Hotel Indigo York

This bright and jolly modern hotel has such a strong sense of its own identity that you forget it's part of a chain. All Indigo hotels aim to reflect their locality, and this is no exception. Picking up on York's confectionery-making heritage, it has a semi-industrial feel with plenty of chocolatey-brown shades: open-plan ground floor, stripped-wood floors and wood panelling, plain oak tables, tiled pillars and exposed light bulbs. Bedrooms are on the small side with limited views but this is more than made up for with the fun decorative style: cake-mould-shaped lampshades, Smartie-patterned cushions, exposed-brick walls, jolly red armchairs. Beds are fantastically comfortable while the bold black-and-white bathrooms are sharply modern. Plus, all rooms qualify for nice extras such as bathrobes and chocolate bars. The restaurant's menus place a nice emphasis on Yorkshire sourcing with punchy and robust dishes plus a well above average breakfast choice that includes freshly squeezed orange juice, avocado on sourdough, pancakes and the full Yorkshire. Although within the walls, it's on one of the less-visited streets, Walmgate. More authentic, and less touristy, this area has a growing reputation for its cafes and eateries, and range of vintage and independent shops.