“A 14th-century thatched pub and restaurant with rooms, the Star has low ceilings, old beams, intriguing nooks, a fairytale private dining room in the rafters and accolades galore for owner chef Andrew Pern’s inspired cooking. In a lodge opposite the inn, the sitting room is large and opulent, warmed in winter by an open fire, and breakfast is taken in a splendid circular room at a circular table. Bedrooms are immaculate, a perfect blend of the rustic and the modern. Guests relish the comfortable, stress-free atmosphere here.”

Written by  Fiona Duncan

They say

“Why do people love staying in your hotel?

We like to think, as we would(!), that it is very stylish and comfortable, whilst also homely with a great and unique ambience. All of the rooms are highly individual with their own quirky features, such as a piano or rope-slung bed, so people tend to have a favourite, and a substantial Yorkshire breakfast is taken in the Wheelhouse around the round King Arthuresque table.

Just across the road from the hotel is our award-winning restaurant and pub, where the menus are seasonal and use the best local ingredients, some of which come from the village and are delivered by tractor! The C14th thatched pub is steeped in history and has cosy log fires making it a great place to warm up after a bracing walk, and in summer you can eat on the terrace and stroll around our kitchen garden.

What is there to do in the area or on site?

The hotel is located on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors with all of the recreational opportunities that can offer: shooting, walking, horse-riding, cycling in the Great Dalby Forest, soaring off the top of Sutton Bank with the Yorkshire Gliding Club to name but a few, and the North Yorkshire coastal towns such as Whitby (where Andrew Pern the owner was born and bred) are just a short car ride away. Stately homes, such as Castle Howard are close by as is the market town of Helmsley, whilst York is around 40 minutes away down pretty country lanes and through picturesque villages.

What kind of breakfast do you offer?

Breakfast can be light, for instance with Hippy Tea, Star Inn Granola, Seasonal Fruit and Yoghurt, or substantial to set you up for a day out on the Moors with a ‘Full Yorkshire’ or a Proper Bacon Butty and a steaming mug of Yorkshire Tea, or a nip of vodka in a Bloody Mary or Porridge with a tot of Whisky to ‘warm the cockles’!


Do you offer other meals? And can you recommend good places to eat out locally?

We would obviously recommend The Star Inn and, fortunately, a lot of our customers would too! It is literally just across the road from the hotel, offers extensive menus from sandwiches at lunchtime in the Bar to a 7-course evening tasting menu with matched wines in one of our two dining rooms, and everything in between. Menus change frequently according to what is available and best, and we have great suppliers from the nearby game estates to village farmers who supply some of our beef and poultry, and Mrs Hall from just around the corner who supplies our honey.

Which are your most popular room types, and why?

All of our rooms seem to have their own following due to their individual features. We also have 2 rooms located in a separate annex which are ideal for a family which can have the entire annex to themselves. Room 1 with the bath at the end of the bed seems to be more popular for romantic breaks, (whilst Room 4 with the bed hanging from the ceiling has recently been nicknamed the ‘Fifty Shades’ room) and Room 5 with its own snooker table is our most spacious room. Having only 8 rooms, the hotel suits corporate groups, shooting parties and family celebrations, such as intimate weddings, when the party can have the whole hotel to themselves and enjoy private dining (and a spot of partying) in the Wheelhouse.

What message would you like to give Hotel Guru readers?

The Star Inn is the perfect location to experience the best that rural North Yorkshire has to offer from activities, food, setting – and good old fashioned, genuine home-cured Harome hospitality!”