Moat House York

The Viking Moat House is in a good location. You can walk to all attractions, shops, restaurants easily. The rooms are clean, the bathrooms could use some updating however. The views are spectacular.

The all you can eat breakfast which is included in the price was okay.

My only gripe was the beds are too hard and uncomfortable. I did not sleep well for the two nights I stayed there. Although I had no major problems, I would rate this hotel only 3* tops.

Stayed here in Dec. 2003 for 2 nights. Hotel was not aesthetically impressive in any way, but I personally don't care about that kind of thing. Can anyone tell me what constitutes a non-smoking room in this part of the world? Cleaning out the ash tray? Changing the sheets?

Anyway, the room was o.k. although there was a strong smoky odor as soon as you walked in the room. The bed was rock-hard but king-sized.

The view of the old city was pretty nice (we decided not to pay for the River-view room because it was £15 more, but were assigned one anyway).

We were awoken at 2:00 a.m. one night with the fire alarm blaring in the room and out in the hall for which we had to evacuate the building.

Although were were given a letter by the manager pardoning the alarm, no explanation was given or even an offer of a cup of coffee for the late-night interruption. Thank goodness our rate included a full English buffet breakfast (which was very good). I would look for a different hotel next time I went to York-- it's a small enough city to get around easily enough.

Room: I had a river-view room, which had a view not only of the river, but a great view of the Minster. Not sure what the view was like on the other side of the hotel (the river-view costs more, but I think worth it). The room itself was pretty standard. It was clean, although the bathroom could do with a bit of updating.Location: Across the river from the main shopping/tourist area. It takes about 5-10 minutes to walk, which isn't too bad. There is very little in the immediate vicinity of the hotel.Staff: Friendly, efficient, but there didn't seem to be enough of them at the front desk. When I checked out, the line was about 6-7 people long. It took me a while to find a concergie so I could leave my bag for the day.Public Areas: The elevators are extremely slow, but, if you are there to relax, then Relax! The exterior is pretty ugly... apparantly it won some sort of architectural award, but that is really hard to imagine.Cost: A bit expensive, given what you get. I didn't think it really warranted the 4 stars (and the 4 star price).Overall, perfectly fine hotel. I'd consider staying there again, depending on the price and what else is available.

i asked for 2 boiled eggs 29/10/03,they arrived after a 20 min wait.minus egg cups. The waitress said we have no egg cups in the hotel.I informed reception and was told the problem would be solved. When i ordered the same breakfast 30/10/03,2 eggs were again served without egg cups,the waitress said again no egg cups. What a sad state when a 200 room hotel has no egg cups. After 2 spoiled breakfasts i shall not be booking into that hotel again.

Great River view room, overlooking York with the Minster right in front of you. Great location, 2 minute walk to shops, pubs etc. Only stayed for bed & breakfast, but at the Hotel prices (8£ for a sandwich!) it was cheaper to eat out, with plenty around to choose from. Great freindly staff and rooms kept clean and tidy. Would definately stay there again, and will as there is just so much to see and do in York.

You can't beat the location: across the river from town and walking distance to the train station. But the hotel is pretty drab. The only reason to stay here is to book a river view room. York is wonderful (talk about great pubs!) so I'd happily return here if just for the location.

The elevators were marginally functional, the room was tiny - we were promised a river view room and instead got one facing the interior courtyard. We felt very disappointed and more than a little ripped off. The hotel is understaffed - the front desk was staffed by one person only and she was frankly overwhelmed. I would not recommend... we were happy that we would only be there one night while we were in transit to another part of Yorkshire.

Rooms basic but clean food okay but price more than makes up for any failings

Upon viewing the hotel from its exterior, one would think that the drab 60's building would be equally as uninviting on the interior. I was wrong. The hotel is infact the 2nd highest building in the city (apart from York Minster).

Soon as I entered the bright airy reception area I was greeted by a friendly member of staff who genuinely seemed interested in where I came from and how long I was staying for. The check-in process was quick and easy and the reception staff seemed extremely capable and polite.

The hotel was in the midst of what looked like a very expensive refurbishment programme. The main stairwell and bar had just been completed and although the restaurant and corrdor was still being completed and was in a bit of a state, all efforts had been put in place for my stay to be as uninterupted by the works as possible. The bar had been given a sleek modern 1920's look which created a very sophisticated atmosphere.

My room was very clean and had all the nessesary facilities for me and my husband.

We only ate breakfast in the hotel and, due to the restaurant being refurbished we were in a large grand event room. When entering the restaurant were greeted by a very jolly young man who showed us to our table overlooking the River Ouse. The buffet was very well stocked and even though the room was very hectic, the staff provided great service to us.

All in all the hotel which occupies an excellent location was easliy the most friendly I have ever stayed in. The brash exterior was coutered by the warm heart of the hotel - its staff. Me and my husband would like to thank all the staff for a truly magical stay.

(special thanks to Lucy Farrington, Ali Gower, Christine Watmough, James Tattersall and David (barman) )

Well situated. Limited parking available at the hotel (and is charged extra for). Unimpressive exterior architecture, although interior is OK.

Rooms typical of most large hotel chains these days in that they have a fairly uniform look and layout to them, so whilst comfortable enough they lack any kind of individuality or character.

The bar has a good view overlooking the river Ouse, but otherwise lacks any atmosphere or style. Disappointing selection of beers - a few local ales would have been nice, but the selection was limited to the usual mass produced stuff you can get anywhere.

The staff were obliging enough, but without ever giving the impression it was anything other than a job to them.

The restaurant is tucked away in a far corner of the hotel. Like the bar, it lacks any real ambience. The furnishings are rather basic and the layout is cluttered and overcrowded.

Although there is an a la carte service available, most visitors will be on the table d'hote menu, which is essentially a help yourself carvery. The food itself was OK, but no better than 'pub grub'.For a 4-star hotel I expected something a little better.

A particularly annoying feature was the settings at which the hotel maintained its air-conditioning equipment. It seemed to extract all the moisture from the air, which wasn't really noticeable until you woke up in the morning to find your eyes and nose were stinging because they were so dry - if you suffer from sinus problems I would imagine it to be even worse!