Firstly, I am not usually one to complain, I'm not overly fussy and saw the other reviews on here and thought, ah well, whats the problem with a bit of distasteful decor and shabby chic?
We arrived on a Friday evening, the room was okay, a little small, a little shabby but for the money paid and location I wasn't overly concerned. First night went without incident...
However, when we went down for breakfast in the morning we found the bar/restaurant shut and a number of other disgruntled guests stood around trying to ring the hotel manager or any member of staff who might be able to tell us what was going on. After about half an hour we gave up waiting and went out to seek nourishment elsewhere. We returned back about 6 at night, where when asked the receptionist/barmaid said they had had staff problems and we would be refunded for both days breakfast, which was great.
Unfortunately, the hotel bar which we found was open to the public, was full of a large group (10 or so) of young yobbish men shouting at the football match that was on, that was all we could hear from our room and to make it worse the smoking area door was in the hotel, just below our room and groups of them were also shouting there. As it was fairly early we decided to go out for tea and hope they'd be gone on our return.
After wandering around York trying to kill time we returned to the hotel about 9pm to find it still full of the same group, we waited at a pub down the road for them to leave as the hotel doors were supposed to shut at 10.
Returning to my room at about 9.30 trying to shut out the sound of swearing and shouting that was coming from outside my room with reassurances of 'they'll be gone in half an hour', I heard another guest shout from their room asking them politely to keep the noise down as they were trying to sleep, only to be greeted by the yobs swearing back at them and having a go.
I went to complain...the young lady behind the bar was apologetic although the men were jeering at me behind her.. (bearing in mind i'm a 5.2", female and fairly young, this was very intimidating). I suggested that maybe she should stop letting them into the hotel to go and smoke and advised her of them swearing at other guests. She assured me she would keep them in the bar and last orders were soon. As I was going back to my room one of them was abusive to me as I tried to shut the door a little to get past.
Ten minutes later, once again they were outside my room, this time one of them was having a domestic on their phone and was swearing profusely. I rang the hotel and once again complained to the same girl who said she would get them to be quiet...and again ten minutes later they were there being noisy! They eventually left (by the door, by my room!) at about half 11!
The shower in my room was also not working, it wouldn't get hot at all, despite many attempts at different times and on different settings.
When checking out in the morning I asked to speak to the manager who eventually turned up and wasn't at all helpful. He didn't offer to knock any money off for the disturbances the night before and when I stated my shower wasn't working went up to the room and said it was, despite two other guests complaining at the same time theirs weren't working either..I very much doubt that a whole group of separate guests had all lost the plot and couldn't operate showers at the same time!
Summing up, no more money was knocked off apart from the breakfasts and I had already spent the equivalent of that having breakfast out anyway, they weren't nearly shocked enough about the patrons of their bar and their shocking behaviour which makes me think this wasn't the first time it had happened, and accused all the guests whose showers weren't working that they were lying or too stupid to use them!
I know its a great location, and cheap, and with parking but there are nearby places for the same price, with parking, that are a hundred times better... DO NOT STAY HERE!!
Room Tip: Try a different hotel..
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC