Malmaison York Review: Where To Stay In York

ByNishi V Updated on
Where to stay in York, the Malmaison York standard room

If you’re planning a weekend away in York and are wondering where to stay, look no further than the Malmaison York.

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Malmaison York Review

Having bagged a near perfect location in a converted landmark insurance building, the Malmaison York is a 4 star hotel situated within a 15 minute walk away from all the infamous attractions.

The hotel offers stunning views over York Minster and the city walls, is close to the river Ouse and has a magnitude of eateries nearby to chose from. Location wise, it really doesn’t get much better than this.

The Room at Malmaison York

We stayed in a standard room, with not much of a view worth mentioning. The room offers a comfortable king-sized bed, desk, bathroom, dressing table, fridge, toiletries, ironing board and complimentary tea & coffee making facilities. All the usual offerings you’d expect from a 4 star establishment.

The decor is stylish, bright and edgy with classy tones of mustard, tangerine and charcoal, giving a slight feminine edge to a traditionally masculine vibe.

Where to stay in York, the Malmaison York standard room

The room itself felt more like a studio apartment than a hotel room and was larger than one would expect from a city hotel. The bed is centred in the middle of the room, against a wall with ribbed glass panels separating the bathroom and dressing area on the other side. Trés chic.

The walls are cleverly adorned in pop art, one particular canvas to the side of the bed which we later discovered was used as a sliding cover to hide the TV.

Genius. Though I’m not sure it how comfortable it would have been to watch a long movie at that angle.

Inside a double room at Malmaison York

Large windows faced the bed, bringing in a stream of sunshine which was lovely. We seriously lucked out with the weather, given this is England and rain is imminent at any time.

The Bathroom: Malmaison York

The bathroom area looked more like a kitchenette with the stylish taps to the side of the basin, located next to the dressing table area. There is a large walk in shower complete with rainfall shower head to one side and a loo with a sliding door behind. The area is compact without feeling suffocating due to the clever design of the space.

The obligatory body wash, shampoo and conditioner are all provided, without the frills of having a shower cap for instance. This was a bit disappointing, particularly as there weren’t any available at reception and the staff couldn’t locate one either.

There are feminine hygiene products available in the toilet, which I thought was a nice touch.

The bathroom and dressing area in a standard room at Malmaison York
Body wash and shower gel against grey concrete effect tiles inside a shower

Food And Drink

Considering this hotel was located within a 10 minute walk of all the vegan restaurants in York on my list I went armed with, we didn’t dine at the restaurant in the hotel. Nor did we have breakfast included as part of our room rate.

Me holding a vegan doner teller kebab at Doner Summer York

There is a Starbucks very conveniently situated in the hotel lobby, just behind the reception area which was very handy (read, much needed) for my early morning caffeine fix!

Apparently, York Minster’s central tower can’t compete with the Malmaison’s rooftop bar and restaurant for views, so if you have an eye for photography or simply just appreciate a nice view, it might be one to check out while you are there.

I’ve put together a post on how to spend a weekend in York: the perfect 2 day itinerary, should you be looking for some unusual things to do, such as being your own captain and driving a boat!

Malmaison York Parking

As with many city centre hotels, parking is not included. Indeed, the Malmaison York has an underground car park with limited spaces, though there is a charge for it and it gets booked up in advance very quickly.

There is an NCP car park a 5 minute walk away and while not cheap, the hotel does offer a slightly discounted rate.

We drove to York, but unless you’re planning to leave the city itself, you won’t need to drive anywhere while you’re there as everything is so close together.

Overall, the only thing I can fault the Malmaison York on was their cleanliness. In a bid to be more environmentally friendly by reducing the frequency of a turn down service, they’d overlooked the dust that gathers everywhere.

The towel radiator, mirrors and dressing table/fridge area were caked in a thin layer of dust and we found some rubbish discarded in the corner of the room from what I imagine must have been the previous occupant. It’s never ideal finding evidence someone has stayed in the same room as you before, which is a basic hospitality measure in my opinion.

Cleanliness aside, we had a wonderful (albeit, pricey) stay at the Malmaison York and would consider booking it again, should we visit York.

If you’re considering other luxury city break hotels in the UK, I also reviewed The Gainsborough Bath Spa in Bath.

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where to stay in york: malmaison york review

Read more about the United Kingdom:

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Have a closer look at our room in my vlog below:

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Nishi is an award-winning UK travel writer and content creator with a love for cultural travel, soft adventure and destinations beyond the obvious. After exploring 50+ countries across four continents, she has a particular soft spot for Asia. She shares thoughtfully curated travel guides and itineraries.

From boutique hotel stays and scuba diving adventures to vegetarian foodie finds and detailed itineraries, Nishi helps over 40,000 people per month plan meaningful trips that feel memorable.