Where to Stay in York: Best Areas and Places to Stay
Wondering where to stay in York? This guide starts with the areas, so you can narrow things down before you look at a single room, then covers the places we have stayed in ourselves and the others worth considering, compared on price, parking and how far you are from the station.
York is small enough to walk across in half an hour, which means where you stay matters less than the hotel websites suggest, and differently. What actually separates one place from another is which side of the city walls you are on, whether you can park, and how far you are wheeling a case from the station.
It is also one of the most visited of England’s cities, and with good reason. York Minster, the Shambles, the National Railway Museum and the city walls are all within walking distance of each other, and there are plenty of things to do in York to fill several days. It makes a natural stop if you are travelling by train from London to Edinburgh, and a good base for day trips across Yorkshire.
We have been visiting York for years and have booked four different places over that time, on both sides of the walls. Everything we say about those four comes from our own stays, including what we paid and what we would tell a friend before they booked.
Where to stay in York, by area
All four of the places we have stayed in York sit just outside the walls, in two belts either side of the centre. That was not planned, but looking back it makes sense. Just outside is where the good independent guest houses are, the prices are gentler, and parking stops being a problem.
North-west: Bootham and Marygate
The closest belt to York Minster and Museum Gardens, and a longer walk from the station. The Minster Hotel sits on Bootham, around 500 metres from the cathedral. Abbey Guest House and 23 St Mary’s are a few minutes away in the quiet pocket around Marygate, close to the River Ouse.
This side suits anyone whose priority is the Minster, the Museum Gardens and the quieter northern half of the centre.
South-west: Blossom Street and Scarcroft
Straight out through Micklegate Bar, and the closest belt to York railway station. The Bar Convent is 300 metres from the platforms, and Wheatlands Lodge is about five minutes further on Scarcroft Road.
This side suits anyone arriving by train who would rather walk than take a taxi, and anyone driving who wants somewhere to leave the car.
Inside the walls
We have never booked a room inside the walls, and that has been a deliberate choice rather than an accident. Whether we have arrived by train or by car, staying just outside has always been easier, and it tends to be a little cheaper and a little quieter than the centre.
York is a compact city and everything is easy to reach on foot, so you do not need to pay a premium for a postcode inside the walls. That said, we would not rule it out for a future visit, and several of the places further down this page are inside the walls.
Our guide to visiting York can be found on episode 3 of the podcast.
Which area should you choose?
- Arriving by train: south-west, and you can walk to your room in five minutes.
- Driving: south-west or Bootham, where parking is either included or available on site.
- Here for the Minster: Bootham and Marygate put it on your doorstep.
- Watching the budget: both belts have a good value option, so choose on convenience rather than price.
Where to stay in York compared
Every place on this page, with the two things that most often decide it. Prices are per night for a double room: £ under £100, ££ £100 to £180, £££ over £180.
| NAME | AREA | PARKING | BUDGET | BOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Guest House (we stayed) | Marygate | Nearby, £15 | ££ | CHECK PRICES |
| The Bar Convent (we stayed) | Blossom Street | None | ££ | CHECK PRICES |
| The Minster Hotel (we stayed) | Bootham | On site, £10 | £ | CHECK PRICES |
| Wheatlands Lodge (we stayed) | Scarcroft Road | Free on site | £ | CHECK PRICES |
| The Grand, York | Station Rise | Valet, £40 | £££ | CHECK PRICES |
| The Milner York | Station Road | On site, £20 | £££ | CHECK PRICES |
| Malmaison York | Rougier Street | On site, paid | £££ | CHECK PRICES |
| Grays Court | Inside the walls | On site | £££ | CHECK PRICES |
| Hotel Indigo York | Walmgate | On site, paid | ££ | CHECK PRICES |
| Holiday Inn York City Centre | Piccadilly | None on site | ££ | CHECK PRICES |
| Judges Court | Inside the walls | None | ££ | CHECK PRICES |
| Guy Fawkes Inn | High Petergate | None | ££ | CHECK PRICES |
| 23 St Mary’s | Marygate | Nearby, paid | £ | CHECK PRICES |
| Tower Guest House | Clifton | Free on site | £ | CHECK PRICES |
Where to stay in York – quick picks
🏆 Our own favourite – Abbey Guest House
🚂 Closest to the station – The Bar Convent
🚗 Best if you are driving – Wheatlands Lodge
📖 Best for history lovers – The Guy Fawkes Inn
⭐️ Best boutique hotel – Hotel Indigo York
👨👩👧 Best for families – Holiday Inn York City Centre
Places we have stayed in York
These are the four places we have booked ourselves. Everything below comes from our own stays.
Abbey Guest House – ££
Our favourite of the four. A Victorian terrace on Earlsborough Terrace with a garden and terrace looking out over the River Ouse, and a nine minute walk from the railway station.
Our room was at the front, which meant we could watch the trains crossing the river bridge from the window. If that is not your idea of a good time, ask for a room at the back.
Worth knowing
- Adults only, so not one for families.
- Breakfast is not served, so plan to eat out. Marygate and Bootham both have cafes within a few minutes’ walk.
- Parking is not on site. There is a private car park nearby at around £15 a day which needs reserving ahead, plus street parking.
- All rooms have a private bathroom, and WiFi is free throughout.
Who it suits: couples, and anyone who wants a river view and a quiet garden within a few minutes of both the station and the Minster.
We paid £294 for two nights in June 2026.
⭐️ Check prices for Abbey Guest House
The Bar Convent – ££
A Grade I listed building on Blossom Street, 300 metres from the railway station, and the oldest living convent in England. We had never stayed in a working convent before and it turned out to be one of the nicest places we have booked anywhere in the UK.
The room was lovely, with its own bathroom, but what we enjoyed most were the shared spaces. There is a cafe where breakfast and lunch are served, in a beautiful light room, and a garden that is a genuinely pretty spot to sit with a coffee or something to eat. There is also a chapel on site which you are welcome to look around.
It is a little pricier than the other places we have stayed in York, and we would still book it again.
Worth knowing
- There is no parking at all, so this is one for arriving by train.
- There is a lift, which is worth knowing in a city full of Georgian townhouses with stairs.
- Breakfast is worth thinking about before you book. Book direct with the convent and their award-winning cooked breakfast is included. Book through a booking site and you get the continental option, with a cooked breakfast available at extra cost.
- Family rooms are available, and the rooms have air conditioning.
Who it suits: anyone arriving by train, anyone who would rather stay somewhere with a bit of history to it, and anyone who needs a lift.
We paid £300 for two nights.
⭐️ Check prices for The Bar Convent
The Minster Hotel – £
A three star hotel on Bootham, around 500 metres from York Minster, which makes it the closest of our four to the cathedral and the furthest from the station at about fifteen minutes on foot.
We stayed here at Christmas. The style is traditional rather than contemporary, and in the middle of a dark northern winter that suited the trip. For the price, with a cooked breakfast and parking on site, it is an affordable base for a few days in York.
Worth knowing
- Rooms do not have a view of the Minster, despite the name and the short walk.
- We only used the stairs during our stay, so anyone who needs a lift may want to check before booking.
- Private parking is on site at £10 a day and cannot be reserved in advance.
- Full English breakfasts are cooked to order, and there is a bar.
- Family rooms are available.
Who it suits: anyone whose main reason for coming is the Minster, and anyone driving who wants parking on site without paying city centre rates.
⭐️ Check prices for The Minster Hotel
Wheatlands Lodge Hotel – £
The best value of the four, on Scarcroft Road about five minutes from the railway station and ten from the centre. The walk in is easy and takes you through Micklegate Bar, which is a pleasant way to arrive.
There is a bar lounge with regular live music, a dining room serving evening meals, and a full English is included in the rate.
Worth knowing
- Free private parking is offered on site, though we parked on the street when we stayed.
- Full English breakfast is included.
- Family rooms are available.
Who it suits: anyone watching the budget who still wants a proper cooked breakfast and an easy walk into town, and anyone driving who would rather not pay for parking.
⭐️ Check prices for Wheatlands Lodge
Other places to consider in York
We have not stayed in these ourselves, but they come up often enough when people ask about York that they are worth including. We have picked them for location, for the kind of trip they suit, and for their track record with guests. If you have stayed in any of them we would love to hear how you got on.
The Grand, York – £££
The most luxurious option in York, in the Grade II listed former headquarters of the North Eastern Railway on Station Rise. Five stars, 207 rooms, and a couple of minutes from the platforms.
There are two restaurants, The Rise and the fine dining Legacy, plus a cocktail bar and a terrace. Rooms come with bathrobes and Molton Brown toiletries.
Worth knowing: the spa and gym are closed for a refurbishment at the time of writing, with Elemis treatments still available, so check before booking if that is part of the appeal. Parking is valet only at around £40 a night, the most expensive on this page. Note too that there is an unrelated hotel in York with a very similar name, so check you are booking the one on Station Rise.
⭐️ Check prices for The Grand
The Milner York – £££
You may know this one as The Principal York, or before that the Royal Station Hotel. It was renamed The Milner York in October 2024 after William Milner, the York station foreman who was killed during a wartime air raid on the city and was found still holding his first aid box.
A four star hotel in its own gardens right beside the station, with 155 rooms and views towards the Minster from the Garden Room. The leisure club has a heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room, which is unusual this close to the centre.
Afternoon tea is served in the Garden Room, with meals in the Refectory Kitchen and Terrace and drinks in the Chapter House bar.
Worth knowing: parking is on site at around £20 a day. Air conditioning was added to all rooms during the 2024 refurbishment.
⭐️ Check prices for The Milner York
Malmaison York – £££
On Rougier Street, about five minutes from the station and 500 metres from the Minster. The most contemporary hotel on this page, with 150 air-conditioned rooms.
The thing that sets it apart is the food and drink. There is a rooftop bar with views across the city, and two restaurants: the Malmaison Grill for British cooking and Sora, which serves Japanese. Not something you will find elsewhere in York.
Worth knowing: private parking is on site and needs reserving in advance, with charges applying. Family rooms are available.
⭐️ Check prices for Malmaison York
Grays Court – £££
Parts of the building date back to 1080, and it was once home to King James I. Twelve rooms in a house with a Jacobean long gallery, set in gardens looking over the medieval walls, a few steps from the Minster.
The Bow Room Restaurant serves a tasting menu from Tuesday to Saturday and holds two AA rosettes. Breakfast is cooked to order.
Worth knowing: there is private parking on site, which is rare for anywhere inside the walls and worth a lot if you are driving. With twelve rooms it books up early.
⭐️ Check prices for Grays Court
Hotel Indigo York – ££
On Walmgate, one of the oldest streets in York and now one of the best for eating out. A four star boutique hotel with 184 rooms, inside the walls and about ten minutes from the Shambles.
The design theme is York’s chocolate heritage, with nods to Rowntree’s and Terry’s through the rooms alongside Yorkshire wool furnishings and images of old Walmgate. Rooms have rainfall showers and Egyptian cotton bedding. The restaurant and bar, No.88 Walmgate, serves Yorkshire small plates, local gin and ale.
Worth knowing: there is parking on site, though guests regularly comment that the rates are high. Being on a street full of restaurants is the main reason to choose it.
⭐️ Check prices for Hotel Indigo York
Holiday Inn York City Centre – ££
On Piccadilly, inside the walls and about fifteen minutes on foot from the station. A hundred modern rooms with air conditioning and walk-in showers, and a hot buffet breakfast.
This is the most straightforward family option on the page. Children stay and eat free, and the rooms have pull-out sofa beds.
Worth knowing: there is no parking on site, though there is a car park about two minutes’ walk away. Note that there are two other Holiday Inns in York, one out by the racecourse and a Holiday Inn Express, so check you are booking the City Centre one on Piccadilly.
⭐️ Check prices for Holiday Inn York City Centre
Judges Court – ££
A four storey Georgian Grade II listed townhouse tucked down a gated courtyard off a pedestrianised street near Coney Street. Between 1720 and 1806 it housed the judges who came to York to sit at the Assizes. Fifteen rooms with bespoke furniture, drench showers, Molton Brown toiletries and Egyptian cotton linen.
Worth knowing: this is a room only hotel, so no breakfast is served. It is surrounded by places to eat, but factor that into the price when comparing. Car access is limited because of the pedestrianised street, with bag drop possible between 5pm and 10.30am, and parking left to the council car parks. Do not confuse it with The Judges Lodging, which is a different York hotel with a similar name.
⭐️ Check prices for Judges Court
Guy Fawkes Inn – ££
On High Petergate, directly opposite the Minster, in the building where Guy Fawkes was born. Thirteen individually decorated rooms, several with four-poster beds, in a pub that has kept its gas lighting, real log fires and original timber staircase.
The restaurant serves classic pub food by candlelight and the bar keeps a good range of real ales. It was named a finalist for Pub of the Year at the Visit York Tourism Awards in 2026.
Worth knowing: there is no parking. Rooms in the courtyard sit close to the pub and guests do mention noise in the evenings, so it is worth asking about the location of your room when you book.
⭐️ Check prices for Guy Fawkes Inn
23 St Mary’s – £
A Victorian townhouse on a quiet street in the Marygate pocket, the same corner of York as Abbey Guest House, under ten minutes from the station, the walls and the Minster. Nine individually decorated rooms and a guest lounge, with a walk into the centre through the Museum Gardens or along the river.
The en-suites have been refitted recently, and breakfast has a strong reputation with guests.
Worth knowing: parking is paid private parking nearby rather than on site. There are stairs and no lift, which the owners tell guests about in advance, so mention it when booking if that matters.
⭐️ Check prices for 23 St Mary’s
Tower Guest House – £
A Victorian town house in Clifton, run by Tony and Diana. Eight en-suite rooms, a full English included, and free private parking, which is the main reason to choose it.
It has won Visit York B&B of the Year three times, in 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Worth knowing: this is the furthest out of everywhere on this page, around a 30 minute walk from the station and further from the centre than the others. That is the trade-off for free parking on site. Children under 8 are not accepted.
⭐️ Check prices for Tower Guest House
York Travel Guide
Plan your visit to York and Yorkshire with our other guides.
- Best UK staycation destinations
- Durham Travel Guide
- Chester Travel Guide
- Northumberland Travel Guide
