Marmadukes Town House Hotel

4-5 St Peters Grove York, North Yorkshire

So close, yet thankfully, so far. A ten-minute stroll from York’s madding crowds, Marmadukes is steeped in stately Victorian calm. The imposing red-brick house, all polished wood floors, soaring ceilings and stained glass, had deteriorated into a spit and sawdust hostel before a multi-million pound refit transformed it into a tasteful boutique hotel. Its eclectic riot of vintage and boho chic mixes antique writing desks, chaise longues and leather wing chairs with gilt-framed mirrors, century-old portraits and cascading chandeliers. The 21 rooms have brass beds, large sash windows and stand-alone baths. Breakfast is served in a light-washed conservatory, but for other meals head to Marmadukes’ famous sister pub within York’s medieval walls: the labyrinthine, dark-panelled Guy Fawkes, birthplace of Britain’s most famous rebel. IB. Doubles from £99