the waterfront

The location was lovely and peaceful, so we arrived with high expectations and were looking forward to celebrating our anniversary. The room was a completely different story. It was dark and dim, up steep steps, and the corridor smelled musty and felt hard to breathe in. We paid for a “deluxe double room” and expected it to be clean, but it smelled like something had died. There were broken tiles, mold all over the wall, damp drip stains, dust and cobwebs everywhere. The window was moldy, and the curtains smelled musty, like a wet dog. The bed sloped and was extremely uncomfortable. When we raised these problems at reception, the woman said that because we’d only paid £90, that was basically what we got. I understand it was a decent price for York, but the room still needs to be safe. A cracked tile and mold aren’t safe, and the room didn’t feel remotely “deluxe.” When I asked if we could move rooms or get a refund so we could stay somewhere else, the receptionist refused. Four weeks later, Booking.com refused my refund because the property disregarded my complaint and the condition of the room. I won’t stay here again.

Such a letdown. The location is fantastic, with a great river view, but the room badly needs refurbishing. If you like every surface in the same shade of grey, you might be happy here. The bed probably cost a lot when it was bought in 1964. Maybe it suits a stag or hen group coming to York, since they might be too wasted to notice.

The restaurant food was delicious. We went in the evening, my partner ordered a burger and I had pizza. It took a while to come, but was worth the wait. The hotel and restaurant are really well located, within a 10-minute walk of both the city centre and train station. My room, number 3, was super clean, but the shower drain was broken and I couldn’t use it. Staff knew about it but couldn’t do anything, so I had to go without a shower for a long time. Light sleepers should know that the pubs right on the street bring a lot of shouting and noise, even with the windows closed. I enjoyed the stay overall, though I’m not sure I’d return because it feels a bit expensive for what it is.

We stopped in for lunch, but the food took ages and arrived cold. We sent it back and it came back warmed in a microwave. My partner’s meal was inedible. Not great, though the Guinness was good.