The Best Hotels to Book Near the Stadium of Light, Sunderland

You’re steps from the action at this Stadium of Light-adjacent hotel that’s packed with useful amenities. Head to the Karbon Grill Kitchen and Bar for pre-match drinks and juicy post-match steaks, imported from America. The bright, contemporary rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, with room service if you’re worn out after a long day. Here on business? Take advantage of the meeting rooms, free wifi and parking, or hit the 24-hour gym if you need to work off frustrations.

Gaze over Whitburn Sands at this seaside stay, two miles (3.2km) from the stadium and Sunderland city centre. If you book a suite, you’ll have a floor-to-ceiling bay window overlooking the vast expanse of blue; though everyone can enjoy watching the waves along with a full English breakfast at the hotel’s Seaview Bar & Grill. You’ll appreciate the free on-site parking, 24-hour room service, gym and five large conference rooms (if you’re here on business). Best of all, the on-site leisure club has a heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room.

The 170-year-old Roker seafront hotel has modern rooms, with some boasting beach views and vintage-style furnishings, including a seaside-themed mural. The top rooms have telescopes, perfect for stargazing and birdwatching. You’ll salivate over the eating options: fresh cakes, coffee and brunch at Let There Be Crumbs tearoom; cocktails and soul food including dirty fries and gin sausages at Poetic License bar; and pizzas followed by delectable desserts at sophisticated Italian, Antico. Plus, don’t miss the hotel’s gin-tasting masterclass.

For cosy rooms in a quirky pub, choose this dog-friendly County Durham stay, seven miles (11.2km) from the stadium. Come dinner, take a seat in the pub or orangery, where you can expect vintage lamps, lavish wallpaper, lush greenery and an indoor fountain. Pair your glass of local gin or ale with the award-winning Sunday roast featuring fluffy Yorkshire pud – there’s also a great nut roast option. Rooms – including family-sized – are rustic, with attractive wallpaper and plaid carpets.

Simple, contemporary rooms make for a peaceful stay at Comfort Inn, which offers complimentary continental breakfast and access to a nearby gym for a small fee. The highlight is the location. It’s just a five-minute walk to the Stadium of Light, as well as plenty of bars and restaurants. Use the free on-site parking and you can reach the seaside towns of Roker and Seaburn within 10 minutes, or cosmopolitan Newcastle city centre and historic Durham within half an hour.

Enjoy the amenities at Clarion, starting with a buffet breakfast of fruit platters, cooked items and fluffy crumpets. There’s a gym, sauna and steam room, and an indoor pool with loungers to while away afternoons before delving into the wine list of on-site Grill & Lounge. If you’re here for work, you’ll appreciate the recently refurbished meeting rooms and the hotel’s location on Boldon Business Park. Football fan? Newcastle United are a 20-minute drive away, while the Stadium of Light takes just 15 minutes.

Bring the kids and dogs to this family-run, family-fun stay. You can walk to both South Shields beach and Ocean Beach Pleasure Park from here, and there’s free on-site parking for fun further afield. Room service 24 hours a day and breakfast delivered to your door make everything easy, and so does the on-site restaurant serving British classics and veggie plates. Wind down at the cocktail bar with sport on TV, or in your modern room: some feature vintage-style accessories and freestanding tubs.

A white-brick, cottage-style pub welcomes you to Murton for a traditional stay, with wood-panelled bars and patterned carpet floors nodding to the classic British inn. Nurse a pint as you play snooker or sip a cuppa in the light-flooded conservatory, and enjoy free wifi alongside food delivered to your unpretentious room. Bring your pet along to explore the nearby Durham Heritage Coast trail, or make the most of the convenient parking space to reach the stadium with ease – it’s only 20 minutes away.