Delta Hotels by Marriott - York

Delta Hotel is a Marriott-ran establishment right next to the York Racecourse, on Tadcaster Road in the South Bank of York — about a 30-minute walk from the city centre. It has a gym, pool, sauna, steam room, spa, and a restaurant called The Cast Iron.

The hotel is definitely old-fashioned, and the rooms are not soundproof. The furniture was fine, with a TV larger than usual. There was no fridge in the room, and the toilet is not the best either — the sink pressure was low for cold tap but fine for hot. The shower was quite small and tight. When we checked in, we were asked if we’d like to have the room serviced daily — which we opted in for; however, the room was not serviced during our two nights’ stay.

The shortest way to our room was through some stairwell on the ground floor — the alternative was a long walk to the elevator, so we picked the stairwell more often than not. This stairwell had a very strange smell — combined with the 1980s carpets and noir lighting, it was sending the worst vibes I’ve had in a Marriott.

There’s a water refilling station in the hotel hallway along with several meeting rooms.

The breakfast was good — simple but tasty and well varied. Your regular hotel buffet with hash browns, sausages, bacon, pastries and enough variation to cover most people’s taste and dietary needs.

The bar is relatively well-priced, £5-6 a pint. The atmosphere is ok - nothing too fancy.

The gym and pool area is a highlight for me — the gym has a few machines, treadmills, and weights, covering most basic exercises and cardio. There is a changing room with lockers and showers, and a good-sized pool with a jacuzzi and a child pool adjacent. There’s also a sauna and a steamroll — both very good, with cold and hot showers available right next to them.

The area the hotel is near (the racecourse) is lovely to walk in — due to no merit of Marriott but nevertheless a bonus. It’s about a 30-minute walk from the central attractions of York (which is lovely), and whilst it’s not the usual Marriott experience - it was pleasant enough.

I’d give it a strong 7 out of 10, mainly due to the pool and breakfast. The lack of room service despite the opt in is disappointing - when we reached the room after a long day, discovering it was not serviced - we reached out through the Bonvoy app only to be told there’s no one available.

We paid £198 for two nights for the standard room + breakfast included, works out at £99 a night. Not great, not terrible.