HOTEL OF THE WEEK
Harrogate
WHERE AND WHY Located in the heart of posh, leafy Harrogate, The Yorkshire could not be better placed for exploring this elegant spa town.
This historic four-star hotel has hustle and bustle on one side, backing on to the main shopping quarter, and the peaceful beauty of the treelined expanse of The Stray found on the other.
A five-minute walk from the town’s railway station, the hotel delivers a contemporary twist on a charming original.
Our suite, with its intricate architraving, featured a tasteful sitting room complete with delicious welcoming fruit board, a comfortable bedroom in soft grey tones and a stylish bathroom with products from Harrogate-based H2k. The balcony, with its period iron columns, supplied a prime vantage point to watch Harrogate go by.
ON THE MENU The hotel restaurant, the Pickled Sprout, underwent a £500k refurbishment during lockdown.
The menu includes locallysourced items and there is also a well-stocked wine list. The pressed duck terrine with pistachios, honey and cranberries (£7.90) to start and sea bass with pancetta, pea and lemon risotto and gremolata (£21) was delicious.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE A quick stop at the Royal Pump Room Museum, with its sulphur and magnesium water wells, brings Harrogate’s spa story to life.
Head on to the Royal Horticultural Society’s idyllic Harlow Carr Gardens or follow in Elgar’s footsteps and take a stroll through the more central Valley Gardens instead.
WAKE-UP CALL Rooms from £89 per night including breakfast. the-yorkshire.co.uk