Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
A stunning property set right in the heart of York city situated just a stone’s throw from the famous Minster, the cobbled shambles and city walls. Unwind in characterful and cosy guest bedrooms filled with all the comforts of home and all individually different. Tuck into the fabulous, award-winning food, hearty and filling, in the restaurant and enjoy a drink in the cosy and atmospheric cellar bar or one of the many outdoor terraces. Part of The House of Daniel Thwaites collection.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TheAA: The Automobile Association.
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Historic Hotel
Languages Spoken
English, Polish
Location
9 Lendal, York YO1 8AQ England
The Judges Lodging
4.2 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
The Judges Lodging hotel charms many guests with its unique atmosphere and spotless rooms, though some have mentioned noise disturbances. While service interactions vary, with reports of both warm attentiveness and rudeness, the central location is a highlight for those eager to explore York.
Despite commendations for cleanliness and amenities like the praised breakfast, there are mixed feelings about the hotel's value, pointing to high prices and occasional service lapses. Rooms are cozy and clean but may be on the smaller side and subject to maintenance concerns.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Well-appointed
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveller reviews and learn more about how the site works.
We have stayed in York numerous times and this was our first time staying at Judges Lodgings. The hotel is in a perfect location, just a couple of mins walk from the Shambles and approx 10 mins walk from the station.
We checked in online so when we arrived at the hotel we were able to leave our bags as we arrived quite early. The reception staff were really friendly and informative. When we returned to the hotel, after a few hours exploring, we were shown to our character room (The Belfry Room 8) where our bags were waiting for us. There were quite a few stairs to climb, but the exercise was welcomed after our culinary indulgence in the Shambles.
The room had a comfy bed, a reasonable amount of storage space for clothes. There was a coffee machine, kettle, iron and ironing board and hairdryer. The bathroom had a bath with a shower head and lovely White Company toiletries. There wasn’t anywhere to put our own toiletries, but we improvised.
Our rate included breakfast which was served in the Cellar Bar. There was a small buffet to start with cereals, fruit, pastries, yoghurts and bread for toasting. The main breakfast items were cooked fresh. A good selection of Full English, eggs Benedict and many other choices. The sausages were so tasty!
We really enjoyed our stay at Judges Lodgings, the location is absolutely perfect. We’d definitely return!
Read more
Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had our reception at the judges lodging, a beautiful, well taken care of building in an amazing location a lovely 8mins away from the registry office through the museum garden.
From the our first enquiry the staff were exceptional, we felt very welcomed and taken care of. Tegan, the wedding planner was outstanding. All aspects of the reception were considered and any anxiety was addressed quickly and professionally via email and phone.
Generously they offered us a free tasting menu, upgraded our room and offered our guests a discounted rate with here stay.
We felt that everyone working at the Judges lodging put 110% from the general manager, reception, bar, cleaning and kitchen staff. The food on the day was delicious and service impeccable. We couldn’t recommend the Judges Lodgings enough.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
Mine was a brief but pleasant stay, my room located in the building to the right of the main house. It was spacious, well equipped & in good order & I really appreciated the fresh milk provided for in-room tea making. I was out revelling till the early hours & the hotel bar was closed by the time I hit the sack - so I can’t attest to how successfully bedrooms are insulated from noise. The hotel located in the beating heart of the city & has a buzzing restaurant & bar scene. There is no parking, but that’s not unusual for a hotel within York centre. I think the nearest car park is probably Marygate, an 8 minute walk & chargeable. The lady who checked me in was absolutely charming & my only criticism of the hotel is that I couldn’t get hold of anyone by telephone, I was only able to leave a voicemail, with the promise they’d respond within… 24 hours. Reception was unmanned on arrival & despite pressing the bell several times, nobody responded & I had to seek assistance from a waitress. Other than that, a great stay.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We've just come back from a stay here, it was ok and for a two night stay was adequate for our needs but we both decided we'd never stay here again for two reasons. The room we stayed in (room 19 - the Sage room) was clean, a little cramped but didn't bother us and had everything we needed. Milk for tea was given to us in a little flask and we were told to put a sign on the door handle for the next day if we wanted more. Our first night was interrupted from about 10pm when it sounded like large amounts of glass bottles were thrown into bins from what we thought was the actual hotel. it carried on for a few hours and happened on our second night too so didn't get a very good sleep even though the bed was comfy. The next day we put our flask sign and "please service our room" on the door and headed into York. The hotel is ideally placed for this. We came back at 3pm for a pit stop to find that someone had changed the sign on our door to "do not disturb" and our hearts sank - here is the second reason we decided never to stay here again. We opened the door to find nothing had been touched, at the very least the bins hadn't even been emptied and this caused a bit of an issue for us as my husband has a colostomy bag so it's important the bins get emptied. The room only has one small window above the door for ventilation and as it was extremely cold outside we left it shut while we were out and seeing as the bins weren't emptied the smell was a bit powerful. I've worked in the hotel cleaning industry for years and know that even if guests are short stay they at least get their bins emptied, bed made and a top up of anything they need. This left us in a situation where we had to dispose of our rubbish ourselves as we didn't feel comfortable going to reception and explaining all this. We tidied our room, opened the small window above the door and went back out into York. On checkout we were asked how our stay was and we mentioned the glass bottles and they are fully aware of it but there's nothing they can do as it's the neighbouring restaurants that back onto them that make the noise. I can see that this isn't really their fault. The main issue we had was the sign on the door being changed - neighbouring room thinking it was funny to change it or staff member can't be bothered to clean and telling a superior that the sign was like that already? Either way it annoyed us and was very inconvenient.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2023
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We recently stayed here (booked a courtyard room after reviews saying the terrace rooms were noisy) firstly, not all rooms have a bath (something we wanted and thought all had) we were given room 16 that only had a shower, staff were great in upgrading our room the following night to a room with a bath.
The first room we stayed in (16) was quite small but very clean, bed was comfy and tea/coffee was plentiful - fresh milk in flasks was nice, but not necessary in our opinion. This room as very cold and it took it a while for the radiator to work, there was a small electric heater we found in the wardrobe that eventually warmed the room enough to sleep. Unfortunately, the noise from the road outside and the nearby restaurants and stores was continuous, we would just drop off, when the next round of large lorries or sirens would be heard. As we were moving rooms the next day we just sucked it up.
Breakfast (included in room price we booked) was fabulous, choices were plentiful and rather large.
Second room (8) was upstairs in the main building, this room was very roomy and again spotless. Heating here was much better and the room was very comfortable. Sadly, again the noise from outside (for some reason this sounded like multiple glass bottles being emptied to and from a bin lorry?) proved the same challenge for us, so for the two nights we stayed we had very little sleep. When reading the room booklet (why we didn't read it before is anyones guess!) it does state that earplugs could be obtained from Reception - so I guess (had we read it earlier) we were warned about the noise levels.
We enjoyed our stay in York, but were exhausted and happy to return home. The building is lovely, the staff are wonderful and we were made to feel very welcome. Personally, we wouldn't stay again as the noise from outside is just too much for us (may be we are very light sleepers?). Our advice would be to ask for the earplugs on arrival just in case ;).
Read more
Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Get the earplugs on arrival!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here over 30 years ago and whilst the entrance is just as impressive the service and attitude of staff is very different. We only stayed one night thank heavens, slept badly in a room out the back which had a toilet that didn’t flush well and sheets that didn’t feel or look fresh. When we checked in we must have been told what time breakfast was served but didn’t really absorb it anyway we needed to leave pretty early in the morning and found ourselves ready by 07.00 to be told quite abruptly that cooked breakfast would not be available until 07.30. We apologised as we only needed to grab a tea and yogurt. As we sat down, a lady staff member saw us sitting started to huff and puff as we were really in her way making us feel really uncomfortable. The same lady checked us out as i explained that we did not know about breakfast timings. She harshly commented that we would have been told when we checked in and it certainly is written in the bedroom. Thanks for the telling off! Surely There has to be a nicer way of addressing your clientele. We didn’t disturb you as we only had a cold breakfast anyway. Hope you had a better day lady.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I've been staying at Judges for years with my family (both as a Thwaites hotel and under the previous owners). Our stay has always been amazing so I booked a trip for me and my partner - it was as good as ever. They even take your bags to your room now if you drop them off at the hotel before the check-in time. The rooms are all lovely and the breakfast in the cellar never disappoints. The location is a massive bonus as well - right in the centre of York and less than 10 minute walk from most things you'd want to visit. It is well worth the price for the convenience, helpful staff, lovely food, and even the cheapest rooms are amazing so you don't have to feel like you need to shell out for the posher rooms to get a great experience (the character rooms are great though if you do want to!).
Read more
Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beautiful hotel with a perfect location close to everything . However the staff were rude and inattentive, and the food was awful . We were told at 8.30pm that we couldn’t have a drink in the bespoke outside area we would have to come inside . Earlier we had tried to buy some beers in the bar . We were ignored at the bar then sat down and were served, the beer took over 15 minutes to arrive . We asked to pay the waitress who walked off and ignored us . We then asked another member of staff to try to pay and despite them having an iPad on them walked off and took ages to return . Breakfast .. the poached eggs were so vinegary that the whole breakfast smelled of it and tasted of it to the point that it put us both off eating anything else despite being told they would redo breakfast. Four star hotel prices .. needs much improvement in the staff area . When we complained they seemed more worried about where and when things happened to identify staff than apologising!! We did get breakfast for 1 refunded but no other apology for issues like we were not believed! At £250 per night thus type of behaviour was not acceptable.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When we arrived at Judges Lodging the decor was beautiful, but no one was on reception, with lots of unguarded luggage. Eventually someone turned up and very nicely checked us in, and promised to send our luggage to our room, as we had arrived early. However, I was concerned about the unguarded luggage. Our room was lovely, though there was a lot of noise from staff moving barrels around 7am. On checkout we were told they could not promise to watch our luggage, which is very worrisome and disappointing, as most hotels and inns offer this facility.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Reception staff need to be more vigilant and visual
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Went for food with my son Was terrible cold steak pie hard chips awful experience when we told the waitress the second pie was not much better Incapable of heating a pie to correct temperature And when we left still charged us full price terrible experience would not recommend to anyone
Read more
Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nottingham, United Kingdom29 contributions7 helpful votes
Sorry unable to say if Wi-Fi ok. I do remember the room telephone did not work at all. Completely dead. Courtyard room was noisy. People from bar were smoking just outside our bedroom window.
There are more places to choose from in the York area.
PRICE RANGE
$280 - $401 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the judges lodgings hotel york, judges lodgings hotel york, judges lodgings york
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandYorkshireNorth YorkshireYork
NUMBER OF ROOMS
21
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
