Exploring Harrogate with My Hotel Break
Harrogate has become one of my favorite places to explore, hang out, drink a pint, have afternoon tea, and even have a traditional Turkish spa day. It’s the perfect place to take a couple of days away from London if you are visiting or a short weekend break if you live in the UK.
Ever since moving to England, I have noticed the locals LOVE taking a mini break. Whether it’s driving to Paris, taking the ferry to Bruges, or exploring a new town in the English countryside, the British have mastered the weekend break. SERIOUSLY! ….I wanted to master the weekend break too! Challenge accepted.
Exploring Harrogate with My Hotel Break
My definition of the weekend break would be 1-2 nights of fully immersed exploration in a new town or city. A proper break from your normal, daily routine to keep you sane until your big vacay!
Thanks to myhotelbreak.com, you can master the weekend break too!
Why myhotelbreak.com?
You’re not just booking a room, you are booking an experience. Sure, you can choose the bare minimum and just get a room, but that’s not how you “weekend break” (yep, using the term as a verb now… judge me).
All the hotels are either luxury, countryside, boutique, or castles (GUYS, YOU CAN STAY IN A CASTLE *Cinderella dress not included)! And they are all handpicked, so you’re getting quality over quantity.
I know I’m repeating myself, but you are really booking an experience. You can get everything from spa packages to breakfast included, to dinner and a bottle of wine… ALL INCLUDED WITH YOUR STAY! What more could you want?
Oh, a trip to Doncaster for dinner, a Freddie Mercury tribute band show, a hotel stay, AND breakfast in the morning? Done. Or, my personal favorite, a Murder Mystery break!! A three-course meal, breakfast in the morning…. oh, did I mention a MURDER MYSTERY? My inner Sherlock Holmes/ Nancy Drew/ Poirot/ Castle (Yes, LOVED that show) is sooooo excited.
I’m also seriously in love with the website. You can browse by location, experience, late offers, or specific hotel type. It makes it so much easier to make a decision on where you want to go.
Best of all? It’s affordable, even if you are on a budget!
My Hotel Break
The deal I chose was in the happiest town in England (seriously voted that multiple times) at The Majestic in Harrogate.
Included with the room was a cocktail from the lounge bar, a three-course dinner, a full breakfast buffet in the morning, and the ever-important late checkout. *This deal is still available until June 30th, 2019*
VIEW THE DEAL ON MYHOTELBREAK.COM (Starting at £54.50pp)
The Majestic
This stunning Victorian-style hotel was built in the late 1800s during the height of Harrogate as a popular spa town destination with its healing mineral waters. Famous guests include a plethora of Russian royalty and Winston Churchill.
The hotel stands tall on the hill that overlooks the town center. The dome of the hotel is actually a famous landmark of the Harrogate skyline. If you ever get turned around (*raises hand* always getting lost), you can just look for the dome because you can see IT from most streets. It’s the perfect location to feel out of the way and quiet, but still be in the middle of all the action, about a 5-minute walk into town.
As soon as you walk in, you are transported back to the times of Downton Abbey (yeah, I’m a fan, don’t judge) and fashion-forward females and all the glamour of the early 1900s. The newly renovated hotel has even kept many of the original features, like the beautiful chandeliers, winding staircase, and the wooden revolving door.
The rooms are also newly renovated (*some rooms still under reno as of May 2019) and very spacious. The TV is huge (not that I even turned it on because I was too busy exploring the hotel and town) and the beds are super comfy! It felt like I was sleeping on a cloud – I even overslept the next morning!
The bathrooms are light and airy and the waterfall shower has always been my favorite shower accessory and I’m SO GLAD they put them in! And we can’t forget about the perfect view of Harrogate’s skyline.
The bar area is spacious and grand. There’s plenty of light, Victorian decor, and cozy seating areas that make you feel like you have your space, not crammed in with other guests. This is where you enjoy your welcome drink as soon as you arrive!
Dining at The Majestic
The restaurant is for dinner and breakfast. The three-course meal was to die for. Seriously some of the best food I have tasted in England and the staff are attentive and knowledgeable (shout out for the Portuguese wine recommendation!). I’m not a dessert person, but the “Harrogate Mess” (The Majestic’s take on an Eton Mess) was amazing. The food presentation blew my mind.
Breakfast in the morning is buffet style. There’s a toasting station, a fruit station with cut fruit, whole fruit, meats, cheeses, and smoked salmon, a grains section with cereals and granola, and a hot station with a full English breakfast. Oh, we can’t forget the juice station with every kind of juice you can think of… surprisingly the grapefruit juice was my favorite.
I loved feeling the cool, morning chill on my skin while I was sipping on my tea, enjoying the peace and quiet, all while admiring the view of the town from the grand balcony.
Exploring Harrogate
Taking a weekend break with myhotelbreak.com not only allows you to experience everything the hotel has to offer but everything the area has to offer too!
Harrogate lives up to its “happiest place in England, Victorian spa town vibe”. Just walking around the streets and admiring the buildings was exciting enough for me.
Check out the original Betty’s Tea Room. It has a cult following in England and it’s a must-do bucket list item when you visit Yorkshire. I can only describe it as the epitome of afternoon tea. Be prepared for (at least) a 20-minute wait to get a table anytime after 11:30am.
If you really want to transport yourself back to the spa town height of Harrogate, then book yourself in for a spa day at the Turkish Baths. This is not your typical spa day, so don’t expect a massage and double-check which session you are booking, because there are male-only and female-only times, but also co-ed sessions. It’s a mixture of hot steam and freezing cold plunge pools – just like the early 1900s – all in a beautiful bath house.
Speaking of the baths, head on over to the Royal Pump Room Museum and learn a little bit of history about the origin of the famous spa town and the use of the building. It’s only a small fee to walk around and it’s definitely worth the history lesson.
Shop locally in the Montpellier Quarter. There are plenty of cute instagrammable cafes and independent shops to get your unique gifts from!
Enjoy the nightlife. I went on a Friday night and I loved exploring the pub scene. It was so vibrant, all the pubs were busy, and there was plenty of live music at multiple pubs. I also enjoyed admiring the architecture inside a lot of the bars.
Creating Your Own Hotel Break
Remember, you can’t go wrong with a quick getaway. Thanks to myhotelbreak.com, you can book your experience and not have to stress out about the little things (like where to eat breakfast?!).
Living in America and wondering if you can use My Hotel Break? YOU CAN!! If you are planning on visiting London, why don’t you take a couple of days off from the hustle and bustle of the busiest city in England and create your own mini break while you’re on vacay!!
If you have already booked your own mini-break, lemme know about it in the comments!! I’d love some more weekend break-inspo!!
*This collaboration was paid for by MyHotelBreak.com in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Save This for Later on Pinterest
