vividventures

Hotel Review

Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire noted for its beautiful parks, gardens, elegant buildings, Turkish baths, high class shops and tearooms.  I recently had the pleasure of visiting the town and staying at the beautiful Harrogate Inn.

Overview: 

The Harrogate Inn is a historic, centrally located hotel formerly known as the St. George.  The hotel was established in the late 1800’s and after being purchased recently by the Inn Collection Group, has undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment to provide modern day comforts whilst retaining its Victorian charm.

Location: 

Harrogate is located 19 miles (30 km’s) north of Leeds with the historic city of York lying a similar distance to the east.  For guests arriving by car, the town is easily accessible via the A1 and A59.  For rail travellers, there are direct services into Harrogate from Leeds, York and London King’s Cross making it an ideal location for a short break.

Arrival and check-in:

The hotel stands in a commanding position overlooking the beautiful Crescent Gardens just across the road from the Royal Hall and Turkish Baths.  The main entrance is accessed through the hotel’s garden terrace and up a short flight of steps.  For guests with heavy luggage and / or mobility problems there’s also a step-free entrance just around the corner on Ripon Road

The spacious entrance hall leads through to the hotel reception which is to be found at the far side of the bar.  Check-in is from 3.00 p.m. and as we arrived shortly after this time, we needed to join a short queue of other guests waiting to check-in.  Thankfully, the wait wasn’t too long and we were soon being attended to by Beth, one of the friendly receptionists on duty.  With formalities only taking a couple of minutes we were then shown to our beautiful ground floor suite.

The Room:

The hotel features 90 guest rooms and six luxury suites and it was into one of these suites that we had arranged to stay.  Each of the suites are located on the ground floor with the one that we were staying in having three large windows with lovely views overlooking the town.

Our spacious suite came equipped with its own lounge, dining area and an extremely comfortable king size bed complete with a feature dark grey wood panelled headboard.  This blended beautifully with the muted shades of the walls, pale grey tartan carpet, luxurious curtains, sofa and striped armchair.

Also at our disposal was a large television, desk and a hospitality tray filled with a selection of Rington’s speciality teas, fresh ground coffee, packets of delicious stem ginger biscuits and of course bottles of the local Harrogate water.

Moving into the bathroom, this was tastefully styled with both a bath and shower, fluffy towels, bathrobes, slippers and fragrant Sea Kelp toiletries.  I was pleased to find a large shelf for toiletry bags, make up, etc. as it is such a nuisance when there is nowhere to store such items.

Dining:

Meals can be taken in either of the inn’s bar restaurants both of which have been elegantly furnished whilst making the most of the original features.  We enquired about reserving a table for dinner at 7.00 p.m. but were advised that the hotel currently only accepted bookings for parties of 8 or more.  On arrival in the restaurant there were several unoccupied tables and we were fortunate to be able to take the last of the remaining cosy booths.

Ordering is at the bar so after deliberating over the menu awhile I took a note of the table number and placed our order before carefully carrying my husband’s pint of Theakston’s Old Peculiar and my own glass of Merlot back to the table.

With a varied selection of dishes to choose from, we were spoilt for choice and our starters of Gambas chilli king prawns and salmon spring rolls were both of a generous size and more importantly, tasted delicious.  As it was a warm evening, we both continued the fish theme with baked halibut and skewered prawns for our mains.  Simply cooked, my halibut tasted fresh and flavoursome served with a side salad and new potatoes.  Never being able to resist a dessert, I then opted for strawberry pavlova whilst across the table Mr. C. tucked into his favourite sticky toffee pudding.

Breakfast is included in room rates which is always a bonus and is served in the larger of the two restaurants.  We helped ourselves to fresh fruit, cereals, cold cuts, cheese and coffee before returning to the buffet for our traditional cooked breakfasts.  Guests can also request made to order items including eggs benedict, porridge and poached eggs on toast which are served to the table.  We rounded off our breakfast with a second cup of coffee, pastries, toast and marmalade setting us nicely for the day ahead.

The Facilities:

The inn has numerous cosy seating areas dotted around the ground floor in addition to the Barking George pub where we had enjoyed our meals.  Barking George is derived from the hotel’s former name and the links between Harrogate and King George III.

The hotel refurbishment included the restoration of the magnificent stained glass dome which bathes the main bar area with natural light as well as looking absolutely beautiful.  When the weather allows, the tree-lined terrace to the front of the inn is also a lovely place to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat.

Additionally, the more intimate Library Room can be reserved for private events and small parties.  The hotel has its own car park (additional charge) to the rear of the building, accessed via Ripon Road.  As parking spaces cannot be reserved in advance bear in mind that it may not be possible to find a space as the car park was almost full when we arrived.  There is no charge for street parking around the hotel between 6.00 p.m. and 8.00 a.m., just remember to set an early alarm to pop out to pay for additional time until you wish to depart.

Out and About:

Here are my suggestions of varied things to see and do during your stay in the town.

Turkish Baths:  

The Turkish Baths offer a unique blend of tradition, opulence, and relaxation.  Be stunned by the beautiful Victorian architecture with the exquisite Moorish mosaics and terrazzo floors.  Two hour sessions £25 Turkish Baths.

Royal Pump Room Museum:  

The Royal Pump Room is a grand, octagonal Victorian building which opened in 1842 to pump water from a natural spring.  The building now houses the town’s museum documenting Harrogate’s development as a prosperous and flourishing spa town dating back to the 16th century.  Its galleries contain an eclectic collection of strange 19th-century therapeutic equipment, recreated Victorian shopfronts and costumes along with an interesting collection of toys and treasures.

Mercer Art Gallery:  

Located on Swan Road just a couple of minutes walk from the Royal Pump Room.  Entrance is free and as well as being able to view a collection of 19th and 20th century modern fine art you can inspect where spa visitors came to socialise in Victorian times.

Valley Gardens:  

This 17 acre park is English Heritage Grade II listed for its historic buildings and lies in the centre of town with its main gates facing the Royal Pump Room.  The floral displays are spectacular with seasonal dahlias and bedding plants that are re-planted throughout the year.  Stroll beneath the colonnades, follow the winding pathways and stop for an ice cream at the historic Magnesia Well Tea Room.

RHS Garden Harlow Carr:

Harlow Carr is a stunning 58 acre garden and woodland one and a half miles to the southwest of Harrogate town centre.  Highlights include its herbaceous borders, wildflower meadows and the kitchen, scented and sub-tropical gardens.  The gardens are open daily with standard entrance £13.85 (free for RHS members and one accompanied guest.

Harrogate theatres:

The arts scene is well catered for in the town with the Harrogate Theatre on Oxford Street, the Royal Hall on Ripon Road and the Harrogate Convention Centre just behind it.  Check out the listings for plays, musicals, drama, ballet, concerts and the annual pantomime and view top quality performances for a fraction of the price you would pay in London’s West End.

Montpellier Quarter:  

This part of town begins at the corner of Betty’s Tea Rooms and gently winds its way downhill overlooking the Montpellier Gardens.  With its small independent designer boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and beauty salons it’s a delightful place for a wander.  Explore its narrow cobbled streets and admire the beautiful buildings.

Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms:  

A Yorkshire institution and renowned for its signature blends of tea and coffee, delicious cakes and delicate finger sandwiches.  Established in 1919 it remains an independent Yorkshire family business with other branches in York, Ilkley and Northallerton.  Splurge on a decadent champagne afternoon tea (£37.95) or for a more budget friendly option pick up one of their famous Fat Rascals (a plump fruity scone) from the shop and sit on a bench in the gardens opposite to enjoy it.  Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms.

Overall:

With elegantly furnished rooms, good food, a large outdoor terrace and its own Barking George pub, The Harrogate Inn is the perfect place to spend a night or two whilst enjoying all that Harrogate has to offer.  The Harrogate Inn.

Details:  The Harrogate Inn, 1 Ripon Road, Harrogate, HG1 2SY.

During our stay we were guests of the Inn Collection Group and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.

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