Landmark hotel on the market with £2.25m price tag

Now, the historic York hotel is on the market, with an asking price of £2.25m for the freehold business.

The Groves stands on St Peter’s Grove, opposite St Peter’s School.

It is believed to be the only building designed by Victorian architect William Pentey which remains in private hands in York.

The Groves dates from 1896 when it was built by Mr Pentey for a Leeds tobacconist, who wanted to expand his business in York by using the River Ouse to deliver to customers.

During the world wars, the building was used as an army barracks before becoming the Savages Hotel in 1958.

The cottage and York House were added over the years, to expand the size of the accommodation. Today, the building has a number of public rooms, including a guest bar lounge, and 26 bedrooms, along with a rear car park.

Peter Bean, the hotels director at Colliers International in Leeds, said yesterday: “Buyers have a rare opportunity to acquire one of York’s largest and best B&Bs.

“A full refurbishment was completed in 2012, and the business has responded exceedingly well, as one would expect, given the marvellous facilities and superb location in this famous tourism city.”

Yorkshire’s hotels are gearing up for a strong performance in 2014.

News that the Tour de France is coming to Yorkshire next year has been credited with sparking a tourism boom at the start of 2013.

Despite freezing temperatures, the county enjoyed a 47 per cent rise in spending between January and February compared with the same period last year, according to the Great Britain Travel Survey.