Hotel Clementine (formerly Marmadukes Town House Hotel)
by the TopOfHotel team
A characterful AA 4-star Victorian villa on a quiet Clifton lane that pairs period grandeur with a well-cooked in-house restaurant - you trade a 10-minute walk into the old town for quiet, privacy, and a price that beats city-centre hotels.
A characterful AA 4-star Victorian villa on a quiet Clifton lane that pairs period grandeur with a well-cooked in-house restaurant - you trade a 10-minute walk into the old town for quiet, privacy, and a price that beats city-centre hotels.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a handsome Victorian stone villa at the end of a quiet, leafy residential lane, set just back from the bustle of the centre - that's Hotel Clementine, the name many still know as Marmadukes Town House Hotel, an AA 4-star hotel on St Peter's Grove in the Clifton area. The charm starts the moment you step through the door, because the house keeps almost all of its original Victorian grandeur - carved marble fireplaces, finely moulded plaster ceilings, tall sash windows that pull in the light, and an old wooden staircase that leads up to the roughly 20 rooms above. What sets it apart from a chain hotel is that no two rooms are decorated alike: some have soaring ceilings with a decorative fireplace and classic furniture, others are snug and tucked under the eaves. The palette is warm, mixing patterned fabrics and soft colours in an English-home style, the beds are comfortable, and it feels more like staying with well-bred English relatives than checking into a hotel. Plenty of reviews agree it has its own distinct, warm personality, and anyone who loves the character of an old town house with a story will likely fall for it on sight.
Food and amenities
The other heart of a stay here is the in-house restaurant, which reviewers consistently praise for its cooking and easygoing feel. Breakfast is served fresh in a dining room that still carries the old-house atmosphere, tall sash windows and woodwork included, while dinner is freshly cooked English food in a warm, homely setting where you needn't dress up - perfect after a full day of walking. A favourite advantage is the free parking on the hotel's own grounds, genuinely rare in York where city-centre parking is both expensive and quick to fill, so anyone driving in can stop worrying about it. Out back there's a private garden for afternoon tea or a breath of air before bed, leafy and quiet as a residential area should be. It is a small hotel with no spa or gym of its own, but what you get instead is privacy, quiet, and attentive service of the kind an owner gives their own guests - several staff are praised as friendly and good at pointing you to places to eat and visit around town.
Location and getting there
Hotel Clementine sits in the Clifton area, just north of the old city walls, on St Peter's Grove - a quiet, leafy residential lane. Step outside and you don't meet the tourist crowds you would at a city-centre hotel; it's a calm, private street, so nights are especially quiet and good for proper sleep. From here it's about a 10-minute walk into the old centre and the City Walls, a nice distance that gets you a gentle stretch through pretty streets before you reach landmarks like York Minster, the great medieval Gothic cathedral, the famously atmospheric old lane of The Shambles, and the old-town shops. York railway station, your link to London or Edinburgh, is about a 12-15 minute walk or a short taxi ride. The trade is simple: a slightly longer walk in exchange for quiet, privacy, and free parking - ideal if you want a calm base that still keeps the old town on foot.
Things to know before booking
To help you decide, here's the honest side. First, the location is not central: it's in Clifton, about a 10-minute walk from the city walls and the main tourist area, so you don't step out the door straight onto the sights. Anyone who dislikes walking or wants everything at arm's length may find it a touch far - though you're trading that for quiet and free parking many find worth it. Second, the room size and layout vary a lot, since this is an old Victorian house converted into a hotel; some rooms, especially the entry-level or attic ones, are fairly small or have sloped ceilings. If space matters, ask for a larger room type on a main floor and check the details before you book. Third, the facilities are those of a small hotel - there's no spa, gym, or pool, and because it's an old house with wooden floors, some rooms may catch noise from the corridor or next door. Worth weighing if you want full facilities or are sensitive to sound.
Our take
From reading through plenty of real guest reviews, Hotel Clementine (the former Marmadukes Town House Hotel) sells the charm of a characterful Victorian villa, quiet privacy on a residential lane, a well-cooked in-house restaurant, free parking, and a price that beats city-centre hotels - and it does so warmly and honestly. If your idea of the trip is staying in a tasteful old house, waking to calm, walking about 10 minutes through pretty streets into the old town and York Minster, coming back for tea in the garden, then finishing with dinner in a homely restaurant, this is a well-judged and good-value town house in York. But if you want a hotel right in the centre next to the sights, a large room, or full facilities like a spa and gym, the extra walk and the varied old-house room sizes may not suit you best. Overall we give it 8.6/10, best for couples and travellers after a characterful, quiet, private, good-value stay in a leafy part of York.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- A detached Victorian villa with real character, keeping its original details beautifully - carved marble fireplaces, moulded plaster ceilings, and tall sash windows. Every room is decorated differently, and plenty of reviews praise it as warm and full of genuine English town-house personality.
- A quiet residential lane in the Clifton area means nights are especially peaceful, ideal if you actually want to rest, yet the old town and city walls are still about a 10-minute walk away - you get both calm and convenience.
- There is an in-house restaurant that reviewers consistently praise for its cooking and friendly feel, serving both breakfast and dinner. You can eat well without going far, in a warm, homely setting.
- Free parking on the hotel's own grounds is a rare advantage in York, where city-centre parking is expensive and hard to find. Very handy if you are arriving by car.
- The price sits noticeably below the luxury city-centre hotels while still giving you a tasteful old-house atmosphere, friendly staff, a private garden to sit in, and a level of privacy that bigger hotels can't match.
- It sits in Clifton, set back from the old centre, so it is about a 10-minute walk to the city walls and the main tourist area. You don't step out the door straight onto the sights the way you would at a central hotel, and anyone who dislikes walking may find it a touch far.
- Because it is an old house converted into a hotel, the rooms vary a lot in size and layout. Some - especially the entry-level rooms or those up under the eaves - are fairly small or have sloped ceilings, and a few reviewers expected more space.
- It is a small hotel, so the facilities don't match a big property: there is no spa or gym on site, and because it is an old house with wooden floors, some rooms may catch noise from the corridor or next door. Worth weighing if you want full facilities.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near York
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around York — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in YorkAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- If space and high ceilings matter to you, ask for one of the larger room types on the main floors when booking and avoid the attic rooms, which can have sloped ceilings and feel more compact. Flag your preference early, since every room is different.
- Make the most of the free parking - drive in, leave the car here, and walk or take a short taxi into the old town. It saves you a lot on York's expensive and scarce city-centre parking.
- Take a morning stroll through the quiet, leafy Clifton area, then walk along into the old city walls in about 10 minutes. It is a prettier, calmer route into town than the main road, with more of a local feel.