Hampton by Hilton York

The location on a quiet street was perfect for the station, and the staff were lovely. There’s a gym on site, but breakfast was only average. At busy breakfast times, there was just one coffee machine available because the other one was covered by a curtain on the other side. I booked a queen room but was given an accessible room. I’m not sure whether queen means accessible room, and I personally dislike toilets without lids. No one explained the room type change at check-in. I also spotted a few odd hairs on the untouched duvet cover and fitted sheet, plus a few eyelashes. The bedding smelled fresh, so maybe the cleaners’ hair fell onto it while they were changing it.

The staff were polite and attentive, but the stay as a whole was disappointing. At this price, I expected biscuits and complimentary water. There wasn’t any bottled water, and there were no glasses to use for tap water from the bathroom. The room was spacious but poorly equipped, with Nescafé and no teabags or decaf coffee. It was also laid out poorly. I expected a king-size bed but got a double, and the sheets seemed too small to cover my shoulders. There weren’t teaspoons anywhere in the hotel.

The check-in was great, and the room had a comfy bed, a great TV, and a fab shower. Breakfast was okay, and the staff in the breakfast room were lovely. But don’t eat there at night unless you want processed frozen food pinged in the microwave by any hotel staff member. The quality and service were poor, and £18.20 for a burger was far too much. Check-out was basically nonexistent, just a grumble, with no thanks or question about how the stay was or whether they could do better. For a hotel associated with the Hilton, I expected more. I’ve had much better service at a Premier Inn for a fraction of the cost.

At £110 per night, I don’t think I’d stay longer than one night here. The room was cold, the bed uncomfortable, and I woke with a stiff back. Breakfast was okay but nothing special, and the hotel was very average. I booked because it’s part of the Hilton Honors loyalty program, but watch out: whether the Hampton Hilton honours the program is discretionary. I was really disappointed. Thank God it was only one night.