It’s Grand as Cedar Court gets five-star laurels

But a hotel in York has now joined the ranks of the nation’s elite places to stay after becoming the first in the Yorkshire region to achieve the coveted AA five-star ranking.

Managers at the Cedar Court Grand, which is located in the towering grandeur of a former railway headquarters, found out this week that they have secured the rating only 18 months after the £25m hotel opened its doors.

It is now one of only 24 outside of London to be given the ranking – and the Grill Room at the hotel’s restaurant has also been awarded two prestigious AA Rosettes for the quality of its culinary offerings.

While the Grand has achieved the five black stars, it still has some way to go before it is mentioned in the same breath as the country’s most famous hotels, such as The Ritz, Claridge’s and The Goring, which are all in the capital and have achieved the higher five red stars.

But the Grand’s general manager, Maria Florou, who has been working at the hotel since January this year, stressed that the ultimate aim is to attain the AA’s highest ranking.

She said: “Everyone is overjoyed that we have been given the five stars. There is an absolute buzz about the place, and it is credit to everyone who works here. I have to admit that I didn’t expect to get the five star rating as quickly as we have done. But now we have, I keep having to remind myself that it is not just a dream.”

An inspector from the AA visited the hotel earlier this week and after staying the night, informed Miss Florou that the Grand had secured the five-star status during a one-hour debrief.

The award is also recognition of the quality of suppliers in the region – more than 90 per cent of the 80 companies that are used to supply everything from beer and biscuits to bed linen and furniture are based in Yorkshire.

Miss Florou, who was born in Hull and now lives in Huddersfield, said: “We pride ourselves on the fact that we try to use Yorkshire companies whenever we can. Yorkshire really is becoming one of the country’s prime destinations, and the fact that there is a five-star hotel in the region is only going to enhance that reputation.”

The Cedar Court Grand opened in May last year after an extensive renovation of the former North Eastern Railway Company headquarters – which is one of York’s most iconic Edwardian buildings – in Station Rise.

A double room is priced at about £170 a night, although a stay in the penthouse will cost guests up to £1,200t.

While Miss Florou was unwilling to disclose the identities of famous guests who have stayed at the Grand during the last 18 months, it is understood that music stars and leading actors as well as Premiership footballers and members of foreign royal families have all checked in.

A spokeswoman for the AA said the five star ranking was a “symbol of excellence achieved through dedication, high levels of investment and a passion to be the best”.

The award from the AA has been welcomed by tourism leaders in the city, who claimed that it will help underpin the multi-million pound industry and attract even more visitors from across the globe.

More than 7.1 million visitors head to York every year and spend in excess of £443m – a figure that equates to seven per cent of the region’s overall tourism industry.

Accommodation accounts for £46m of the overall visitor spending in the city, and York’s tourism sector is responsible for supporting nearly 23,000 jobs.

Gillian Cruddas, the chief executive of the city’s tourism partnership, Visit York, said: “We are delighted by this news. The five stars will help Visit York to attract high-spending UK and overseas visitors and this news will serve to strengthen York’s reputation as a world-class city.

“The Cedar Court Grand is a great asset and adds something special to the superb variety of accommodation we already have – from small bed and breakfasts to historic hotels.

“Maintaining York’s point of difference, high standards and continued investment are key to ensuring a successful tourism industry.”

Ambition to seek room at the top

EVER since it opened the Cedar Court Grand in York has aspired to become Yorkshire’s first five- star hotel.

The 107-bedroom hotel, which includes 13 suites and a penthouse, employs more than 140 staff and has one of the region’s most luxurious spas. Many of the hotel’s rooms provide spectacular views across the city’s medieval walls and the world-famous Minster.

The Wakefield-based business behind the hotel, Acropolis Hotels, has marketed The Grand as a prized asset of York’s multi-million pound tourism industry. The hotel is the company’s flagship.

The firm also offers four-star facilities at its sites in Harrogate, Huddersfield, Bradford and Wakefield.