The Olivia Swan — Restaurant in England

First impressions, the hotel wasn't too bad - everything you'd expect for a budget cost I suppose. However, upon closer inspection it was actually awful - there were cobwebs in every corner, the mat which was for the kettle etc was GRIM, there was paint flaking in the bathroom - this does not add character like they imply on four in a bed, it's just pure laziness. We checked the cistern, not something we'd usually do but having watched four in a bed, we wanted to see how much they actually cared and low an behold, it's still exactly the same - if not worse. There was holes in the bed sheets, dirt and a dead bug on the floor, there was a fire exit door which was left wide open 24/7 and easily accessible to anyone who parked in the carpark - didn't feel too safe! Now for breakfast, we stayed 2 days and only decided on the second to go for breakfast - we went down at 9am (as the website and signage said they serve til 10am) to an empty restaurant, when we asked if we could have a breakfast - we were told "no, you need to book it" and that he'd "ALMOST finished making the breakfast now so it was out of the question". First off, booking a breakfast would not have been an issue, had we actually been made aware of this at any point during our 2 night stay. I mean, we didnt need to book lunch or dinner so why would breakfast be a different system? Especially considering it's a service they offer to paying guests that have already probooked to stay there?! Surely they knew theres a possibility we'd want it?! They're not open to public for breakfast? Secondly, to imply he had almost finished cooking, meant he hadn't yet - but still, no offer to make us anything quick, not even a slice of toast. We didnt expect too much for what we paid and we dont normally write reviews but it was truly awful...It appears the owners are just in it for the money and don't actually care about the service they offer once your actually there. Although on a main road, the location is ideal as it's only a couple of minutes into York, however next time we'll be paying the extra and staying elsewhere...I'd rather sleep in a tent than here and I definitely wont be recommending this to...

We stayed for two nights here & found it very comfortable. It's located on a main road but traffic noise was minimal. The rooms are above the pub, so there was some noise from there, but only until closing time & then that went away too.

The pub food was good & the menu offered a wide choice at reasonable prices. We ate in there both nights of our stay because it was convenient & there didn't appear to be anywhere else to go within walking distance.

Breakfast was included with the room booking & there was a good choice of items to order. A selection of omelettes, cereal, yogurts & fresh fruit were available, along with a full English breakfast. My husband had a full English & I had an omelette, both of which were freshly cooked and very nice.

The room was a reasonable size & had facilities for making tea & coffee. Mugs (not those ridiculously small tea cups) were provided, along with Yorkshire Tea tea bags, so I had a decent brew. A small thing to mention, I know, but some hotels provide floor sweepings masquerading as tea.

There were also two bottles of water in the room on arrival. This was a nice touch, especially as both of us take medication on a daily basis. It was a shame these weren't replaced with fresh bottles on our second day, but there was plenty in the bathroom tap.

The mattress was excellent! However, the pillows were very flat & pretty pointless because of that. I've seen thicker sandwiches.

The room was warm, which was appreciated, as we stayed during a cold weekend in January. The bathroom was cold though & would have benefited from a heated towel rail. Not only to warm it up, but for somewhere to put the towels. Not even hooks on the door.

There's a bus stop outside if you want to avoid driving in to York. We drove to the nearby shopping outlet & used the park & drive instead.

Overall, I would say we had value for money & I would stay here again. The staff were welcoming & friendly, the room was clean & warm, the food was good & the location was convenient. What else...

Fairly standard pub stay offering |Creaky floors and paper thin walls |Bed was comfy |Room was very warm and the windows didn’t open, the one that did just allowing a smidgen of air to freshen the stale smelling room.|The bath plug was faulty, so you was on a countdown until the water escaped. |Not very relaxing |It’s right by a busy road but we didn’t hear much noise.|Had evening meal the night before, place not very busy but couldn’t be bothered driving into York. |Two ‘homemade’ burgers and chips ordered,they didn’t come quick but presumed fresh made.|Looked nice, fairly big portions but the meat was so overcooked, tasteless and dry. Even the melted cheese didn’t help to save this.|Tomato ketchup to the rescue |The bun wasn’t toasted either and tasted stale, no chutney came even though it was mentioned on the menu, which it desperately needed. |Chips and side salad where nice though. |Breakfast was usual offering|Tea was very basic, hot water in a chipped pot with a cheap bag in. |Cups themselves chipped too. |Cooked english was ok, not the best nor the worst. Don’t get a choice of bread for toast and a single slice allocated per person. Hash browns very crispy,so much so watch your fillings.|The stay was just ok but...