16 Best Hotels in Yorkshire, England

Solid mahogany doors, handsome stairwell tilework, and Art Nouveau ironwork are among the original features at this luxurious but down-to-earth hotel near the train station and in a 1906 building that was formerly the headquarters of the regional railroad. Spacious bedrooms are sleek and contemporary, with king-size beds, good soundproofing, and well-equipped bathrooms with underfloor heating. The breakfast-and-dinner-only Rise restaurant serves favorites like pan-friend stone bass or shepherd's pie, while the more formal Legacy offers small-plate tasting menus of five, seven, or nine courses (from £90) Wednesday through Sunday. There's also a highly proficient spa with a pool.

Owned by the National Trust, and more like an actual country house than a country-house hotel, this splendidly restored Queen Anne building with mid-18th-century additions has furnishings, textiles, and wallpapers that perfectly complement its oak-paneled walls, carved-wood bannisters, and built-in window seats. Dotted with mature oak, cedar, and sycamore trees, the 20 acres of grounds also have walled gardens landscaped to period, as well as former outbuildings and stables that house additional cottage-style rooms. The pretty spa features Aromatherapy Associates treatments. There are two restaurants: the fine-dining The Oak, where the Modern British set-price menus change seasonally, and the less formal Pineapple, which offers lighter fare like sandwiches and salads.

If you've ever wanted to experience the Downton Abbey lifestyle, head for this luxury hotel in a Victorian Gothic castle that's complete with battlements, a tower, and a turret. The core of the house dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, with the baronial features added in the 19th century by its current owners, the Cunliffe-Lister family. The plush public rooms epitomize the traditional country-house style, as do the spacious bedrooms, which are named after Yorkshire towns (and come complete with teddy bears). The castle's location on one of the largest private estates in England, 20,000 acres bordering Yorkshire Dales National Park, guarantees seclusion and abundant outdoor pursuits, including falconry. The property has 200 acres of parkland with 63 miles of trails and a 4-acre walled garden along with an excellent, modern spa complex, an on-site cooking school, two detached cottages, a 10-room Coach House, and eight luxury yurts in a meadow for "glamping" (camping glamorously). The formal restaurant specializes in seasonal Modern British food—much of it sourced from the estate itself. There's also a more casual restaurant with outdoor tables and a fine dining "chef's table" restaurant in the cooking school. Masham is 8 miles north of Ripon and 35 miles north of Leeds and York.

The centerpiece of the Regency Esplanade, this grand hotel overlooking the South Bay was Scarborough's first, originally opened in 1845 to accommodate fashionable visitors. Bedrooms are comfortable and contemporary, and some have outstanding sea views. The in-house spa is a bonus. Room-only rates are available, and rates drop for some two-night stays.

This sleek boutique hotel from the founder of the Malmaison group puts the emphasis on contemporary minimalist comfort, with soundproofed, media-and-amenity-stuffed rooms in subdued grays and taupes. The in-house brasserie-style grill restaurant is a local favorite, the ground floor bar has a Champagne room, and there's also a private rooftop terrace Residents' Bar for hotel guests.

Originally a shipping magnate's residence, this Victorian-era country house sits 4 miles west of Whitby on 4 acres of gardens and grounds, with views of the sea in the distance (the beach at Sandsend is a five-minute drive away). Wood paneling complements rich carpets and leather arm chairs, and stained-glass windows, hidden staircases, and curios lend quirky charm. Bedrooms are spacious and handsomely decorated, though some are a bit worn.

Part Palladian country house hotel, part lively resort, and part luxury wellness retreat, Grantley Hall is set on 30 acres of parkland, combining grandeur with glitz. Bedrooms are large and traditionally elegant in shades of taupe and aqua, and marble bathrooms have giant showers. There are three restaurants: a fine dining room run by Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin that specializes in set price, locally sourced tasting menus; an all-day informal Modern British restaurant with dishes like pork belly with carrot puree and Josper Grill dishes; and a buzzy cocktail bar that serves pan-Asian food and features a live DJ. For those who want even more nightlife, there's a below-ground Art Deco-style late-night Champagne bar featuring live jazz on weekends. The huge spa has a wide range of massage and beauty treatments, a two-story gym, an ice bath, and outdoor sauna, and and indoor-to-outdoor hydrotherapy pool. But the real draw is the 60-foot marble-clad colonnaded swimming pool.

Close to the Minster in York's oldest inhabited house (dating from 1080), Gray's Court has its own ½-acre garden and atmospheric features like leaded-glass windows, limestone fireplaces, and a wood-paneled Jacobean Long Gallery. Several bedrooms are furnished with handsome antiques. Bathrooms, however, are modern, with walk-in showers. The Bow Restaurant emphasizes local produce, and meals can be taken in the garden.

The York outpost of a boutique-hotel mini-chain is in a converted 19th-century orphanage, with exposed-brick walls and arched doorways, as well as spacious, quiet rooms done up in English country–style florals and stripes. Some guest rooms are on two levels, and most have bathrooms with claw-foot tubs and showers big enough for two. The in-house restaurant specializes in bistro-style cooking with a British twist. Service is helpful and cheerful.

The public rooms of this boutique hotel that sprawls through eight Georgian houses combine a contemporary, relaxed atmosphere with period charm, foregoing chintz for wooden floors, exposed brick, and clubby leather sofas. Bedrooms, some overlooking the Stray, are spacious and modern, and bathrooms have deep tubs and powerful showers. Further relaxation is available at the in-house spa. The bar has a serious wine list, and the popular bistro uses locally sourced meats and fish in French-influenced takes on classics like beef cheek Bourguignon or choucroute Alsacienne (a vegan menu is also available). Good value fixed-price deals are offered for both lunch and dinner.

The Leeds outpost of a boutique-hotel mini-chain is in an Edwardian building that once contained the headquarters of a local tram company and now contains guest rooms featuring striking wallpaper, crushed-velvet textiles in gray and yellow, and, sometimes, floor-to-ceiling windows. The intimate, below-ground brasserie serves Modern British gastropub favorites.

Set on a 200-acre working estate, surrounded by ancient woodlands and overlooking the moors, this elegant retreat has rooms in a Georgian mansion as well as in buildings throughout the grounds that once served as shepherds' huts, a dairy, and a coach house and that might feature exposed timber beams, freestanding baths, woodburning stoves, or hot tubs. The menu at the fine-dining Forge restaurant, which uses ingredients sourced from the estate or elsewhere in the area, changes daily, with dishes like duck with salsify and cavolo nero in an herb emulsion or trout with kohlrabi buttermilk and Douglas fir dressing. The Coach House gastropub is a less-formal choice. If you're exhausted from tromping across the moors, revive with a dip in the heated swimming pool fed by the estate's own spring or with a therapeutic massage in the Forest Spa.

Favored by visiting celebrities, this independently owned boutique hotel is full of elegant Victorian touches such as a sweeping oak-paneled staircase illuminated by tall stained-glass windows. Upstairs are handsome bedrooms decorated in tasteful shades of taupe, cream, green, or blue with more tall windows. The Porter's Lodge bar serves food throughout the day.

Situated in a large, late-Victorian mansion on a promontory, this charming, refurbished hotel makes the most of uninterrupted Robin Hood's Bay views, with the main restaurant, the garden, and several bedrooms facing the sea. Osborne's, the fine-dining restaurant, serves locally sourced Modern British dishes like pan-fried fillet of bream with heritage tomatoes and wild samphire or Champagne-battered North Sea cod. There's also a cocktail lounge and The Loxley pub, which specializes in small sharing plates and local craft beers.

A 450-year-old former coaching inn, this hotel and restaurant once patronized by Charles Dickens is full of historic character, with open fireplaces, wood paneling, and exposed beams. The bedrooms, some with original fireplaces, offer a combination of traditional charm and modern, uncluttered style. The cozy bistro downstairs serves a Modern British menu with an emphasis on seafood.