The Spa at The Grand York

You’ve soothed your soul with a blissful Elemis treatment, now it’s time to show your body some love, too. While the hotel’s gym is currently closed for an exciting £2.5 million spa refurbishment (reopening early 2026), there are still plenty of ways to stay active in and around the city.

Get some vitamin D and burn some serious calories by taking on a Grand-recommended running route around the city. A scenic jog along the River Ouse or through the historic city walls is cardio with a view! But if your idea of fitness involves a fairway, Pike Hills Golf Club is just a short drive away, welcoming visitors for a round in the Yorkshire sunshine.

Prefer two wheels to two feet? You’re in luck. The Grand offers guests complimentary use of its stylish Vélosophy bikes. These sleek, recycled-aluminium bikes come complete with baskets and are perfect for exploring York’s charming streets and riverside paths.

You won’t go hungry or thirsty for long at The Grand, York. This is a five-star feast for the senses where history and hospitality go hand in hand. So where should you head for your post-treatment tipple, light bite or decadent dinner? Let’s take a look at your options…

The Rise 

With views over the ancient city walls and an open kitchen that hums with energy, AA-Rosette-awarded The Rise serves up modern British dishes with Yorkshire swagger. Expect locally sourced ingredients, hearty flavours and a menu that changes with the seasons. It’s also the home of The Grand’s award-winning afternoon tea – a treat that’s not to be missed.

Legacy 

For something truly special, Legacy is The Grand’s fine-dining jewel. This intimate restaurant is all about sustainability, storytelling and showstopping plates, thanks to an eight-course tasting menu that’s as local as it is luxurious. The décor nods to York’s industrial and railway heritage, with oak panelling, parquet flooring and portraits of historical figures lining the walls.

1906 Bar 

Tucked away like a secret carriage on a luxury train, 1906 is The Grand’s intimate hideaway for cocktails, whisky flights and live music on weekends. The bar’s name nods to the year The Grand first opened its doors, and the décor follows suit – think vintage railway glamour with a Yorkshire twist. Sink into a high-backed leather armchair, warm your toes by the fireplace and sip something sparkling as you toast to the golden age of travel.

First the bad news. The Grand, York does have a swimming pool, but it’s currently taking a well-earned break. As part of a major £2.5 million spa renovation, the hotel’s pool, spa, and gym facilities are closed from May 2025. But now for the good news – it’s set to reopen in early 2026.

When it returns, you’ll be able to take a dip in the hotel’s 14-metre heated indoor pool, tucked away in the atmospheric former vaults of this historic building. It’s a truly unique setting (think tranquil luxury meets Edwardian intrigue). In the meantime, guests can still enjoy Elemis treatments in beautifully converted bedrooms, so the pampering doesn’t have to pause while the pool gets its glow-up.

Yes, The Grand, York offers luxurious five-star accommodation – and it’s anything but ordinary. Housed in the former headquarters of the North Eastern Railway, this Edwardian gem blends historic grandeur with modern indulgence. Think sweeping staircases, mosaic floors and rooms with views of York Minster or the ancient city walls.

There are over 200 rooms and suites, including Heritage Suites that showcase original architectural features and Grand Family Rooms perfect for a stylish staycation. For something truly special, the Penthouse Suite offers skyline views, a roll-top bath and even personal butler service if you stay two nights or more. Yes, it’s that swanky!

Impressively so. The hotel is fully accessible throughout, including restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, bedrooms, and even the cookery school, which features a fully accessible kitchen.

Nine accessible rooms come with thoughtful features like wet rooms with shower chairs and grab rails, lowered sinks, pull cords, and even vibrating pillows for guests with hearing impairments. There are also audio and visual fire alarm indicators and telephone ring indicators to support a range of needs.

Check-in time is at 3pm and check-out time is 11am for overnight guests. If you’re here for a spa package that includes Elemis treatments, afternoon tea or dinner, arrival times vary. It’s best to check your booking confirmation.

Way back in steam-powered times, The Grand wasn’t a hotel. It was the palatial headquarters of the North Eastern Railway Company, built in 1906 to impress visiting dignitaries. The most expensive building in York at the time, its marble floors, jaw-dropping facade and huge boardrooms were so grand it made Downton Abbey look like a garden shed.

This temple to rail travel had its own vaults beneath the building, where they once stored gold bullion and top-secret documents. But these days the vaults are home to something just as precious – one incredible spa that’s undergoing a £2.5m renovation.

You’ll find it right in the heart of historic York, perched on Station Rise and just a two-minute stroll from York Railway Station. But this isn’t just any city-centre hotel. It’s a former Edwardian railway headquarters turned five-star sanctuary, with views that sweep across the ancient city walls and even stretch to York Minster’s soaring spires.

The location is a dream for explorers. Step outside and you’re moments from cobbled streets, medieval landmarks, and the famous Shambles. Yet inside, there’s a luxurious feel of calm – just what you’d expect from a hotel that’s every bit as iconic as the city itself.

This fabulous five-star hotel knows how to keep all ages smiling! Spacious Grand Family Rooms can accommodate a family of four with room for all of you to stretch out. There are children’s menus, mini afternoon teas and you’ll find adult and junior robes hanging in your wardrobe, so you can all get snuggly. Got a spa-loving teen? Elemis spa treatments are available for over 16s.

When the spa fully reopens in 2026 you’ll find kid-friendly swimming times in the pool. But until then, The Grand’s central location means you’re just a short stroll from York’s top attractions, like the JORVIK Viking Centre and the National Railway Museum. And if you’ve got budding chefs in tow, the Cookery School at The Grand offers Parent & Child classes, for wholesome, hands-on fun.

Sorry, it’s a no-paws-on-the-premises kind of place.

There isn’t, but don’t hang up your clubs just yet. While The Grand doesn’t have its own golf course, it’s perfectly placed for teeing off at some of Yorkshire’s finest fairways, many of which are just a short drive away and welcome visitors on a pay-and-play basis.

Just four miles from the hotel, Pike Hills Golf Club winds through a nature reserve. Or try York Golf Club – designed by five-time Open Champion JH Taylor, you’ll find it five miles north of the city.