Mount Royale Hotel York (image provided by Booking.com)
Rolling our suitcases past the ivy-clad exterior of the Mount Royale Hotel, our expectations were high; nothing this picturesque on the outside could fail on the inside surely.
We often find that, when planning a city break, choosing a hotel to suit our needs is extremely difficult. Not only do we enjoy the comforts of a modern hotel, we seek out charm, character and bath tubs.
Now I know, to some, it sounds a little bizarre but for us there is nothing better than slipping into a scolding hot bubble bath after a long day traipsing the sights of a city. So, on entering our room, you can only imagine the joy on both of our faces when we realised that the bathroom had a full-sized, extra deep bath tub to relax in.
Not only that, the bedroom itself was huge. We had a king-sized bed to sleep soundly in, a seating area with large comfy chairs and the added surprise of a walk-in wardrobe. However, what toped it all off, was the private patio area where, if you were visiting during warmer months would have been an enjoyable place to spend time looking out over the well-tended gardens. Or perhaps, you would have preferred a quick dip in the outside jacuzzi, which was perfectly nestled under a pergola covered in beautiful, climbing plants.
The view outside our room
It is fair to say that we were both extremely impressed. Space in any city comes at a premium and therefore to have such large rooms is often unheard of.
But, this for me at least was not the best part. I had heard wonderful things about the bar area of the Mount Royale, apparently so I had been led to believe, it would appeal to the book nerd in me – and I guarantee it did not disappoint.
Wandering through the narrow corridors, and ducking under the low-level door frames we emerge into what I can only describe as the cutest (yes, that’s right I have just said a bar area is cute!!!!) nook-turned-bar. Here you could relax for hours, curled up with a good book in an elegant leather chair whilst warming yourself next to the open fire. Alternatively, head further into the maze of rooms where you will find sumptuous sofas inviting you to sink down onto them and enjoy a fabulous cocktail or glass of wine.
This is the place to lounge and unwind, perhaps play one of the many board games dotted around or pick up one of the delicately bound books to see what lies beneath the front cover.
This is the one room that every bookworm will covet. It is a more than just another room with a few books in for you to enjoy. The wall paper recreates a library, with floor to ceiling books printed across it and the lamps are spectacular. No bibliophile in their right mind would walk past them without stopping, it just would not happen.
The wonderful thing is, that even if you are not a guest of this hotel, but want to spend time in this bibliophile’s retreat, you can and whilst there I whole-heartedly suggest booking a table at the OXO Restaurant next door. With all ingredients being locally sourced, the head chef here cooks to season, taking pride in every dish that he sends out. No detail has been overlooked and all dishes have been designed so that tastes compliment not overpower one another.
Location of the Mount Royale Hotel
If you are after a hotel in a great location look no further. The Mount Royale Hotel is just a ten minutes walk away from Micklegate Bar and signals the entrance to the inner historical city. Within minutes you can be wandering down the famous cobbled streets around The Shambles, be strolling around the grounds of the Yorkshire Museum or take Afternoon Tea at the legendary Betty’s Tea Rooms.
It is also one of the few hotels this close to the city with a free on-site parking facilities, so rather than paying for the hefty parking you have the freedom to wander the city walls knowing that your car will always be in safe hands.
What Makes the Mount Royale Hotel Really Stand Out?
Yes, the decor in the bar area is a plus and the bath a real selling point for us but ultimately we like to visit places where we feel welcomed and the Mount Royale Hotel does just that.
From the moment we walked through the door, from the reception team to the bar staff, everyone was attentive and wanted to help us enjoy our stay.
One morning at breakfast, a team member found out about my slight obsession with all things fictional which lead to a conversation about how there was once a man called Mr Chicken who worked in the Railway Offices on Micklegate with another gentleman by the name of Dickens. This Dickens individual just happened to have a brother called Charles. Rumour has it that Mr Chicken became the fictional character of Mr Micawber, one of the most memorable characters ever created by the writer.
Now, how many large hotel chains have the ability to get to know each of their customers like this?
The Mount Royale Hotel may be a small family run hotel but in our opinion it completely overshadows the larger hotel companies that can be found anywhere.
If you are after a stay that will leave you feeling warm inside, spend a night or two at the Mount Royale Hotel.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the Mount Royale Hotel for making our stay truly memorable. Although we did receive a complimentary stay all views and opinions are our own.
I agree, even if you don’t really enjoy being surrounded by books and book decoration the ambiance was great and the staff were amazing.
oooohhhh how I would love to just live there for a year. The entire place looks cozy and relaxing.
The smaller bar area is especially cozy, especially when they have the open fire going! 🙂
WOW yes please I would absolutely love to visit this hotel it looks beautiful and all those books! x
It is a beautiful place to stay!
What an incredible place to spend a night (or several nights, even!) This hotel is gorgeous, and I absolutely love all the books just waiting to be picked up and enjoyed. And that book wallpaper! Amazing!
I love the book wallpaper – if I can’t get my library wall of books I see this as the next best thing! 😀
Omg everything about this hotel sounds fabulous!!! Would love to stay there one day
It is in a great location for the city and is lovely!
What a gorgeous place to stay and relax in. I’d spend time browsing books for sure. I don’t care where I am or what I’m doing, the first thing I do is find me a good book. Then a nice hot bubbly bath.
You definitely need a good book, especially if you intend to have a nice long soak in the bath whilst reading it! 🙂
It looks so luxurious! It would be so nice to spend a weekend in there! It surely has a nice decor!
The decor really did stand out for us – it has been very well designed and maintained by the team!
What a beautiful place! I would definitely love to visit. This looks like such a great place to relax and get away from it all.
After a day walking around the city this is the perfect place to come back to!
I’m a bookworm. And you’ve just shed light on why I love the kind of furniture you displayed here. I love libraries!! I never made the connection before (even though my library in my last home was decorated very similarly).
Libraries are such fantastic places – whether it is one in your own home or a local one you visit. I love spending time looking at row after row of books. The book lamp is probably a favourite of mine – I would love one of my own.
What a pretty place to stay. I love the view of the garden, looks so relaxing!
I can imagine in the summer months that the garden is the perfect place to spend time at the end of a hectic day sightseeing.
What a cool hotel. If I was a reader this would definitely be on my list of places to visit
If you ever decide to visit the city of York, even if you don’t like reading this is in a perfect location and the food was outstanding both at breakfast and dinner.
I have a friend who loves reading books! I need to tell this to her.
Please do, she would love the decoration.
Wow. I really want to check this place out. Beautiful hotel!
Every room in this hotel, both private and communal are lovely to spend time in.
I am dying to get in there and snuggle up with a book in those cozy nooks. Wow, wow, wow!
If you ever decide to visit York, this definitely sounds like the hotel for you.
What a beautiful hotel! It reminds me of one that I stayed in, in New Orleans. It would be a book lovers paradise 🙂
Do you have a name for the one you stayed in in New Orleans? If it is similar, I would love to add it to my list of hotels I need to visit if I ever make it that way.
Oh wow, what a beautiful place to stay. The room is adorable!
The room was absolutely stunning, I would definitely stay there again.
It’s really a book lover’s haven. I love the bar and the lounge, I can spend hours there completely immersed in a good book and a glass of my favorite drink. I love that it’s near the museum and a tea house. That’s awesome! The rooms are lovely as well.
It is a fantastic location and the fact that I could curl up on one of their over-sized leather sofas with a good book and a nice glass of wine was a definite plus.
Such a great place to visit and the hotel really looks comfy; I love the good ambiance there.
The hotel was very plush and comfortable.
I love getting away and this looks like a fab place to stay. Your pictures are glorious and I would love to visit.
If you are ever in York, this is the hotel to book into.
Such a charming place to stay! Thank you for sharing this.
Charming is definitely the right word to use for this hotel.
I have to agree. This is a dream place for booklovers. I can see myself lounging and reading there.
This is definitely hotel where you could spend hours reading in the bar and would not look out of place.
I love that wallpaper. It had me fooled for a moment! This hotel looks so lovely, I will have to add it to my list of places to travel.
I am in need of this wallpaper for my own walls – I think it would look fantastic as a feature wall in a house somewhere.
This place is definitely on my bucket list now. I could curl up in that chair by the fire all day long!
Fires, especially on cold days, are a must in my opinion.
I am a huge book lover and would love to stay there! That library wallpaper is awesome!
I love all of the bookish details in this hotel – it really made it stand out for me as a great place for any bookworm to visit.
So lovely! Look at all that book decoration! Id love to chill on a sofa and start reading my favorite book =)
I agree, you could be lost for hours in the pages of a good book whilst curled up on one of the sofas by the fire.
I think the hardest part for me would be choosing where to pop a squat and read! Every room looks so inviting!
I had the same problem. I wanted to spend more time in every room we visited.
how adorable! I love that sitting room. Plus the BR looked amazing. I’ll pin this for the future, you never know!
I hope you get the opportunity to visit. It really is a great place to stay.
What a beautiful and charming hotel. I love staying at places that are full of character and charm.I love staying at smaller places because of the personal touch and find the service usually better than large chains.
This place has bags of charm, from the smaller bar rooms to the many different room types available. I cannot see how anyone would be disappointed with a stay here.
I really like the book lamp. That’s so neat! I could stay in this place for a long, long time. And I would definitely bring some books!
I loved it so much I am now on the look out for a similar one that would fit nicely into my home.
This looks like a really nice hotel. I will keep it in mind for my next trip to York.
Please do, it is a fantastic place to stay – both the surroundings and staff are wonderful!
I love staying at one of a kind hotels. It is a whole different feel than big chains.
I agree, there is something very different about staying in a smaller, boutique-style hotel – I like the fact that they are trying achieve something different.
Oh My you have my attention now. This place looks AWESOME. I so want to visit here like now.
When I saw pictures on the internet, I immediately wanted to visit and I am so glad we did. I would recommend it to everyone who wants to visit York.
What a nice place to get away from it all. A book by the fireplace sounds nice.
Two of my favourite things – add a nice bubble bath to this and in fact the hotel is a complete winner in my eyes.
WOW! What a beautiful hotel and a great sanctuary for reading!!! I must put this on my bucket list. I can just imagine myself in there and never leaving! The grounds look amazing!
I would love to revisit in the summer months when it is warm enough to sit out in the garden and perhaps enjoy the pool and hot tub.