Review: Family weekend in York at the Park Inn Hotel

Alex and Ben make a new friend.

By Katie Love

They say timing is everything, and we managed to time our family weekend break in York perfectly to coincide with the hottest October day since records began.

That said, I don’t think you could fail to have a good time in this amazing, historic city, regardless of the weather. In fact, there was so much to see and do we didn’t know which way to turn first.

We were a stone’s throw from pretty much everything staying in the city centre Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, right on the river with breathtaking views of York Minster. Day or night, I was mesmerised by the sights of the city as viewed from our fifth floor window. It was the perfect base from which to explore, and explore we did.

As our eldest son, Alex, is 6ft (although he’s only 14) we opted for two adjoining rooms so he and his eight-year-old brother, Ben, could have twin beds rather than sharing a bed-settee. It made for a much more peaceful night, not to mention easier bathroom access in the mornings.

Apart from the spectacular views, the two en-suite rooms were fresh and modern with plenty of storage cupboards, including a safe, the usual drinks facilities and a TV.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning, so we could fit plenty in. After filling up on the bountiful buffet breakfast, and headed out into the city.

The sights

Our first port of call was a river cruise which set sail literally a few steps from the door of the hotel. It cost £22 for a family ticket on the cruiser or £30 for an hour on the smaller Red Boat. If it’s luxury you’re after then go for the former, but we enjoyed the experience of taking the smaller boat out ourselves, which we did on Sunday morning. (Boat trips not included on Yorkshire Pass).

Our next stop was Clifford’s Tower. This just looked so impressive sat on its mound we had to have a look inside.

We thought it would be easier on the knees than climbing the 275 steps of York Minster, and it certainly felt incredibly high once up-top and gave you a bird’s-eye view of York.

Definitely one to do on a clear day, but there’s not much more to it once you’ve walked around the wall. Don’t plan on spending more than half an hour here.

At £3.90 per adult and £2.30 per child, we might have been disappointed if we’d paid entry but as one of the attractions included on our Yorkshire Pass, it was worth the visit.

If you’re looking for value for money, the Castle Museum is an absolute must. Adults are £8.50 and children go free.

It’s a treasure trove of exhibits that just keeps going and going. Don’t get confused by the title, it’s not a museum about castles, just set in one.

It has a bit of everything – costumes (which I loved), weapons and toys (which the boys loved), and a Victorian street (which we all loved) – Alex (full name Alexander William) even found his own shop.

It’s described as a ‘museum of daily life’ and that is so true. Give yourself a good morning or afternoon to take it all in – it’s worth it.

With kids of such different ages to keep occupied, we sometimes struggle to find attractions that keep them both entertained but we were really impressed with this.

The Jorvik Viking Centre was equally exciting. Price: adult £9.25; child £6.25.

The mix of static exhibits, Viking guides and what has to be the best ‘animatronic’ style ride (with smell-o-vision) we’ve ever been on really immerses you in history. It’s always good to know you’re sneaking a bit of education in with the entertainment.

But if you’re not too easily spooked and you want to completely immerse yourself in ‘horrible’ history – you need the York Dungeons.

Not cheap at £15 for adults and £11 for children, but I would definitely recommend it if you have lads who like gruesome stuff. Mine do – and they loved it! Even though the actors made them jump more than once.

For gothic architecture, you can’t beat the Minster. Price: adult £9.00; children free, with extra for the tower.

Inside and out are utterly astounding, although I really wouldn’t recommend the walk up the tower unless you’re extremely fit and don’t mind heights.

I’m neither, and I really struggled to cross the one section. I was supposed to be admiring the gargoyles, but felt absolutely sick to my stomach because we were dizzyingly high up walking across a little ledge. No wonder they don’t let under eights do this bit.

But don’t miss a stroll around the outside of the building at night when it’s all lit up. If you can handle the throngs of hen and stag night party-goers and general night-life hubbub, a walk around the city at night is very impressive.

If you’ve ever watched Most Haunted, stop off at 35 Stonegate by The Shambles – the live-feed from the haunted rooms is really spooky – enter at your own risk!

Around The Shambles by day is reminiscent of Covent Garden, with street performers, quaint boutique shops, cafes and restaurants and the night-time Ghost Walk guides touting for business. We couldn’t resist having a caricature for the bedroom wall.

For a family treat, try Prezzo Italian Restaurant. Beautiful food and lovely staff, who couldn’t do enough for us and were great with the kids. We managed to spend £90 on a meal for four, but we had had a very busy day, and felt we’d earned our three courses, plus some wine and beer. There are cheaper cafes with burger and chips for under a fiver.

If you can keep up with the pace, the Yorkshire Pass is well worth the money but we did feel like we had to try and fit as much in as possible to make it pay. Price: adult £34, child £18 for one day, longer options are available.

What we loved about our stay:

The luxury of having everything on our doorstep at the Park Inn, which has a lovely, friendly atmosphere. And such a wealth of places to visit which catered for all ages – this was great for the whole family.

What we didn’t like:

Really can’t find fault. We were exhausted, but then we were only in York for the weekend and tried to pack in lots to get the best value from our Yorkshire Pass. Think we’d take it at a more leisurely pace next time, visit less attractions and pay as we go. But I can hardly complain about a fantastic, busy weekend!

Did we pay our way?

Katie and her family were guests of the Park Inn by Radisson, who also provided them with a Yorkshire Pass for their stay. Price of a standard family room including breakfast: £185 per night.