20 Contemporary, Chic and Grand Hotels in Yorkshire to Book For Your Next Short Break
Time to plan your next short break?
THE GRAND YORK
In brief: York’s only five-star hotel is just minutes from the Minster, the city’s ancient walls and the quaint cobbled streets of the city centre.
Our highlight: The hotel’s Legacy restaurant offers an eight-course tasting menu dedicated to local provenance in an iconic setting, all overseen by the talented head chef Ahmed Abdalla.
Insider guide: Formerly the Edwardian headquarters of the North Eastern Railway Company, this ginormous building has been cleverly reimagined as a luxurious hotel. Original features blend with contemporary touches but the overall feel is spacious and stylish. The 207 bedrooms are spread over six floors and even the standard rooms are large by hotel standards – if you get lost in the huge corridors there are always helpful staff on hand to lead you to the popular 1906 bar, where you’ll find an extensive menu including the Grand’s signature cocktails and plenty of local ales. The Rise is a relaxed restaurant with an open kitchen serving a Yorkshire twist on British favourites and is a great place to kick back after a day’s exploring, or head to the heated outdoor terrace for year-round al fresco dining. Don’t miss the basement spa, built in the former vaults, with its indoor pool, steam room, sauna, gym and treatment rooms.
Station Rise, York YO1 6GD
01904 380038
thegrandyork.co.uk
GRANTLEY HALL
In brief: One of the country’s most luxurious hotels, hidden away in the Yorkshire Dales.
Our highlight: There are so many, but perhaps Shaun Rankin’s outstanding food is the biggest pull.
Insider guide: Surrounded by private parkland and gardens, Grantley Hall has all the trappings of stately grandeur, with a contemporary feel. No expense has been spared in creating what is Yorkshire’s most outstanding hotel, and from the marble-lined swimming pool and high tech gym, to the Japanese garden, the wellies at the door to borrow when you want to explore, the sumptuous lounges and decadent dining options, there is much to marvel at here. There are 47 bedrooms with vast marble-clad ensuites, but it’s the dining which draws guests time and again. Star of the show is Shaun Rankin’s Michelin-starred restaurant, but the alternatives aren’t too shabby either. Fletchers has modern British dishes, whilst the pan-Asian EightyEight offers a fusion of Yorkshire produce and Eastern flavours, and has an outdoor covered terrace which is a stunning place to catch up with friends and family. Elsewhere the Norton Bar and Courtyard serves classic cocktails and artisan spirits and offers a bistro-style menu which extends to the outdoor Courtyard, and in the Three Graces Spa you’ll find state-of-the-art facilities and skilled therapists on hand to tend to your every need.
Ripon HG4 3ET
01765 620070
grantleyhall.co.uk
Read More: New Restaurant Launches at The Grand, York: Find Out More about Fine-Dining at Legacy
RED LEA HOTEL
In brief: A welcoming hotel on the stunning Yorkshire coast.
Our highlight: Its seaside location, close to Scarborough’s famous Esplanade, Italian Gardens and South Bay.
Insider guide: A family-run hotel with 66 ensuite rooms, this Victorian terrace building also has a popular bar, and a bright and cheery restaurant and lounge area. The leisure facilities include a new state-of-the-art gym on the lower ground floor and an indoor heated swimming pool. Want a little more independence? The Red Lea Hotel has three smart apartments, all with access to all the hotel’s facilities, but with their own kitchen area, living room, private garden and sea views.
Prince of Wales Terrace, Scarborough YO11 2AJ
01723 362431
redleahotel.co.uk
THE PHEASANT
In brief: A country house hotel serving great food in the two-AA Rosette restaurant.
Our highlight: The picture-perfect setting beside the village duck pond.
Insider guide: The main part of the hotel is home to 12 rooms whilst in the courtyard there are two sheltered suites, each with its own entrance. There are also two dog-friendly family cottages here too, with their own small kitchen, lounge area and close to the hotel’s swimming pool. It’s a stunning place, but food is also a big draw here. There’s a great choice of menus at The Pheasant, and they all make the most of the wealth of seasonal produce available locally, including in their much-lauded, seven course tasting menu.
Harome, North Yorkshire YO62 5JG
01439 771241
thepheasanthotel.com
Read More: Restaurants, Bars and Cafés in Whitby and Scarborough You Need to Try
BROCCO ON THE PARK
In brief: An award-winning Scandi-chic destination in the middle of Sheffield.
Our highlight: Apparently Picasso stayed here in in the 1950s when it was the Peace Guest House.
Insider guide: The chic Scandi interiors here provide a calm oasis in the city. The ground floor of this Edwardian hotel has a sitting area and honesty bar, and a dining area with a garden with all-day dining from breakfast through to dinner. The eight rooms are simply beautiful and each is named after a bird’s home, such as the Pigeon’s Loft in the eaves of the building, and the theme is subtly carried through each room.
92 Brocco Bank, Sheffield S11 8RS
0114 266 1233
brocco.co.uk
THE BLACK SWAN HELMSLEY
In brief: A four-star boutique hotel in picturesque Helmsley, dating back to the 15th century.
Our highlight: The hotel’s crackling log fires and the many nooks and crannies you can cosy up in.
Insider guide: With an impressive 500-year history, this former coaching inn, part of the Inn Collection Group, is now a welcoming hotel in the heart of Helmsley on the very edge of the North York Moors. Spend a lazy afternoon in front of the fire with afternoon tea, enjoy a quiet pint in the bar, dine in the restaurant or simply unwind in one of 40 sumptuously-furnished bedrooms with view across the village or the hotel’s walled gardens.
Market Place, Helmsley YO62 5BJ
01439 252315
inncollectiongroup.com/the-black-swan
Read More: The Gothic North Yorkshire Coastal Town That Has Lots of Tales to Tell
THE PRINCIPAL, YORK
In brief: A grand old station hotel given a modern makeover in the heart of the historic city of York.
Our highlight: Next to the station, (you can enter from the station via the original door) and minutes from the Minster, the medieval walls and the National Railway Museum, you can enjoy all the sights of the city from a cocooning base.
Insider guide: This huge Victorian station hotel has had a sleek and modern makeover, and although spacious with vast public rooms, it still manages to feel warm and welcoming. The lofty, elegant Garden Room is where you can kick back with afternoon tea, or head to the busy Chapter House bar and Refectory restaurant for an edgier, industrial-style feel. There are 155 ensuite rooms (it’s worth asking for a Minster-view room) all designed in muted tones and soothing shades of grey and with marble-clad bathrooms. Dogs have their own beds (and treats) and kids get a welcome pack too. If the sun shines take a seat in the hotel’s garden, or if it rains and you don’t want to venture out there’s a leisure suite with a gym and pool in the hotel’s basement.
Station Road, York YO24 1AA
01904 653681
theprincipalyork.com
THE WEST PARK HOTEL
In brief: A modern, stylish hotel on Harrogate’s Stray.
Our highlight: The two luxurious duplex penthouse suites.
Insider guide: There are 25 bedrooms, including the two suites, all finished to an exceptionally high standard and with all the luxurious touches you’d expect to find in a hotel of this calibre. The restaurant here is also high regarded with a seasonally changing menu that focuses on the best local produce available, and the busy bar serves a wide selection of real Yorkshire ales and has an extensive wine, Champagne and cocktail list. Well placed for guests to take advantage of all the amenities of the popular spa town and the surrounding countryside, West Park Hotel is the perfect base from which to explore this part of North Yorkshire.
19 West Park, Harrogate HG1 1BJ
01423 524471
thewestparkhotel.com
Read More: Harrogate: The Charming Spa Town with Great Food and Plenty of Shopping
YOREBRIDGE HOUSE
In brief: An award-winning boutique hotel in the Yorkshire Dales.
Our highlight: We love it all, but especially the New York-style Loft Suite with its two freestanding bath tubs.
Insider guide: This five star, three-AA Rosette boutique hotel has won multiple awards. Sumptuous interiors, exceptional service and fine dining from chef Dan Shotton and his team make this a firm favourite. All that, and the fact it is nestled in a beautiful part of Yorkshire, beside the river Ure and just a short stroll from the pretty villages of Bainbridge and Askrigg.
Bainbridge DL8 3EE
01969 652060
yorebridgehouse.co.uk
BECK HALL
In brief: An uber dog-friendly hotel in the heart of the Dales.
Our highlight: The hotel’s idyllic setting beside a stream tucked below Malham Cove.
Insider guide: An ideal base for walkers, Beck Hall was originally a yeoman’s cottage but has been sympathetically extended and now has 21 rooms which vary from the Deluxe Stream Side to the Historic (which you’ll find in the original building, with lots of traditional features). There’s a modern bar and restaurant which opens out onto the beautiful gardens where you can dine stream-side if the weather permits. The food here is well thought of (the breakfasts are designed to set you up for a day outdoors) and the busy bar is a great place to relax after climbing up the nearby Cove or exploring this beautiful part of the Dales.
Cove Road, Malham BD23 4DJ
01729 830729
beckhallmalham.com
TICKTON GRANGE HOTEL & RESTAURANT
In brief: A fabulous, family-run hotel and restaurant in 16 acres of private gardens and meadowland.
Our highlight: The hotel’s renowned Hide restaurant, which is an intimate space where the kitchen serve up their signature seven-course tasting dinner every Thursday to Saturday, showcasing the very best of local, seasonal produce (wine fight optional).
Insider guide: This picture-perfect Georgian hotel has just 21 rooms, each with their own individual character. Dotted between the main house, its farmhouse wing and across the courtyard in the Granary, and ranging from the smaller Intimate House Rooms to the extra roomy House Suites, all the bedrooms are beautifully designed and are welcoming spaces in which to relax. Elsewhere in the hotel you can gather in the bright and airy Garden Room for coffee, head to the Hockney Lounge for a long, lazy lunch or take supper in the Broadley Room where you can choose from the Simply Tickton menu, full of crowd-pleasing comfort dishes.
Tickton, Beverley HU17 9SH
01964 543666
ticktongrange.co.uk
NO. 1 BY GUESTHOUSE, YORK
In brief: York’s bougiest boutique hotel.
Our highlight: The cocooning, subterranean spa where you’ll find five treatments rooms and a tempting menu of signature massages and facials.
Insider guide: From bikes to borrow in reception and the cosy bar where a steam train chuggs around at celling height every half an hour, to the hotel’s pantry on the first floor where you can help yourself to bedtime treats, every little detail has been taken care of in this renovated Grade II-listed Regency townhouse. There are five different types of bedrooms to choose from behind the grand, ivy-covered facade, each one with its own quirks courtesy of the building’s history. Travelling by train? The hotel will meet you and swap your luggage for a city map so you can take in some of the city’s many historic sights before you even check in. It’s family and dog friendly too (they even have a dog walker on hand if you want to luxuriate in a much-needed lie-in). Food is served all day in the elegant restaurant and the aforementioned bar is a quirky, cosy hangout where you’ll find house cocktails, local brews and handpicked wines.
1 Clifton, York YO30 6AA
01904 644744
guesthousehotels.co.uk
Read More: Why the Quaint Village of Ripley and the Cathedral City of Ripon are Worth Venturing to
MIDDLETON LODGE
In brief: A stunning hotel set in 200 acres of private estate.
Our highlight: We love everything about the place, from the rustic Coach House restaurant to the sumptuous rooms, the walled garden and the cosy shepherd’s huts.
Insider guide: A great place in which to unwind, there’s a range of rooms across the estate including in the honey-coloured Coach House, the Dairy and newer shepherd’s huts nestled in the orchard. All individually designed, they share a mix of unique features including vaulted ceilings, exposed beans and sliding barn doors. The latest addition to the estate is Hope House, just five minutes away from Middleton Lodge. Perfect as a family getaway, it has five bedrooms and is just five minutes from the local pub but the estate staff are on hand to ferry you back and forth to the estate should you require them. In the walled garden you’ll find acres of fig, apple and peach trees and vegetable beds which supply the hotel’s kitchen. There is a Forest Spa under construction here which is due to open this spring but until then, the treatment rooms in the Coach House offer a range of facials and massages; perfect for unwinding after a day exploring Yorkshire. The hugely popular, relaxed Coach House restaurant serves delicious, locally-sourced produce all day, every day carefully following an estate-to-plate ethos, and Middleton Lodge’s fine dining Forge restaurant is always a delight.
Kneeton Lane, Middleton Tyas, Richmond DL10 6NJ
01325 377977
middletonlodge.co.uk
Read More: The Coach House, Middleton Lodge Review
BIKE & BOOT
In brief: A quirky seaside hotel which is daring to be different.
Our highlight: The Wadobi facilities, which supply everything that walkers, surfers, bikers and even dogs could possibly need, and the free on-site film club for guests.
Insider guide: This is a one-of-a-kind hotel. Relaxed, fun and with loads of facilities to make your stay so much more comfortable, you’ll find everything from surf board storage to a dog groomer for your sandy pet to enjoy a pamper. Bareca, the hotel’s restaurant, serves family-friendly food alongside cocktails and coffee, and when it’s too wet to head out, head to The Retreat with its squishy armchairs, free coffee and cake – the perfect place to hunker down in.
Cliff Bridge Terrace, Scarborough YO11 2HA
01723 655555
bikeandboot.com
SWINTON PARK HOTEL
In brief: A traditional country house hotel with a stunning spa.
Our highlight: The Swinton Park estate, which includes the hotel’s deer-filled grounds, four-acre walled garden and woodland walks.
Insider guide: The charm of this former stately home pervades every corner of the grand old building which retains a traditional approach to hospitality, with plenty of attention to detail and impeccable service. The interiors boast lots of personal touches, family oil paintings line the walls, flowers picked from the garden are crammed into vases and there’s always a fire burning in the drawing room where you can stretch out undisturbed with the day’s newspaper. However, the Country Club & Spa has added a whole new dimension and there are plenty of classes to join in, and treatments to indulge in alongside the thermal suite, indoor pool and natural outdoor pool and wellness area. The Terrace restaurant here is at the heart of the estate, serving seasonal menus using produce from the the hotel’s walled garden, while in the hotel itself, fine dining at Samuel’s is some of the very best in the county. With falconry, bike riding, fishing and shooting, and one of the region’s finest cookery schools on site, there’s an abundance of reasons to visit
Swinton Estate. Masham, Ripon HG4 4JH
01765 680900
swintonestate.com
THE WENSLEYDALE HEIFER
In brief: A family-run friendly hotel with plenty of Yorkshire character and a popular restaurant.
Our highlight: The award-winning food on the restaurant’s menu, which changes weekly.
Insider guide: A fantastic range of 13 quirky rooms and a renowned restaurant make the Wensleydale Heifer the perfect escape. All rooms come with Egyptian linen sheets, complimentary Molton Brown toiletries and better yet, are four-legged friendly. Relax and enjoy an aperitif in the lounge before enjoying first-rate food in the restaurant after a day exploring the surrounding Dales National Park, or pottering around the nearby market town of Leyburn.
West Witton, Leyburn DL8 4LS
01969 622322
wensleydaleheifer.co.uk
Read More: Six Yorkshire Walks with Spectacular Views
RAITHWAITE SANDSEND
In brief: A gorgeous hotel with lots of luxury accommodation options bang on the Yorkshire coast.
Our highlight: There’s so much to love here, including its location between the sweep of Sandsend beach and the wild North Yorkshire moors.
Insider guide: With a contemporary hotel, cottages and lodges, the mixture of accommodation here means it is the perfect place for everything from a romantic retreat to a family celebration. There’s a spa, a great bar and terrace with sweeping views over the estate, a restaurant, gorgeous gardens, and they’ll organise a host of activities should you wish to try surfing or SUP, yoga on the beach or head to sea on a special boat trip. Oh, and did we mention it’s dog friendly too. Just perfect…
Whitby YO21 3ST
01947 661661
raithwaitesandsend.co.uk
SANDBURN HALL
In brief: A hotel with lodges on the Sandburn Hall estate.
Our highlight: The incredible country setting, yet you’re still so near to the historic city of York.
Insider guide: This 40 bedroom hotel, and 55 lodges, are all set amongst 1,000 acres of lakes and woodland. The hotel opened last year and its elegant, country house design reflects its Yorkshire roots and heritage. The light and spacious bedrooms have lake views, including the two stunning Alderney and York suites, or access to the courtyard garden. Several rooms are dog friendly too, each with their own private terrace leading straight into the grounds, and there are dog-friendly tables in the Tykes restaurant (please book in advance) where you’ll find everything from a traditional Yorkshire breakfast to tempting afternoon tea, handcrafted cocktails and a dinner menu which features plenty of local produce in this former barn (now a spacious dining space). There’s a special Little Tykes menu too. With plenty of activities available on the estate, including the challenging 18-hole Sandburn Golf Course, and coast, city and countryside all on the doorstep, this is a great place for an autumn break be it with family, friends or just you – and the dog of course.
Flaxton, York YO60 7RB
01904 469922
sandburnhall.co.uk
WREA HEAD HALL
In brief: An elegant hotel in vast, landscaped grounds on the very edge of the North York Moors National Park.
Our highlight: 1881, the in-house restaurant in the oak-panelled dining room, which serves up fresh, seasonal dishes on a daily-changing menu.
Insider guide: This Gothic country house has now become a muchloved, elegant (adult-only) country hotel with unparalleled views of the surrounding countryside. Impeccable service and heaps of charm make this a special place to relax. Enjoy cocktails on the terrace, stroll in the gorgeous grounds or hunker down by the huge fire in the hall with its stained-glass, mullion windows – it’s the perfect place to curl up with a book. The 24 rooms are spread across the main house and Carriage house but each has its own character and is individually designed. Our favourite? The Ellis Suite with its stunning stone mullion bay window looking down over the lawns, and a huge four poster bed. Rest a while and soak up the views from your bed before you head down to dinner in the romantic 1881 restaurant.
Barmoor Lane, Scalby, Scarborough YO13 0PB
01723 371190
wreaheadhall.co.uk
HOUSE OF JÖRO
In brief: A four-bedroom hotel which is just a stone’s throw away from Sheffield’s award-winning restaurant, JÖRO.
Our highlight: The chef’s table which hosts private dining events and a must-try tasting menu.
Insider guide: House of JÖRO is a boutique hotel with four beautifully designed rooms as well as a chef’s table for private dining events. Just a stone’s throw away from the flagship restaurant, it provides visitors with a beautiful space to spend a foodie staycation in the heart of the city. It’s the perfect city base but the highlight here is of course the food – their tasting menus are always packed with flavour, combing modern British, new Nordic and Asian cuisines. To give you a taste of what to expect, dishes include barbecue hand-dived orkney scallop in beef fat and scallop dashi and Highland wagyu knuckle with wasabi mustard and watercress. Choose between the five-, eight-, or 10-course tasting menus.
1–3 Palatine Gardens, 40 Malinda Street, Sheffield S3 7EJ
0114 299 1539
jororestaurant.co.uk
