Hampton by Hilton York

The hotel is on a quiet street and perfectly placed for the station. The staff were lovely, breakfast was average, and there’s a gym on site. At peak breakfast time only one coffee machine was available, since the other one was hidden behind a curtain on the other side. I booked a queen room but was given a disabled room, and nobody explained the change at check-in. I’m not sure whether queen means disabled room, and I personally don’t like a toilet without a lid. I also found a few odd hairs on the untouched duvet cover and some eyelashes on the fitted sheet. The bedding smelled fresh, so perhaps the cleaners’ hair had fallen on it while they were changing it.

The staff were polite and attentive, but the stay overall was a disappointment. For the price, I expected biscuits and complimentary water, and the lack of bottled water was especially annoying because there were no glasses to use for bathroom tap water. The spacious room was poorly equipped, with Nescafé but no teabags or decaf coffee. It was also laid out badly. We expected a king size bed and got a double; even the sheets seemed too small and didn’t cover my shoulders. There weren’t any teaspoons anywhere in the hotel.

Dinner was the big letdown. The food seemed frozen, processed, and microwaved, the service was poor, and £18.20 for a burger was far too much. Breakfast was okay, though the staff in the breakfast room were lovely. The room itself was lovely, with a comfy bed, great TV, and fab shower, and check-in was great. Checkout was practically nonexistent, just a grumble, with no thanks or question about how the stay went or what could be improved. For a hotel associated with the Hilton, it wasn’t what I expected. I’ve had much better service at Premier Inn for a fraction of the cost.

The hotel was very average, and the room felt a bit cold. The bed was uncomfortable enough that I woke with a stiff back. Breakfast was okay, nothing special, and I’m glad we stayed only one night. I booked because the hotel is part of the Hilton Honors loyalty program, but be aware that whether Hampton honours the program is discretionary. At £110 a night, I don’t think I’d want to stay longer.