking.com?

OP you’ve picked a bank holiday week which doesn’t help, maybe check for 1-2 weeks after?

OP would you be happy to stay in a caravan? Haven/Parkdean always have last minute deals, especially a midweek stay.

It’s peak holiday season, so it isn’t surprising that you are struggling to find bargains. Availability should improve significantly in September.

Flat in Whitby?

Yes I suppose but everyone else seems to find them. Probably just perception :)
The Premier Inn in Harrogate is available. We might do that. Or will look at whitby thank you.

I've just looked- loads on trivago for York/ Northumberland

Are they actually available when you click into them though? That's where I find problems

Try travel republic, I just looked and there's hotels in York, thirsk, Pickering etc all well under £400

Thank you, will do

I was going to suggest a premier inn.

Try booking.com

www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?dest_id=-2612321;dest_type=city;latitude=53.958302;longitude=-1.08181;region=2397

www.booking.com/hotel/gb/orillia-house-cottages.en-gb.html

There is a deal on at The Royal, Scarborough. Its a Groupon deal on for 2nights for two people 3 course buffet meal and breakfast £129 (for arrivals sunday- thursday) so the two rooms including food would be £258. Rooms on the website appear available but not sure if the promotional rooms would be limited.

There is also a promotion on groupon with code splash which may give a further 20% off (but I find the coupons a bit hit and miss).

Ooooooohhh