The Royal Hotel - York

Located next to the train station in York the Royal Hotel has recently been restored and refurbished back to splendour by interior architects Goddard Littlefair. This 4 star hotel boasts stylish and unique accommodation, so says the publicity.

Having its own huge car park is a big plus, parking is normally £5.00 for the duration of your stay which is very reasonable in a city such as York where car parking is pricey and at a premium.

First impressions are good as you enter the hotel from the car park (there is also another main entrance from the railway station). You can smell the new paint as you first enter the hotel. The female receptionist who welcomed us was professional yet friendly. Unfortunately our room was not going to be available straight away so we were offered a drink in the cosy Chapter House Bar whilst our baggage was taken up to our room. The young waitress brings the drinks but I would have thought that being addressed as 'guys' is not really in keeping with a high class four star establishment.

Within 15 minutes our Superior Double Room was ready. Refurbished in soft hues of cream and brown this too was very cosy. The 26 inch Flat Screen TV had all the regular Freeview channels and the free Wi Fi was very fast and ideal for business or pleasure purposes. The King size bed was very comfortable with high quality bedding. The view from the room overlooked the walls of the city and you felt like you were staying in York.

The windows though only opened slightly and without air conditioning in the room I dare say that in the warmer months of the year it could get very hot in the room, although I would suspect that the hotel would provide fans to cool the room down. A fridge is supplied with a nice touch of complimentary bottles of mineral water of both still and fizzy along with a proper carton of milk to go with the free tea and coffee. Shortbread biscuits are also supplied. The bathroom has a rain shower and the toiletries were of a high quality. My partner did note that there was no shower cap, though I am sure one could be supplied from reception.

Meals are taken in the recently opened Refectory which also boasts an outside terrace, which will be ideal for Al fresco dining in the coming warmer months. The menu tends to take on a Yorkshire sourced flavour with starters such as hand picked Whitby crab and mains of Bridlington scampi. Surprisingly there is no Yorkshire Pudding on the menu which disappointed the Chinese tourist sitting on an adjacent table. Our fellow diners were mainly couples of all ages mostly from the UK although our waiter informed us that with it being York they tend to get mostly American, Canadian, Australian, European, Chinese and Japanese guests.

My starter of Parsnip and Harrogate Blue soup was excellent and both mine and my partner's main of rib eye steak were cooked to perfection. My dessert of Blackberry Queen of Puddings was very moreish and my partner's Stem Ginger Parkin with vanilla custard was a guilty pleasure. A truly excellent meal.

Breakfast was taken in the Refectory too, being buffet style it was a buffet breakfast of either continental or a traditional British breakfast. Coffee, tea and toast are served at your table. The service though did not seem to be as good as the evening meal: I asked for our toast to be brought later in the meal. It still arrived within 3 minutes of the order being taken and I got the impression that the young staff serving were transitional, ie that they were students passing through or the job to them was just temporary and no one seemed to think that working in hospitality or catering could be a career for them. They were very pleasant but lacked zest, enthusiasm and experience. The selection of food was extensive although there did seem to be an omission of bread rolls in the continental section but slices of bread were available if requested.

The Garden Room, as its name suggests overlooks the hotel gardens and York Minister, this huge room had been tastefully restored and I would definitely suggest you take the Afternoon tea there which can be sampled in these beautiful surroundings, I know I will on my next visit.

There is a also the Inside Out Spa located down on the lower floor which also includes a well equipped gym.

If you are celebrating a special occasion, treating your partner or in York for business (the hotel has Junior and Executive Suites) then I would suggest that you consider this sumptuous and luxurious refurbished hotel located in the heart of York.