7th February 2020
I’m currently writing this blog post whilst in my beautiful hotel room at the Grade II listed Grand Hotel in York, the first and only 5* hotel in York that offers a true 5* experience. I’ve been out in town to some of my favourite bars and if I’m being honest, I’m a little bit tipsy.
Rolling in past the very charming doormen in top hats, gliding up to the 2nd floor in the lift and through my heavy dark oak hotel room door I was absolutely dying to start writing this post. I’m not entirely sure why but I think it has something to do with the fact that I’m back in my most favourite place, my hometown and it’s where I always feel the most inspired.
One of my most
favourite hotels in York
The Grand was originally built in 1906 as a ‘Palace of Business’ for one of the most powerful railway companies in Edwardian England. I’ve stayed here a few times now and when I know a stay is coming up, a few days before arrival I always feel excited at the prospect of knowing that even booking a standard room means I’ll have space, the comfiest of Queen beds, the best rainfall shower (and big bath) to soak off the stresses of the day.
I think most people who visit York know about its deep history and the Grand is part of that story. During its renovation in 2010 an old Roman wall was discovered below the site. Roman coins and artefacts were also discovered whilst excavating the swimming pool.
A true 5* hotel
For me it’s the small
things that really make a 5* hotel a true 5* hotel. Some hotels say they are 5*
but as soon as you walk through the door you know they’re not. However, The
Grand, housed in the former Edwardian railway headquarters oozes style,
tradition and heritage. Conveniently located on Station Rise, a stone’s throw
away from the train station and within 5-10 minutes of everywhere you need to
be near in York, staying here instantly transforms you into a place of hotel
heaven as soon as you walk through their doors and check in at reception.
Concierge will
smoothly take your bags from your hands and transfer them to your room as if by
magic. There are fresh drinks to enjoy whilst you hand over your details,
sweets for your children if they’re staying too and soft music playing in the
background. It’s quiet but not uncomfortable, cosy but not too hot and the
staff are always friendly without being too try-hard or stuffy.
I personally find it nostalgic, (I used to work in an office in the basement of this building before The Grand took over in 2010) I find it calms and destresses me but also, despite having other favoured hotels in York (for different reasons), The Grand just feels…well…grand!
My room
When I got back this evening I walked in having forgotten that turn-down service was a thing and thought “why are my slippers there, how odd”, then I saw the chocolate on my pillow…followed quickly by the bottle of local Harrogate water on the bedside table. I realised the lights had been dimmed, soft music was playing through the Bose speakers and even the breakfast menu had been laid beside my plumped up pillows to remind me that I could order breakfast in my room if I wanted to…spoiler alert…I did!
Usually I would have undressed and slipped into that bed as quickly as I could, but not this time. I felt, for some reason, excited and eager to write down my thoughts as soon as possible. Taking the bottle of water (to dilute the gin and hopefully my upcoming hangover), I slipped into one of the cosy long white dressing gowns and wandered over to the corner desk with my laptop, powered it up and well, here we are.
The toiletries are Molton Brown, the fluffy white towels are big enough to wrap around your whole body at least twice and the heating is somehow always set, without having to touch it, at just the right temperature.
With heated flooring one of my favourite aspects of the room is the separate bathroom and loo! I think it’s simply because it makes you feel like you have a lot more room than you would usually have in a standard double.
The views
There isn’t really a view out of any the windows, you’ll need to book the Penthouse to see York’s topsy-turvy buildings and cobbled streets, but quite honestly, despite the ceiling to floor windows and heavy pastel coloured drapes, the view really doesn’t matter when staying here. The Grand itself will keep you occupied with its sweeping staircases, wide corridors, glistening chandeliers and marble and parquet floors. There’s something about the smell too… it’s hard to explain verbally never mind in words but in essence I would say…’calm’. Ever so slightly floral but also clean… it can’t be accidental, I’m sure.
I’m fully aware that
I’ve kind of given away the game by waxing lyrical about how much I love this
hotel from the very beginning, but I simply don’t care. This is a post that
I’ve wanted to write for a while, and I’m so glad I finally did.
Having recently spotted a Tweet asking people to vote for their favourite UK city and York being one of the most popular answers, I felt instantly proud and glad of making the decision in 2019 to start blogging more about my home city.
I love to go home as often as possible
I come home a lot now as I find myself becoming quite homesick if I don’t. Something (aside from my family and friends) keeps pulling me back. I used to say I felt sorry for people that never left their hometown but once you do leave, you either don’t look back or you just can’t let go. I’m the latter. It’s probably the reason why I’ve never lost my accent too.
How does it compare to
other York-based hotels?
There has always been a huge amount of choice when choosing a hotel to stay in when visiting York and because my family live there it’s rare I need to book a stay in one of them.
There’s Hotel Indigo which I love for its location on up-and-coming Walmgate and for the way they proudly show off York’s heritage and chocolate story. This is the place I send people if they have a slightly smaller budget but still want somewhere a higher end of the ‘nice’ scale.
Or there’s B&B’s like the Bloomsbury Guesthouse in Clifton (owned by best friends’ parents) who quite rightly deserve their #3 ranking on TripAdvisor along with a 5/5-star track record. I send friends here who want a smaller more personal stay. It has a cosy charm that most other B&B’s struggle to achieve and the traditional Victorian terrace its housed in makes it feel homely.
The Grand is where I recommend for when you want something incredibly special and somewhere that will really make you feel like your having a little bit of luxury… and it’s not as expensive as you may think either. Rooms can be booked from £130 a night but quite often, especially at weekends, the prices rise to £180-200 per night.
What else?
There’s an elegant, 130 cover Art Deco-inspired all-day brasserie called The Rise where the menus highlight the best of Yorkshire produce for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Afternoon tea, if that’s your thing (it’s one of my favourites) is also popular here. There’s a snazzy, but small, cocktail bar and an exclusive whisky lounge for executive guests (admittedly a bit pretentious) and there’s even a Cookery School! Queen Beady wrote a great post about her cooking lesson which you can read here. Not advertised widely there’s also the fine dining, 3 AA Rosette-awarded Hudson restaurant, an exclusive dining experience for private groups and celebrations.
Located in the old
vaults is the Spa where you can easily while away a few hours with your book
and take the feeling of luxury one step further either in the sauna, steam
room, Jacuzzi or by the 14m swimming pool.
The Verdict
Well, I think you know my verdict on the Grand, I’ve made that very clear, I’m sure. Although travelling around the world is no doubt a brilliant experience, sometimes a night away, in a cosy big bed in your favourite city with some of that famous Yorkshire hospitality is even better. With exceptional attention to details, a stay at The Grand is an ideal destination for those travellers wishing to visit York and enjoy luxury in an accessible, warm, welcoming environment.
Book a room direct here: https://www.thegrandyork.co.uk/
Pin me:
