The best cheap hotels in York

The YHA is a bright, cleverly laid out hostel that’s just a 15-minute stroll along the Ouse from the city centre. Inside there’s 203 beds across 45 rooms that range from bunk beds in shared dorms to private, en-suite family rooms for up to six people. There’s a self-catering kitchen, wi-fi, a café that’s open 24 hours, bicycle storage, and a games room with a pool table. Plus, for those who fancy improving their aim, an archery range!

The Fort is a low-cost hotel with a difference. Rather than go with the normal wipe-clean blandness favoured by these places, The Fort has opted for a more personalised touch with a selection of themed rooms. Located in the old part of town, many of the rooms inside this hotel have a slightly vintage-inspired aesthetic, along with a liberal use of sage green accessories and some welcome quirky touches.

If pink isn’t to your taste we can’t promise you’ll LOVE the interiors at Safestay. However, we’re personally pretty big fans of this no compromises approach to hotel interior design – makes a change from corporate blandness any day. The dormitory sleeping arrangements make for a brilliantly affordable option – and with so much to do in the city itself, you won’t miss not having your own private hotel room to hang around in.

Ibis is just under ten minutes’ walk from York station and the National Railway Museum, and even closer to Mickle, the traditional route into old York. Rooms here are clean, functional and efficient; all are en-suite and come with desks, TVs and tea and coffee-making facilities. Downstairs, the café-bar is open 24/7 – but you’ll find a bigger menu and a buffet breakfast available during the day.

The words ‘Holiday Inn’ aren’t ever going to truly make a person’s heart sing. But don’t dismiss this as an affordable option for a stay in York. The surprisingly comfy rooms are corporate contemporary and come in a range of sizes, including ones suitable for larger groups. In the shared spaces, you’ll find a nice breakfasting area and a cocktail lounge where you can grab a quick snack.

Now here’s a slightly different place to stay: a working convent. In fact, the country oldest working convent to boot, in a seventeenth-century Grade I-listed building just outside the city walls. The Bar Convent is a great-value, wonderfully quirky place to stay, with the resident nuns on hand to offer sightseeing tips and answer any questions about local stuff. There’s even an on-site chapel. York’s train station and The National Railway Museum aren't too far away; their complimentary, award-winning breakfasts are also worth a special mention.