More about Best Western Monkbar Hotel
great family suite
by A TripAdvisor Member
We booked this hotel on a 2 for1 basis through Best Western. Having read reviews on this site that warned about possible noise from in- and outside, I had emailed them to ask for a QUIET room. We (2 ad, 1 toddler) came to end up in a "family room" (N° 42) that turned out to be a kind of suite with a large bedroom plus an ample ante room - with a settee, another telly and the hospitality tray. Great !!
The room is up in the attic, but spans the width of the house and is very airy, windows to both sides, and recently refurbished. The lift will only take you to the 1st floor, but the very friendly staff would certainly help you with the luggage, if required.
More of a nuisance was the key card that did not work proerly, so we had to go back down to have it reset a couple of times.. quite a schlepp, particularly with a toddler in tow.
Noise levels were OK up there, though you could still hear the ring road and passers-by.
Breakfast was average, tinned tomatoes only !, and on monday morning pre-prepared eggs were very rubbery.
Loved the breakfast
by A TripAdvisor Member
Have stayed at the Monkbar now since 2001 whilst doing business in York. The staff are brilliant, the service caring and the rooms all different. Ask for a Courtyard room to be away from the roadside, which are really pleasant all year round. Good team of people who really are friends now. Well done - keep up the good work. Also look at the meeting rooms as they are brilliant too. Delighted they've just installed WIFI access and it's free, couldn't be better.
excellent hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
This hotel is well run with courteous and efficient staff. The breakfast was particularly good and the free parking a bonus as the hotel is very central, just outside the City walls.
The only criticism would be that the bathroom did not have a proper shower - just a tap conversion.
I would recommend this hotel.
Excellent hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
We were staying at the Monkbar Hotel in York for the 3rd time.
Good rooms and breakfast and very friendly staff.
However, if you stay there during a weekend try to get a room on the 3rd floor as
wedding receptions can be rather noisy.
Location Excellent - Room Awful
by TripAdvisor Member Gail-H
We have just returned from this hotel as we knew that location was important to us.
We stayed here 2 years ago but had a room facing the street. Unfortunately, the window would not shut so we spent the best part of the night freezing to death and as there were no other rooms available we had to put up with it.
Thought we would try again and ask for a quiet room at the back. Number 48 was our room for the evening. Don't stay in this room if you are claustrophic. I have never stayed in such a small room in my life. - I would say 10ft by 9ft One chair (only one was provided you couldn't get two in) which had to be moved to get into the wardrobe and the dressing table was placed in front of the radiator.
Bed was okay if a little hard, bathroom needed a general overhaul but we felt that as we were only there 1 night it didn't really matter and the fact that we got a good deal on the best western website.
We thought we would have a nice quiet room - we were placed next to an industrial extractor fan which seemed to go on for most of the night and most of the next morning - until 4.30 a.m. by my watch. Having had no sleep I phoned the night porter who said he would check where the noise was coming from (sorry but don't you read Tripadvisor) previous members have warned about these extractor fans and yet a member of staff didn't know about them.
Anyway early in the morning he phoned back to say that he couldn't locate the noise and refused to come in to our bedroom to hear it as he could not leave the desk. He said it could be the Indian Restaurant downstairs but couldn't be sure. Asked us if we would like to move but I felt that at that time of the morning it was not such a good idea. Hubby wanted to sleep in the car.
I would rather have stayed in a room on the street, at least you know the noise would die down for at least a couple of hours.
Anyway the hotel location is perfect for easy walking to the Minster with some very good eateries on the way. There is a very nice Italian restaurant 5 minutes walk called Caesers in Goodramgate (highly recommended), very good food and not too expensive.
Please note if you arrive at the hotel on a Friday/Saturday you might have to block someone in and leave your keys at reception. We had no problem as we arrived on a Sunday.
When we checked out we were not asked if we enjoyed our stay, I assume so many people have complained about the extractor fans, our extractor fan vibrated through the bedroom wall.
I supposed if you choose to get a last minute cheap deal a hotel will put you in the poorest room - BEWARE!!!
Would I stay here again - give me a few years for the tiredness to wear off and I might.
parking is a disaster
by TripAdvisor Member saggitarius
I decided to stay at the Monkbar Hotel as it was so close to the city centre and it is advertised as having car parking. I stayed for two nights on Friday and Saturday 11th and 12th August 2006. On arrival at the hotel at lunchtime on Friday there was a wedding reception in the hotel. All the car park spaces were full and people had double parked their cars behind others blocking them in. There was no system for car parking and the barriers looked as if they had not been used for some time. Eventually after speaking to staff in reception and some manoevring I found a space. I then had to wade through the many wedding guests in reception to book in.
I attended a function in york on friday night and returned to the hotel at about 11.30pm. All the car park spaces were full again and there were even more cars double parked this time. It looked like a free for all. If an ambulance or fire engine had needed to reach the side of the hotel it couldn't have done because you could barely get a car through some of the areas.
Again I had to abandon my car in the car park and speak to staff. A staff member moved their car so I could park somewhere.
I had asked for a quiet room and was given a room above the function room where the wedding disco went on until the early hours.
On the Saturday I went to a local wedding. I returned to the hotel about 9.30pm as my husband was ill. On arrival in the car park it was clear there was another wedding at the hotel again and once again everyone was double and triple parked. I had to abandon my car yet again in the car park with an ill passenger and speak to the receptionist yet again. There were wedding guests everywhere in the lobby and the disco was playing again.I was told to double park like everyone else and leave my car keys in reception. I didn't want to do this in case I had to take my ill passenger to hospital through the night.
Eventually I found a spot in front of an outbuilding off the car park as as my car is quite small.
There is no system of car parking at this hotel - it is a free for all. There is no allocated parking whatsoever. There is also nothing to stop people who are not staying at the hotel parking there and walking into the city centre. If you pay to stay at a hotel with parking you expect to be able to park properly.
Never, ever ....
by TripAdvisor Member travellerandchild
We had to stay here for an event, for two nights, and it was pretty grim. It is clean and decorated in a rather inoffensive, corporate way, and very well located. But the stay was very uncomfortable. We had asked for a quiet family room (booked months in advance) as we were with our 2 year old - we were given a 'family room', admittedly it was slightly larger than most, but it was directly above the staff room (coming and going of people on breaks all night) - and the full car park, with the main function room and air conditioning vents directly opposite - quiet it was not. Unfortunately the air conditioning did not extend to the bedroom, which was stifling, made worse by the extremely low ceiling (cram them in ...) There were double doors by the bed out onto a sheer drop fenced in with a 'balcony' - the gaps of the iron work were so big that I could have fallen through, let alone my child, so we could not open them. Its really crap to treat those with small children in this way - the 'family' room was not super expensive but not cheap either. We complained about the noise etc, and were told that nobody had ever complained before, a really crap reaction - and check the other mentions on this website. We were offered one alternative choice of room, smaller, with traffic hurtling past ... thanks. There was really nowhere to relax at all, it was not at all child, or for that matter, adult friendly. We had to stay there once, but never, ever again .....
Fantastic Staff, Shame About the Noise
by TripAdvisor Member Emma_fom_Ruislip
Stayed in this hotel for three nights during the week, for a training course. The hotel was booked by my employer. One of my colleagues who had been on the course before me warned me to ask for a courtyard room, as the rooms over the road can be noisey. I made this request weeks in advance, but when I arrived I was told there were no courtyard rooms, though others on my course had been allocated them without even asking. Not very good organisation.
I ended up with a room over the car park. This was not as loud as the road. I could certainly hear the traffic, but it didn't keep me awake. The most simple solution would be double glazing.
On my last night at the hotel I realised that the room next to me must have been empty up until that point. as I was suddenly aware of every noise from next door, including every light switch, every opening of a wardrobe door, and every nightime trip to the bathroom which woke me up. I think the walls between rooms are paper thin, I was just lucky not to have neighbours for the first two nights.
Having had my moan about the noise, I will say this;
the staff were excellent, very friendly and couldn't do more to help
breakfast and lunch were tasty and good value for money
my room was spacious, well decorated, comfortable and clean
location is fantastic, right outside the city walls, and easy to drive to.
Good Hotel, Great spot!
by TripAdvisor Member charliesdad
We stayed in the monkbar for two nights recently during a long weekend Christmas shopping trip in York. The Hotel is in a great spot, very close to the Minster, and just accross the road from the city walls. It really couldn't be in a much better location. The car parking was free(which is quite unusual in York), and although it appeared full on our arrival, the helpful staff soon had us accomodated. Once inside the hotel our booking was dealt with quickly and efficiently by friendly staff. Our room was airy and fresh, everything in place and working. The room would have benefitted from double glazing, as some noise and a cold Yorkshire wind were a problem during the night. Breakfast was lovely, nicely presented and very tasty. Again, staff were friendly and helpfull. The bar was also cosy, and reasonably priced for a hotel. Overall, although this was not a top hotel,a little lacking on features (no mini-bar, not many sattelite channels), I would highly recommend it for a few days stay.
Convenient to York
by A TripAdvisor Member
Stayed for four days here in December,my second visit. Have to admit most of the reviews are pretty accurate - the good and the bad.
It's a strange jumble of a building with convertions and add-ons making it difficult to generalise about room standards.You might occupy a large Olde Worlde one above a shop or a bland modern one in the newer parts.In all cases you could encounter 'noise' problems.The hotel is situated on a busy road junction (see Picture) If you are lucky enough to avoid the street noise the poor sound insulation may present you with hassle from noisy neighbours.The food is good,the staff friendly and efficient and the gate to the city is literally across the road.
I shall stay here again,it's so convenient to a great tourist city. Just leave the car at the hotel - everywhere's walkable but consider purchasing some ear-plugs.
Photos
St. Martin Le Grand and the Clock
High water line
St Williams College
Ye Olde Starre Inn
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