The Castle Inn

We ended up with a £60 parking fine, which would have gone up to £100 after just a couple of days. Arriving in the dark, we couldn’t clearly see any signs about Parking Eye, and reception never mentioned registering our vehicle or asked whether we’d parked there. Staff should at least check with guests when they arrive. Really poor practice.

The young blonde woman on reception was very polite and helpful, with a big smile, and the young lad was pleasant too. The man at the bar, though, looked like he didn’t want to be there. When staff all went to help with dinner, my girl and I stood waiting in the bar for 10 minutes before I could get a beer. I didn’t eat, so I can’t comment on the food. For £115 a night it just wasn’t worth it, especially with spa hotels in nearby Harrogate offering more for similar money. There wasn’t much to see locally, and on Saturday night there was no entertainment, band, or even football on the screens. The car park uses ANPR, which put me on edge at checkout because of the risk of a £60 fine. That’s totally over the top, and I don’t think I’ll be back with those checks on my car. I was in the Scarborough room. The online photos showed lovely rooms with wood beam ceilings and grand beds, but mine looked nothing like that. It was clean, but very small. There was no bathroom lock and no shower door, so water went everywhere, especially with me being 6ft. The blind wouldn’t come down, so I had to use the curtains. The cleaners knocked at 10am despite the do not disturb sign, even though checkout was at 11. The keys came on a massive block that wouldn’t fit in my pocket, and the key I was given didn’t lock the main room door, leaving my valuables at risk.

Breakfast let the stay down. When I booked, I saw breakfast listed at £14 each, but there was no mention that I had to select the B & B button. I assumed staying there meant breakfast was included, and it ended up costing me £40 for a cooked breakfast and poached egg on toast. The toast was only one slice, too, and the young girl serving breakfast looked like she didn’t want to be there. The room was clean, the bed was comfy, and dinner was nice. The dinner staff were pleasant, and we had a lovely stay otherwise.

The place is lovely and well located, and the front of house staff were excellent. I stayed one night recently and enjoyed dinner. Breakfast, unfortunately, was inedible for me. I told the staff, and they said they’d remove its cost from my bill, but it’s still on there, which is disappointing.