I can say with all honesty that, until very, very recently, I had never been tempted to stay at a youth hostel.

The idea of communal kitchens packed with young hippy types or middle-aged, professional ramblers, or of sweaty TV rooms and basic accommodation with shared bathing facilities did not appeal in the slightest.

So when I was invited to sample a newly-opened youth hostel, I was hesitant to say the least.

There were plus points, however - it happened to be in my favourite town, and housed in a prominent landmark building that had intrigued me since childhood.

The hostel, YHA (Youth Hostel Association) Whitby, recently opened at Abbey House, a landmark building on the town's headland, next to the spectacular ruin of Whitby Abbey and behind historic Cholmley House, home to the English Heritage Visitor Centre.

It had previously been housed in a nearby building a good deal smaller than Abbey House, and the move has enabled the YHA to create what is now one of its flagship hostels.

Abbey House dates back to medieval times, before the dissolution of the monasteries, and was originally the abbot's lodgings linked to the Benedictine Abbey.

In the 16th century it was leased to Richard Cholmley, a successful soldier who fought against the Scots, and was passed to members of his family through the generations, before falling into the ownership of the Strickland family whose estate still owns the house.

Before my weekend visit, it was hard to mentally marry up a Grade I-listed building, packed with notable historic features, with a youth hostel.

But the £3.3 million restoration project - with cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, the Strickland Estate and the YHA - has been carried out with such thought that the use seems to perfectly fit this stunning house.

There was a small hiccup on the way, when we failed to find signs directing us the hostel. "We're waiting for permission from English Heritage to put them up," we were told, after being directed through the grand entrance to the visitor centre - an unexpectedly splendid approach to the building.

A carved stone, arched doorway led to reception, where a friendly member of staff showed us the facilities and directed us to our room.

YHA Whitby has 100 beds in 22 rooms, which sleep between two and ten. Twenty rooms are en-suite - original 17th century panelling prevented this in the other two - which came as a welcome surprise to me. I was dreading having to creep along the corridor during the night.

With dark wood panelling, an impressive oak staircase, mullion windows, and lofty ceilings, the sense of history lies thick in the air. Our room, which overlooked the upper harbour, slept five in two bunk beds and a single. With pale yellow walls and a crimson carpet, it also contained a sink, a chair, a wardrobe and under-bed storage drawers.

A toilet and sink were separate to a walk-in shower, which my children were keen to sample after dinner.

In common with other youth hostels, breakfast is included in the price, but evening meal is available for a separate, very reasonable charge.

The light, spacious restaurant, with its apple green walls and parquet floor must, I believe, have one of the best views in Whitby - across the harbour and out towards Sandsend on one side, and up the yacht-speckled River Esk on the other.

There's also a tea room on the site, for light refreshments, with picnic tables outside overlooking the town.

After our meal we checked out the games room, where pool and table football can be played. There is also a meeting room, a common room with internet access, a laundry and drying room and luggage store.

The kids watched Dr Who in the TV lounge, a fabulous room with polished wooden floorboards and views across the garden - itself a masterpiece, restored to the 17th century design incorporating native species and medicinal herbs originally used at Whitby Abbey.

Education packages covering a wide range of National Curriculum areas have been developed for school groups based on Abbey House and its history.

We all slept well in our comfortable beds - bedding is provided but towels are not - and enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading down the 199 steps to saunter around Whitby before heading home.

"Can we go again?" asked the children on the way back. We all agreed we'd had a great break. And I've definitely changed my mind about youth hostelling.