York is just "Grand" for events.

Leigh was invited up to visit the beautiful city of York. Louise Copley (Sales Manager - The Grand Hotel York) organised her stay at The Grand York Hotel and organised a wonderful itinerary for the two days.

Destination Overview:

York is a prime destination for corporate events, offering a mix of historic charm, modern venues, and excellent transport links. The city boasts a variety of event spaces, from grand historic locations like the York Barbican and Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, to contemporary conference centres such as York Racecourse and the University of York’s facilities.

Key highlights include:

• Accessibility: Well-connected by rail (under 2 hours from London) and road networks.

• Accommodation: A range of hotels from boutique to luxury, catering to business needs.

• Activities: Team-building experiences like river cruises, ghost tours, and brewery visits.

• Dining & Networking: High-end restaurants, traditional pubs, and unique venues for corporate hospitality.

• York’s blend of history and modern amenities makes it an ideal location for conferences, incentives, and networking events.

"Not only did Nestle and Roundtree start their business here. Nestle still have a factory and make up to an estimated 4.5 million Kit Kats a day!"

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The Grand Hotel:

Nestled in the heart of the historic city of York. The Grand Hotel is just a 5 minute walk from the train station.

The hotel is simply beautiful and unique with it’s Edwardian style. The décor is decadent, luxurious and features opulent interiors, intricate woodwork, and grand staircases that evoke a sense of nostalgia for the early 20th century. If the walls could talk they sure would tell an interesting story as the hotel is steeped in history.

Throughout it’s time the hotel has hosted high society and royalty. It was also temporarily repurposed to accommodate military personnel and served as a meeting point for strategic planning. The hotel’s reputation for excellence and impeccable service has always been a hallmark throughout it’s time and continues to attract guests from all corners of the world.

"There are so many wonderful facilities which wouldn’t look out of place in a resort, although it doesn’t lose it’s intimate charm!"

Key Facts:

207 beautiful bedrooms - My Room was traditional, luxurious, spacious and very comfortable – fit for a princess! The bed and pillows were incredibly comfortable, and I had a good night's sleep.

5 meeting spaces - including an elegant ball room with beautiful lights and original interior. An glamourous setting for your sparkling event!

2 Restaurants – The Rise and Legacy along with the 1906 bar which also offers a range of delicious treats. It also has some wonderful spaces for private dining options. One of the chef’s was a contestant was on the 2025 - Great British Menu no doubt. When you taste the food you can see why!

The triple AA Rosette award winning Legacy Restaurant is truly amazing. It is not just a meal but a journey and experience. The tasting menu uses locally sourced ingredients and is carefully thought out. The menu is based on the history of the area – you have the choice of the Stone, Water or Steel menu. Whichever you choose takes you on a journey of culinary delight.

I was blessed to be hosted in the Legacy restaurant. The food was simply exquisite. The freshness and the delicious flavour danced and popped in my mouth. It was a feast for all senses! The dishes were all decadent, they looked, smelt and tasted amazing. The wines which were paired with each course were equally delightful. The sommelier gave a description of each glass of wine, it’s origin, the notes and flavours and how they will work with the dish. The waiting staff explained each dish. The service was as good as the food and wine. A truly amazing experience.

The award winning The Rise restaurant with its’ art deco design which wouldn’t have looked out of place on the streets of New York in the 1920s. It offers some wonderful British cuisine which is sourced locally. In the warmer weather you can also sit on the lovely terrace taking in the wonderful views of York. I had the pleasure of having breakfast here. There was so much to choose from and suited all tastes and dietary needs. The food was delicious and the service was first class!

We finished our evening with a cocktail in the 1906 Bar. There is an extensive cocktail and drinks list to suit all tastes.

Bee hives - They use the honey in their food and drink. You can’t get more locally sourced produce than this!

Cooking school - It has a purpose-built kitchen with up to 12 cooking points complete with sink, cooker, hob and kitchen utensils. There is also a wonderful area to taste the delights you have cooked and have dinner afterwards. This could be a great option for your next event or a great way to team build! The cooking school is very popular with corporate and local people alike!

Spa - Set in the hotel’s atmospheric former vaults. The Spa at The Grand is a tranquil and it boasts a beautiful pool, jacuzzi, sauna as well as a wonderful range of beauty and holistic treatments.

Activities in York:

After a wonderful stay at the hotel. Louise had a fantastic day planned for me.

It started with a tour around York and I learnt about the extensive history of York spanning over two millennia.

You can see the influences of what each civilisation left behind in the architecture. They all left their stamp! Many of the streets still have original features which can be seen by just walking about the cobbled streets.

"Some thought that the Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley was based on the streets of York!"

Jorvik Museum - York was founded by the Romans in 71 AD who made York into a fortress as it became a military base. They were then invaded by the Vikings and renamed it Jorvik! After the Vikings the Normans invaded York was a great place to trade due to the location and the river, making it easy for boats to get from North to South and South to North and into Europe.

So many Viking artifacts which were discovered when they dug up the street to build. They came across ruins of a Viking house along with shoes, pots, tools, clothes etc. They even recreated what a Viking person would look like by working from the skeletons they found and recreated a life like mode

York Cathedral - It has had extensive restoration due to the fire which broke out in the 1984! It is a stunning building. It has a sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II on the outside. It was one of the last sculptures of her before she died. Unfortunately she never got to see it.

York Cocoa Works - which is a chocolate making factory. We had a tour of the factory along with a workshop on how they make chocolate. If you’re in a chocolate factory you have to taste the chocolate – market research and education purposes of course!

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Summary:

The Grand Hotel has some amazing facilities for events, meetings, team building, spa day or private dining. York is very well connected by trains. It has a few lines running the North and it is easy to get to from the South too!

York has so much to offer with restaurants, the Grand York Hotel. You can do lots of activities due to the rich history, architecture and local produce (chocolate and gin).

Thank you so much Louise for taking time out of your busy schedule and showing me your beautiful hotel and amazing York. Thank you to The Grand York and all of the staff for hosting and looking after me.

Have you thought about York as a destination for your events? Get in touch with our team and let's start planning.

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