St Raphael Guest House

The welcome was friendly, and they showed us where to park. Our room was small but clean and had what we needed. We were about ten minutes from the centre of York. Breakfast was delicious, with a lovely cooked English breakfast plus cereals, fruit and yogurts. Thank you.

All the staff were very friendly and helpful, and the guest house was clean and warm, well located for York's attractions, about a ten-minute walk from the centre. But for the price, I expected a little more. Our room, The Shambles, was very small and in the roof space, so the sloping ceiling cut into much of the available area. The bed and pillows were clean and comfortable. The tea and coffee supplies were sparse: five teabags on arrival, four the next day, and very little UHT milk. They sat on a unit only about 40 cm high, so making a drink meant sitting down or bending a long way. The little kettle took about ten minutes to boil enough for two cups. There was just one small, low bedroom chair for the two of us. The bathroom's sliding door had no bottom rail, so it banged against the frame when opened or closed. The tiny television looked about 20 years old and had no smart features. The walls were so thin we could hear people in both neighbouring rooms going about normal business. They disturbed us, and I'm sure we disturbed them too. Breakfast was tasty but not plentiful. On day one my mushroom portion was a single mushroom about 5 cm across; the next day it was two of similar size. There was one domestic self-service toaster for up to 14 people. The guest information book also had a full page, in great detail, about what guests would be charged for damaging anything.

The room was small but comfortable, the bed was comfy and everything was very clean. Breakfast was very good. Unfortunately, noisy guests coming back at 1.30 am and another guest snoring loudly disturbed our sleep. I know it's a listed building, but I've stayed in similar places without these noise problems. I understand the owners don't want to live on site, though perhaps late-returning noisy guests would have been deterred if they were there.

An amazing little gem in York. The location is great, with parking close by and all the main attractions within walking distance. The bed was very comfortable, and breakfast was fresh and delicious. Thanks for having us. We'll be back next time we're in the area.