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The Majestic Hotel

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  • RIPON RD
     Harrogate, England
    44 1423 700-300
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Drever
Drever
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
4
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Editor Pick

Majestic Hotel

  • June 18, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Drever from Ayr
Majestic Hotel

This hotel was the only one available in Harrogate through Hotel Connections a company offering discounted hotel deals we booked through. We weren’t sure what to expect but on entering the grounds of the hotel the sheer size of the place overwhelmed us. True to its name it is majestic in appearance though mostly built of red-brick rather than Yorkshire stone like most of the buildings in the town. This hotel built to accommodate the spa visitors is a Victorian building (1897) set in large landscaped grounds so it has an ‘olde worlde’ feel to it but has adapted to changed times and conditions.

It is sometimes amusing to look back at the standards of behaviour then. One of the oddities of early 19th century life in the Harrogate hotels was that guests followed certain niceties of behaviour. Whereas gentlemen paid for the wine at each table, women paid for tea, coffee and sugar. At the ball, both ladies and gentlemen paid a shilling entrance fee but the gentlemen had also to pay four shillings for the dancing. Women, however, who were pretty and who danced didn’t pay.

In its grand days the hotel would have had a door attendant. We humped our own cases in without any help from staff that would have helped in Victorian times. On entering the lobby we did go back to a time when British hotels were grand. Marble everywhere, high ceilings, and stained-glass windows, huge rooms, and chandeliers at every turn - superb. Guests from a wedding reception were milling around as we entered though the hotel routine continued to run smoothly. The reception staff were efficient and our room was ready.

The lifts to our fourth floor room were Victorian –small and they jerked when they reached the floor as though trying to throw us out. Sometimes we used the grand staircase to come down in the Victorian manner.

Our room was immaculate and large. This came as a relief for sometimes hotels taking discount bookings compensated by offering inferior rooms. This hotel could have done so for judging by other reviews it is renovating rooms and not every person gets a refitted one.

Ours had been refitted at some time. The colours were light apart from a brown carpet. Some of the old touches remain such as the original doors and ornate coving. Furniture consisted of a large dressing table/ desk, a small table, an easy chair and settee and large comfortable twin beds. The wardrobe was built in with full-length mirrors in the doors. Also included tea/coffee making facilities, TV, telephone, trouser press and hair-drier. Bathroom was modern, clean and roomy with high-quality fittings and shower over a bath. The views over the rear garden looking towards Harrogate town centre were attractive.

Breakfast was self-service but well-organised. A good variety of juices, cereals, fruits and cooked food were on offer. Most of the fruits though were of the canned variety. Staff quickly took orders for coffee or tea and cleared away dirty dishes. This hotel has a spacious dining area so even when it is busy they can cater for it. Sliding open doors could quickly enlarge the area open when we were there. Queuing for breakfast or meals is unlikely to happen here as it does in some hotels.

The hotel has a gym and swimming pool, which seemed rather small but as we do a lot of walking we didn’t use them. No doubt conference people would find them useful.

A walk through the gardens of this hotel quickly takes you down past the conference centre to the centre of town and to a wide choice of restaurants. We ate out in the town while in Harrogate so we can’t comment on the quality of the meals in the hotel. We can say, though the restaurants in town offer excellent quality meals so you have choice if the hotel meals disappoint.

From journal Three days in Harrogate

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