York Apart Hotel

We had a really enjoyable night here and would happily come back. The upstairs bedroom being separate from the kitchen and living area downstairs worked well, and the bed was very comfortable. The shower was great, and the included extras were brilliant, from toiletries and a hairdryer to a washer-dryer. There were a few rough-looking bits, including exposed wiring, unpainted patches and a big crack in the kitchen side that you had to watch out for, but none of it spoiled our stay.

The place was pleasant enough and had good amenities, but the parking information in the welcome email was off. It said there were six spaces, and we spent 20 minutes looking for the two remaining ones before joining a queue for 40 minutes at the nearby multistorey. There wasn't a TV remote, so the TV was unusable. The wet room is nice, though a shower mat would make it feel less hazardous.

The apartment itself was comfortable and made it easy to enjoy the city, but getting inside was a real problem. The access code the owner texted us didn't work, and then he didn't answer our messages and had his voicemail on, so we were left outside for an hour and a half. The cleaner eventually let us into the larger apartment next door. While waiting, we met another visitor who'd also been stuck outside for 40 minutes, so this doesn't seem to be a one-off.

We found it easy to explore York from here, with the old city wall only a two-minute walk away. The Minster cathedral, York museum and the old abbey garden were about ten minutes on foot, while the old streets, shopping centre, castle museum and railway museum were within a 30-minute walk. The location felt perfect, and the new bed, sofa and furniture were comfortable and made the place feel warm and homely. At that price, it's the best hotel I've ever stayed in. Highly recommend.