Staycation special – a Grand time in York
| 1st February 2022
What a grand entrance (pun intended) as you walk the couple of minutes from the train station to see The Grand, York, dominating the landscape. A jewel in the crown of this historic city, majestic, commanding and just a touch of the Downton about it.
As you arrive, your luggage is whipped from you by liveried, helpful doormen who usher you in to its hallowed hall for a quite breath taking welcome. There’s a sweeping staircase which invites you to glide down to dinner, creating a stunning atrium.
Like everything about The Grand, it blends the old with the new seamlessly so bright burst of contemporary flowers, berry crushed velvet banquets mix with the chiselled stone steeped in history. A great place to get away from it all, explore what York has to offer and I’d say a romantic vibe if it’s that kind of weekend.
It’s a fabulous hotel (and York’s only five-star hotel) from which to explore the city but also escape into the countryside and York Moors, so offering the best of both worlds. In fact, they do special star gazing events which sound, well out of this world.
Low season prices for the five-star hotel start from £169 for room only or £209 B&B (and we can recommend the breakfast) and in high season from £269 room only or £309 B&B, both based on two sharing.
VIVA reckons that’s something of a bargain and worth every penny.
Heritage
White Rose Lounge Marble Side of Room
A former HQ for the North Eastern Railway Company it was originally built in 1906 as a ‘Palace of Business’ and renowned for its Edwardian grandeur, then it underwent a £15 million refurbishment in 2017 which created 207 individually designed bedrooms, a beautiful spa to relax in, a destination restaurant, a cocktail bar and meeting & event spaces.
The blurb says the design was carried out jointly by William Bell, who produced the basic structural design, and Horace Field, who worked on the exterior embellishments and interior detail. Their design is believed to have won a silver medal at an exhibition in Paris in 1904. It was decided that only the best materials should be used in the construction, despite the fact that the country was, at the time, in recession.
The interior of the building is typified by high ceilings, tall windows, lofty arches and wide-open corridors and spaces. These, in combination with the use of Belgian marble and creamy Huddlestone stone lend the building a very light, airy and spacious feel.
And it certainly does, giving a scale and sumptuousness you don’t normally find.
Rooms
Classic Double Room at The Grand Hotel & Spa
Our room was a luxurious, spacious sanctuary. Roomy is the word with a giant tub for indulgence and the kind of attention to detail you’d expect from a five star with everything from an iron to fluffy robes, coffeemaker to Molton Brown toiletries.
What’s also particularly interesting is the hotel’s brand-new Studio Apartment, designed for the growing trend of longer stays, providing a luxury home-from-home, privacy and space.
It’s the hotel’s most recently launched new room category and demonstrates how the hotel has adapted to post-pandemic travel but continues to offer the classic hotel services and luxury facilities.
The spacious open plan studio apartment is modern in design and perfect for extended stays for up to two people. It features a cosy seating area and a fully fitted stylish kitchen (with Neff and Bosch appliances for guests to cook up a feast if preferred) which can be stocked with a welcome hamper upon arrive – or the hotel’s Chefs are on-hand 24/7 for those who prefer to opt for the more expert-led (and effort-free) cuisine.
Guests have access to full concierge service and complimentary gym membership and spa access is included as part of the stay, along with discounted rates at the hotel’s food and drink offer.
There are also suites and family rooms as well as romantic rooms available.
Eating & Drinking
The Rise Venison Wellington
The hotel offers superb food and drink options under Executive Chef Nicolas De Visch who oversees the hotel’s food and drink venues, including The Rise Restaurant for British cuisine and Afternoon Tea, and The Courtyard for al-fresco dining. The hotel is also the proud home of the state-of-the-art Cookery School run by Head Chef Tutor Andrew Dixon.
We dined in style at The Rise. A great space, with a welcoming vibe and excellent service offering the kind of food you’d expect from this neck of the woods, with modern British cuisine and locally sourced ingredients served from the open kitchen.
Starters (from £9) were a perfect scotch egg that was testament to the chef’s skill as it was a wonderful runny yoke encased in a fabulous meaty and crispy shell and a total stand out. A salsa ragout was a colourful rainbow of tastes and looked as good as it tasted.
Mains (from £17) were a beef cheeks, a gloriously rich meaty treat, whilst venison was a delight and we even tried the vegetarian cauliflower cheese, treat for the veggies.
You don’t have to be a guest to enjoy The Rise and VIVA reckons it’s great value if you’re looking for a unique lunch or dinner venue.
It’s the same room for breakfast and instead of the normal buffet experience it’s table service throughout.
There’s a choice of a grand Yorkshire fry up as well as veggie and vegan versions, which includes continental (which you can choose to have on its own £15) for £20. This was just fabulous with tasty sausage and bacon some of the best I’ve ever had. Pastries, plentiful coffee and tea, juices and whatever else you fancied, made it the breakfast of kings and queens.
There are also some delicious looking breakfast dishes such Eggs Benedict or Smoked Salmon scrambled eggs available from £10 if you don’t fancy the full works.
We also loved the 1906 Bar which is a great space for everything from a pint to a fancy cocktail, blending Edwardian splendour with contemporary bar keeping.
Lot’s more to do
Spa - Swimming Pool at Grand York
There’s a lot going on at The Grand and we also enjoyed the spa where you can indulge in beauty treatments too if that’s your bag.
And it’s also just a quick walk over the bridge into town so you can see all the joys of York, which if you haven’t been too, you should really put on your staycation list.
The Grand also hosts special events, including Dark Skies which pairs a luxury night stay at The Grand, York, in collaboration with the North York Moors.
Having received International Dark Sky Reserve status last December, the skies of the North York Moors are widely recognised as one of the best spots for stargazing.
Guests are invited to experience dinner at the hotel restaurant before heading out to the Dark Sky Reserve, to then enjoy mesmerising views of night’s sky with the milky way, planets, or constellations, with expert guidance from Astronomer Richard Darn.
After enjoying extraordinary landscapes with F&B refreshments, guest return to the hotel for a relaxing night-stay and a delightful breakfast the following morning.
The next one is 9th March 2022 and is priced at £365 based on two adults sharing. Price includes overnight accommodation, dinner, and Dark Skies experience.
For further information and bookings, visit https://www.thegrandyork.co.uk/