TRAVEL TEST

WHAT: Hotel Indigo York, doubles from £175, B&B; superior king from £195, B&B. hotelindigoyork.co.uk, 01904 231 333

WHERE: The Hotel Indigo York sits right in the heart of the historic city. It’s an ideal base for a long weekend, on a street with a great selection of restaurants, cafes and bars. The city walls are nearby which you can walk around.

The hotel has a warehouse feel with exposed brick and wood and an open restaurant and lounge area. The 103 rooms are distinctly different and designed around Yorkshire’s chocolate heritage.

Some feature old photographs of York, others come with panelling resembling chocolate blocks, lampshades fashioned from antique jelly moulds and all have fabulous bathrooms with rain showers.

EXPERIENCE: Covid restrictions when I stayed meant that the restaurant, No 88 Walmgate had limited opening times and tables had to be be reserved in advance. They have now been lifted.

Meals can also be ordered and delivered to your room using a Whatsapp service.

Food is locally sourced from Yorkshire suppliers and includes Thai green chicken curry, £14, and rump steak, £16.

It’s a buzzy, open-air restaurant with wooden tables and booths and a bar stocked with locally brewed craft beers and ales, as well as wines and fizz.

Full, sit-down breakfast is served (pre-booking essential) in the same restaurant.

Staff were so helpful, particularly when it came to suggesting local attractions. We visited the Shambles Market which sells an array of international bites such as Sicilian pizzas, Turkish wraps and Indian street food. Stop at Stam & Maria’s who do a delicious beetroot burger.

Don’t miss the 7th-century York Minster, one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals with its extraordinary collection of medieval stained glass. QUIBBLES: None.

VERDICT: Excellent service and location. 10/10