The Acer is a 4 diamond (English Tourist Council) establishment. Run by Sandra and David Wreglesworth, it is a consistently well-recognized establishment, having received a Silver Award and several awards from York Tourism.
We had booked the four-poster luxury suite which overlooks the street. It was clean and pleasant with the bed, a loveseat and vanity, and all the usual amenities: hairdryer, hot drinks tray, colour TV and ensuite bath with tub and power shower. (I don’t understand the concept of "power"--there was little power in that shower.) The price at that level was 90 pounds a night. It was nicely decorated with substantial cornice moldings and a fleur-de-lys theme. The thing we really didn’t like was the sliding bathroom door. It didn’t really close completely, making real bathroom privacy impossible. Just don’t understand the thought process that made it necessary.
On the other hand, there is a nice lounge downstairs for guests with a large colour television. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room which seats about 12 people at tables for two and one for four. We were there three mornings and the hot breakfast never deviated… there were no options. It consisted of one sausage, two pieces of back bacon, a spoonful of beans, one fried egg sunny-side up, three or four fried mushrooms and two slices of tomato. I was tired of it after two days, unhappy with it on the third.
We had arrived on a bad day, there was an illness in the family and the Wreglesworth’s weren’t really on their game. We had a devil of a time getting in touch with them after arrival. They weren’t there, so we went downtown and wondered whether we should try to find another place. We got them on the third phone call. It was clear to me that they had no back-up system for emergencies and they really didn’t handle this one well. There is a bar advertised, but in order to get service one has to push a button in the lobby… apparently the Wreglesworths live in a residence immediate to the establishment, but not in it. With everything going on, I was not tempted to push the button and one evening, the button disappeared altogether.
My other caveats are that the parking is street parking… you will find a space on Scarcroft somewhere--there usually seemed to be a space or two free. Also, the walk to the city gate is about 15 minutes. To get to York Minster is about half an hour. Restaurants start about 12 minutes away. In my judgment, awards or no awards, it was all a bit spotty. You may wish to check their website at Acer.