When it comes to where to stay in Newcastle upon Tyne, you have a number of different options available to you. But at the end of the day what accommodation you do select really comes down to just how much you can afford to spend on it.

As well as luxurious and expensive hotels, you will also find those that offer rates at a more affordable level. However, you also have the choice of guesthouses and bed and breakfast accommodation as well. These are located throughout the town and below we look at the more popular areas where you can find good quality accommodation whilst staying in the city.

1. City Centre - This is where a great number of the hotels are situated and are really designed to cater for business travellers. Many of these hotels as well as offering good accommodation offer other facilities such as conference rooms and meetings rooms and suites.

One particular hotel, which has recently been built and is extremely luxurious, is "The Copthorne". This is located in the Quayside area of the city and has gone under lots of redevelopment works in recent years. Along with a fitness club and its own swimming pool, this hotel offers everything that its guests would expect from any four star hotel in the world today.

2. Jesmond - If you want to be away from the bright lights of the city then you have the choice of around 12 different hotels in this area and which is only a short drive for the city centre. There is a wide range of hotels to choose from including Whites Hotel that is one of the more expensive to those that offer good accommodation at more affordable rates such as the Osborne or Grosvenor Hotels.

However if you feel that the hotels situated in Jesmond are still a little too close to the city centre then there are plenty more available situated on its outskirts. If you want luxury and views of the fantastic countryside that surround the city then booking into The Marriott Gosforth Park is worth considering. It is also ideally situated for a visit to Newcastle Racecourse and the Northumberland Golf Club.

Certainly by staying in accommodation, which is close to the centre of the city offers you the chance to make the most of your visit to this very up and coming city. As you will soon discover there is plenty that one can do and see whilst visiting this city. However, it is a good idea to compare the various places where to stay in Newcastle upon Tyne so that you get exactly what you want during your visit. A little research before hand goes along way to ensuring that you have as pleasant and enjoyable visit to this city as possible.

Whether you are looking for the hectic side of Newcastle's night life or would prefer somewhere quieter, you are sure to be subject to a warm Geordie welcome when you visit Newcastle upon Tyne.

About the Author - For a wide variety of places to stay in Newcastle upon Tyne check out this selection of Newcastle accommodation.

Newcastle upon Tyne, and the North-East overall, have a well-earned reputation for passionate football fans, fine ale and a rather incomprehensible, if endearing, dialect; and there's no doubt that these things will be in evidence on any visit to Newcastle and Gateshead. However, with the recent installations of outstanding public art and music venues, alongside marvels of architecture and engineering from Victorian times to the present day, there's actually much more to the modern Tyneside than these proud traditions.

One obvious reason to visit is, naturally, to watch Newcastle United in action at the iconic St. James' Park, situated right in the centre of the city. The spring's Tyne-Wear derby against bitter rivals Sunderland, is a particular favourite for the locals, but be prepared for feelings and emotions running high!

A recent survey of Barclays Premier League supporters found Newcastle fans to be by far the most dedicated to their club, cheerfully sacrificing time with partners and families to attend matches. Perhaps thanks to this fervent support, the 'Toon Army' are having a great season, and if you're lucky enough to witness anything like the ludicrous overhead bicycle-kick goal that Obafemi Martins scored against Bolton - not to mention his flamboyant, gymnastic celebrations - it'll have been well worth the trip. Afterwards, soak up some of the local atmosphere, banter and brew at the much-loved Strawberry pub just outside the Gallowgate end, which can proudly proclaim its chips to be 'the best that Sir Bobby Robson has ever tasted'.

If football leaves you cold, or if you've been there, done that and fancy something a bit more highbrow, there's a wealth of stimulating cultural sights and happenings just minutes downhill from St. James' on the historic Quayside. The unique, curvy, glittering outline of The Sage Gateshead, designed by Lord Foster's practice, immediately catches the eye. Inside, visitors can watch rehearsals in practice and join workshops, as well as international concerts covering every possible musical genre in three performance spaces all designed for incredible acoustics.

Also in the Quays development you'll find the huge BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, which houses a constantly changing programme of exhibitions and activities so there's always something fresh, and the award-winning 'Blinking Eye' Millennium Bridge. Locals are understandably proud of the bridge with its elegant, unusual tilting construction, and consider it superior to London's equivalent as it opened on time and doesn't wobble! Art lovers should also check out the Side and Laing galleries, with plenty of nearby street sculptures and installations including the sparkling Blue Carpet Square, and the monumental, 20-metre tall public sculpture 'Angel of the North' by Antony Gormley OBE in Gateshead.

There's just too much to pack in to one day, but luckily, plenty of varied accommodation is available in the 'canny toon'. At one end of the spectrum, hostels such as the Albatross Backpacker Inn provide a cheap and very cheerful place to stay; or if you're feeling a little more flush, then more up market accommodation is available in places such as The Swallow Hotel Gateshead, which has a pool, spa and sauna, and is ideally situated right in the centre of the Newcastle-Gateshead conurbation.

The compact city centre is crammed with entertainment, museums, shopping and nightlife, while if you venture a little further a field in search of tranquility you'll find scenic locations like Alnwick Castle Gardens, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian's Wall and Holy Island, and miles of beautiful, unspoilt coastline. Many of these destinations are accessible via the affordable and efficient Metro service from anywhere in Newcastle, Gateshead or Sunderland.

About the Author
Elisha Burberry is an online, freelance journalist and keen movie-goer from Scotland. Her interests include travelling, cooking and photography.