Malmaison York

The warm savouries made this afternoon tea a quirky change from the usual sandwiches, and everything tasted good with generous portions. The caramel scones were delicious, but you have to ask for them when you’re ready, so it’s easy to miss them if you haven’t read the menu or been before. Food comes on a two-tier stand instead of the usual three-tier tray. Service was good when we arrived, but our waitress had very poor English and, in my opinion, wasn’t suited to a customer-facing role. My wife doesn’t eat beef, and we struggled to understand each other. I’d still recommend trying it for a different kind of afternoon tea.

We were on the sixth floor and had amazing views from this beautiful hotel. Everything in the city was within walking distance. The pool was out of use, though, and no one told us before we booked, even though we chose the hotel to use it. It would have been nice to know in advance. We stayed three days and noticed the teas and coffees weren’t all replenished each day. Still, it’s a great place near the city.

The only thing we missed was being able to enjoy the feast outdoors. We had a great selection of food, including crispy chicken with a slightly spicy sauce, sliders, prawn cocktail, scones with salted caramel butter, creme brushed and two other delicious cakes. Our son had given us an afternoon tea voucher, and after we booked, an enthusiastic server asked what we wanted to drink, explained the voucher and showed us to a nice table. She brought our drinks, then the food ten minutes later. Hot drinks were unlimited and very refreshing. All the staff were friendly and polite and made us feel valued. Well worth a visit.

Breakfast was delicious, the staff there were nice, and the bathroom was good. The rest of our two-night stay at the Malmaison York was disappointing. The room was dusty and smelled strongly of body odour as soon as we entered. We think the carpet may have been the cause. At checkout, we couldn’t leave our luggage behind reception past a certain time, which cut our anniversary weekend short, and the staff didn’t seem bothered about finding a solution. For the price, I’d probably choose a nicer room in a Travelodge.