NORTH Yorkshire has been named as one of the top five family-friendly holiday destinations in the UK by the AA.

The organisation has revealed the UK’s destinations that boast the most family-friendly AA-Rated hotels, with London coming top with 26.

This is followed by Devon in second place, with Cumbria and North Yorkshire taking joint third place with 18 hotels each offering family facilities.

In North Yorkshire, the AA found that 100 per cent of family-friendly hotels offer highchairs, while 94 per cent offer cots and child-friendly menus or portions.

The AA has also published a list of 17 hotels which have been judged as the most family-friendly in the country, offering the full suite of family-friendly services measured by the AA.

Rockliffe Hall near Darlington is the only hotel in the North-East and North Yorkshire region to make the list which is dominated by hotels in southern areas such as Devon, Hampshire and Cornwall.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, praised the hotels that excelled in their services to ensure families enjoyed the best possible break.

He said: “There are a huge variety of hotels suited to families in the UK, with over 400 establishments offering child-friendly facilities.

“From the heights of the Highlands, to the coasts of Cornwall, there are hotels to suit all tastes, and we hope many more families will enjoy discovering the incredible hospitality of the UK’s hotels in 2020 and beyond.”

The AA has revealed the news to mark what is expected to be the busiest time of year for Brits booking holidays, and at a time when more people are taking so-called “staycations” within the UK.

Last summer the tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire revealed that North Yorkshire had enjoyed a bumper year for attractions and leisure businesses.

They said that latest figures available showed 1.39 million international visitors were welcomed to Yorkshire in 2018, an increase of almost four per cent on the previous year.