Cairn Hotel

On arrival the facade is in need of major repair Paint peeling everywhere and almost every window has a broken pain! Large free parking with lots of green spaces with well equipped seating for potentially hundreds of people but not one single waste bin on what is large premises. As you enter the reception it is similar to entering a Church, Dark, silent and full of old furniture Check in was fine if not a little regimental We had a suite for two days which was fabulous with the exception of the odd broken pain of glass! The suite was large, well equipped and spotless clean unfortunately the pillows were cheap foam filled and at above £200 a night I would have expected feather or memory foam pillows. Four Poster bed was a nice touch however the mattress had seen better days. Visited the bar at around 7pm on the Friday evening which was empty! Two young members of staff fell over each other to serve me. A large Gin and Tonic and an Aperol Spritz were ordered There wasn’t a suitable Gin or tall glass available for the Gin and Tonic so had to make do with a Brandy Glass! Again there wasn’t a suitable glass for the Aperol Spritz which was served in a small wine glass! The final insult came in the form of the bill which was an eye watering £22.85! We arrived for breakfast the next morning just after opening at 8 on a Saturday morning. The reception was polite and friendly and we had a lovely little bay window table, again a cracked window! Approached four times to ask if we had ordered our Tea or Coffee, a little OTT but simply down to the training. The Continental breakfast was exceptional with a fabulous choice of cold Salamis, cheeses, bread’s pastries, cereal and juices etc I’m partial to a cooked breakfast which on first impression didn’t disappoint. Great selection which was served by a chef looking member of staff Fried eggs were requested and provided but were hard. Once back at the table it was clear that all items were dry and being out in the warming trays for quite some time before the restaurant opened at 8am Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Sausages, Black Pudding etc whilst warm everything was dry. Tea and Toast arrived and pleasantly served but again dry, chewy and cold. The room was serviced well and no issues here whatsoever. On the whole we enjoyed our stay at the Cairn however it’s dated and in need of at least a redecoration outside and some life injecting into the place and until it’s addressed then there are many other hotels in the same location that we will look to stay at before we consider the Cairn again 3 star is just about right

Yes the hotel is a little dated, bedrooms on the small side but adequate and literally creaking in places but so many positives about a well situated hotel with ample parking. All staff encountered were very helpful, friendly and hard working. The hotel in general and our room in particular kept to a high standard of housekeeping and were exceptionally clean. We had one restaurant and one bar meal as well as breakfast, food was varied, well presented, fresh and good value. We enjoyed our stay and would return if again visiting Harrogate

Stayed with friends Fri-Sun 24th - 26th July 2026 as attending a festival, went for breakfast first morning only to find myself and a friend had been robbed of £80 cash when we returned to our room. Rooms can only be accessed with a physical key (not keycard) and cleaner had been in room in the 2hrs we were out for breakfast. Hotel accepted no responsibility whatsoever and hotel manager Gaynor was actually quite hostile when i asked for an update on the Sunday despite me being polite and discreet to avoid other guests overhearing. There are no safes in rooms and limited security cameras (not on our door sadly) , there was a notice in the lift to not leave valuables including cash in rooms which we didn’t see as had back to that particular wall in the lift (if hotel has to put up a notice then this indicates a problem), i did report to police purely for further reference and also to the hotel’s head office who also shunned any responsibility. I have since learned the Hotel chain has gone into administration so may be worth checking if you have an upcoming booking, and most definitely do not pay in advance. We had stayed here the year before and it was ok, generally i don’t carry cash which is probably the same as most guests, it’s 3 star, clean and we found most staff friendly shame we couldn’t say the same for the senior management. If it finds a buyer then a change of management/cleaning staff is needed before i stay again.