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 The Crown Hotel.
Location:
The Crown Hotel sits in the heart of the beautiful town of Harrogate with this historic hotel being one of the oldest with a history dating back 300 years to the Georgian period. Situated across the road from the beautiful Valley Gardens and overlooking Montpellier Gardens, The Crown has an enviable location just moments from everything Harrogate has to offer.
Harrogate is located 19 miles (30 km) 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
We arrived at the hotel at 2.15 p.m. and even before entering we were impressed with the hotel’s beautiful external appearance within the Montpellier Quarter of the town. The Crown has limited car parking to the front of the hotel so I suggest reserving a space in advance to avoid disappointment.
On stepping through the polished wood doors into the elegant lobby we were greeted with a smile by Agnes, one of the front desk team who had us checked-in in hardly any time at all. Despite arriving 45 minutes before the official time our room was ready and we were handed our room keys and offered assistance with our luggage up to the room.
The room:
We had been booked into an executive double room on the first floor. With a large bay window overlooking the front, our spacious room was flooded with natural light.
Decorated in neutral shades and furnished in a traditional style in keeping with the heritage of the building, the room boasted a king size bed, leather chesterfield sofa, coffee table, mini fridge and dressing table. A selection of teas, coffee and biscuits were to be found on the dressing table along with a handwritten postcard welcoming us to The Crown and small black box tied with red ribbon containing two handmade chocolates which we couldn’t resist eating straightaway.
To one side of the bedroom was a small dressing room with a wardrobe which led into our en-suite bathroom which comprised a bath with shower over, locally produced luxurious H2K toiletries and a pile of lovely thick towels.
Dining:
Dinner is served in the surroundings of the hotel’s elegant Churchill’s restaurant where a table had been reserved for us at 7.00 p.m. The restaurant was already quite full with early diners but with several staff on hand, menus were brought to us quite soon after we had been seated. The hotel offers a set menu with a choice of several starters, mains and a dessert for only £25. Both the steak and lamb mains came with a small supplement but even taking this into account we considered the menu to offer an excellent deal.
For starters, I opted for the salt and pepper fried squid whilst my husband selected the sweet potato falafel and these were both of a good size, nicely presented and very tasty. Moving onto mains I couldn’t resist the slow cooked lamb shoulder served on a bed of mashed potato with a pea and mint purée. Across the table the roasted sea bass in a white wine cream sauce was equally flavoursome and went down a treat.
Our desserts of lemon tart and chocolate and raspberry torte were both delectable and a perfect end to our meal. Wine is reasonably priced and available either by the glass or the bottle and with attentive yet unobtrusive service we enjoyed a very relaxed dining experience.
Breakfast is also served in Churchill’s and comprised a selection of fresh fruit, yoghurts, cheese, cooked meats and pastries whilst over on the hot counter there were good quality sausages, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes with eggs being made to order and brought to the table. We both ordered poached eggs which had perfect runny yolks and when these had been delivered we just popped back to add some bacon, etc. Cappuccinos were available so I was able to start my day with a couple of nice, frothy coffees whilst my husband enjoyed his usual americano.
Afternoon Tea can be taken in either the hotel’s main bar or the more recently refurbished ‘The Place’. We opted for the latter and arranged our afternoon tea for the day of our departure. A lovely circular table had been laid out in the window from where we had views of the historic Pump Room.
After ordering a pot of Earl Grey tea, a three tier cake stand was brought out containing freshly prepared finger sandwiches, warm scones which we ate with clotted cream and strawberry jam and to finish with there was an assortment of small cakes and tarts. More tea was served as we worked our way through the generous sandwiches, scones and cakes but we had to admit defeat before clearing them all so Laurence, our friendly waiter packaged the remainder up carefully for us to take home so that we could eat them later.
The Facilities:
The Crown Hotel has 115 individually styled guest rooms located over three floors ranging from standard to executive. As mentioned above, the hotel has two bars, Henry’s, the main cocktail bar which is traditionally styled with comfortable seating and large bay windows overlooking the Montpellier Gardens and the more informal ‘The Place’, where we opted to take our afternoon tea.
Live music takes place most evenings and although we only popped in for a look, it was quite busy with a mix of guests and locals creating a pleasant atmosphere.
The hotel has seven conference rooms ranging from the intimate Montpellier room to the large Victoria Suite, which are suitable for a range of events, meetings, family gatherings and weddings.
Wi-Fi was easy to connect to and worked well throughout the building. Car parking is charged at £12 per 24 hours on a first come first served basis with six premium spaces being available for pre-booking at a cost of £15 per night for guests wishing to guarantee having somewhere to park in the hotel’s grounds.
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. 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 just two minutes walk from the hotel and is English Heritage Grade II listed for its historic buildings. The floral displays are spectacular with seasonal 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. On a nice day it is easily walkable by following a woodland path from the rear of the Valley Gardens. 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. RHS Harlow Carr
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. Harrogate Theatre
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 to The Crown Hotel. 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 fat rascals (a plump fruity scone). Established in 1919 it remains an independent Yorkshire family business with other branches in York, Ilkley and Northallerton. Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms.
Overall:
Our stay at the Crown Hotel was delightful with each member of staff we came into contact with being polite, friendly and well trained. Even though our room had large windows and a high ceiling it was always lovely and warm and with no outdoor disturbances whatsoever. All meals were of a very high quality with service to match.
I would say that for a three star hotel, The Crown punches well above its weight and makes for a lovely place to stay in Harrogate. Once we had parked our car we didn’t need to use it at all during our visit as all the main attractions and shopping are within a short walk from the hotel so it would also be very convenient for guests arriving by train.
Details: The Crown Hotel, Crown Place, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 2RZ
During our stay we were guests of The Crown Hotel and Visit Harrogate and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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