HotelThe Royal York

My partner and I stayed in this hotel for two nights very recently. We had originally booked into the York Ibis but I decided to book this hotel as a surprise for him and cancel the Ibis and I'm glad I did. I researched quite a few hotels in York but this one seemed to have the grandeur, facilities and central location I was looking for and it had a spa!

Originally named the Royal Station Hotel, the hotel was opened in the 1878 and was owned by the Northeastern Railway Company, the purpose of the hotel being to disguise the train station which is behind it. Although named the Royal Hotel, no member of royalty has actually stayed here. The hotel is built on an old Roman cemetery and there have been excavations, uncovering roman remains.


First Impressions
Upon driving into the car park of this beautiful Victorian building you are immediately struck by the size and splendour of the hotel. We arrived when it was dark and the hotel was all lit up and looked really striking. We were able to find a parking space no problem but by the looks of the full sign the next morning, other people might not have been so lucky there had been a barrier put over the car park entrance stating that the car park was full. There are plenty of park and ride schemes closeby if you were to get caught short, the closest of which was at the station.

There is a red carpet leading up to the rotating door and leading into a lovely corridor. The reception isnt immediately noticeable as it is round the corner but not to worry, there is a sign immediately in front of you telling you where everything is. The hotel has recently had a £7 million refurbishment and this is evident in the corridors when you walk in everything looks fresh and well signed. The refurbishment has been sympathetic to the beautiful Victorian structure and a great many of the original features still remain in the hotel. The reception is extremely grand, decorated in neutral tones. A huge chandelier hangs from the ceiling down through the ironwork stairwell- right down to the reception. There couches dotted about, modern artwork and, again, fresh flowers throughout. I dont think I've ever seen so many fresh flower arrangements Elton John would be in his element.

Check in was quick and painless, there were two members of staff on the reception and as we were quite late, there were no other guests checking in. The receptionist found my booking straight away. My card was taken and £250 put through my account as a guarantee and to cover our rooms, parking, any breakfast drinks or meals and any other charges we may incur. I have never had this when checking into a hotel before but I was assured that the amount would not be taken and was only a guarantee until check out when my correct balance would be calculated. We were asked if we required newspapers the next morning and offered help to carry out luggage to our rooms, which we didnt require, we did have newspapers though and these were charged at face value.

Location

The hotel is situated across the road from the city walls and the inside of the walls is a mere 2 minute walk. All restaurants, bars and clubs are inside the walls and very close. York main train station is located behind the hotel which is useful if you plan to arrive by train. The railway museum is located behind the hotel, as is the York wheel. All local attractions are within a 5-15 minute walk.


Food and drink

To eat breakfast in the restaurant it costs £11.95 for the continental and £14.95 for the full English. The continental breakfast gives you a choice of fruit juice, a choice of cereals, a choice of fruits, a choice of breads, a choice of preserves and a choice of beverages. The full English breakfast includes a selection from the above continental breakfast and also hash browns, bacon, sausage, tomato, baked beans, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, mushrooms and black pudding.

We opted not to have breakfast in the hotel as it was a tad expensive for us tight fisted I know, but I didnt fancy paying up to £30 for breakfast. We also preferred to get out and about as we were only there for the weekend there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and tea rooms in the area.

The bar in the hotel is called the Tempus Bar. This area is ultra modern and contemporary, decorated in black, white and cream with a splash of red from the menus and fresh flowers dotted about. We sat and had a drink on the first night after returning from our meal. This would have been about 1am, but there were still other people in the bar at this time. I had a glass of house white wine and my other half had a bottle of beer these drinks came to around £9. I also had a vodka and coke which cost £5.30. There was no house vodka left so I was given Absolut Vodka, though still charged for house There was a comfortable environment in the bar and, as with most hotel bars, the bar serves drinks until the last guest leaves within reason.

Unfortunately, we didnt have meals in the hotel but the Rose restaurant is opened from 7pm until 930pm. We popped our heads in and the room looked very posh! Everyone was quite dressed up for dinner and the meals on the tables looked lovely they must have been happy to see us scruffs peering in!

Hotel policies
10% deposit is taken at the time of booking
Check in 3pm
Check out 11am


Nearby attractions
The hotel is in a perfect location away from the hustle and bustle of the bars and clubs, but only a 5minute walk to the heart of the city.

Other attractions, all within walking distance include:

Shambles
National Railway Museum
York Race Course
York wheel
York Minster
Jorvik Viking Centre
Yorkshire Museum

Transport
The hotel is located on station road, adjacent to York central train station. The nearest airport to the Royal York Hotel is Leeds/Bradford Airport, approximately 50 minutes drive away.

Central York is an extremely pedestrianised area and bicycle hire is available from the following:


Staff

The staff were friendly and helpful during our stay in the hotel. We didnt have cause to speak to them much, only checking in and out and the odd query we had, which they were happy to help with.


Price

We paid £120 a night on a room only basis.

Rooms start at around £70 for a Sunday stay and climb to £150 a night, on a room only basis. This price is for standard rooms. Triple rooms, de-luxe rooms and suites will, of course, be much more expensive.

For a double room in the middle of June, for a Saturday and Sunday you can expect to pay £149 a night on a room only basis. Also for this period in June you can get a dinner, bed and breakfast basis for £169 a night on a saver deal. I booked the night before we left and I was unable to take advantage of any deals but if you have a look on the Principal Hotels website, there are definitely deals to be had.

Value for money

As we were room only, I felt that our room could definitely have been a bit better. But I appreciate that I booked the evening before and maybe missed special offers. But I was definitely disappointed with the room thats not to say that it wasnt clean or well decorated it was fine, I just didnt think the room was in-keeping with the standard of the hotel. The facilities certainly made up for this and it was great to be able to pop down to the pool whenever we wanted.

Conclusion

I would definitely recommend the Royal York Hotel as a base for your stay in York. The hotel has a luxurious feel and excellent facilities which I really enjoyed, The refurbishment is evident throughout the hotel. I wouldnt recommend paying all that money for breakfast when there are such excellent restaurants and tea rooms a stones throw away serving breakfast for half the price. The leisure facilities made the stay more enjoyable for me.