Ramada Encore, York

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	Inexpensive and handy for night clubs
Disadvantages:	perhaps a little TOO handy for some tastes

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I recently had occasion to use the York Ramada Encore for a weekend break, with my better half, and a couple of very good friends.

If your idea if chain hotels is excessively over decorated chintz palaces, then you may be in for a pleasant surprise.

The Ramada Encore is a modern building on the western bank of the Ouze - or putting it slightly differently, at the 'station' end of the city centre, and is on the lower section of Micklegate.

Décor style is 'informal contemporary' - plain emulsioned walls, carpet tiles in the corridors, laminate flooring in the bedrooms. Furniture is kept to a minimum, we had one of the larger rooms, so we had a swivel chair on castors and a two-seater settee.

Thankfully, there is a complete absence of second rate 'architectural studies' screwed to the walls!

Furniture in the bedrooms is kept to an absolute minimum; writing desk with kettle and TV, double bed, and instead of the built in wardrobe, hangers on the wall. Ensuite bathrooms have a 'wet area' rather than a formal shower, and a big glass wash hand basin.

No fridge or minibar.

Something I did rather like was the absence of drawers, I always spend the last twenty minutes or so before checkout going through them just to make sure I've not left anything behind!

The hotel doesn't do evening meals (although bagged sandwiches are available from the bar) breakfast was strictly 'continental' in a 'refectory' style dining room. If you have your heart set on the 'full English' there's plenty of café's nearby who will offer an all day breakfast for a few quid.

The hotel lobby (known as the 'hub') featured a long bench upon which were placed a selection of newspapers, several café style tables and chairs, and an enormous plasma TV screen.

The hotel is handy for the late night clubs in York, perhaps a little TOO handy! Ask for a room at the back - if you can get one!

Our bedroom was on the eastern corner of the building, directly opposite a 1980's theme bar, if you're a light sleeper you may find the to and fro of revellers somewhat distracting at the weekend!

Our room was on the second floor, and the double glazing made a reasonably gallant attempt of cutting the noise, but our friends on the same room on the first floor were less lucky - they asked to be moved to a smaller room at the back of the hotel - on balance I would have preferred that also!

Saying that - you gets what you pays for, and for us, a double room for three nights over the weekend, including continental breakfast was only £229, which you could easily pay for a single room for one night in some of the posher establishments!

The hotel is within easy walking distance of the whole city centre (although the racecourse on the outskirts would need a taxi) and is well within tramping distance of the railway station.

Would I recommend this particular establishment? - well, with qualification!

For a lads' - or girls' weekend away - when the chances are you'd fall into bed half cut, and will find it's perfectly adequate for the purposes, and bearing in mind it isn't hugely expensive to stay there, is well worth it.

I hate over attentive staff in the dining room, especially if I'm slightly hung over - no worries there!

It isn't the sort of place your granny is going to like, but that isn't always a bad thing!

On balance then, good value, if a little noisy outside.