At the weekend, we stayed in a serviced apartment courtesy of The Lawrance. The Lawrance offers serviced apartments at three locations in the spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire: Kings House, Duchy House and York Road. We stayed at Duchy House D, a first floor, two-bedroomed apartment, on Duchy Road.
Arriving on the Friday evening, access couldn’t have been simpler through an electronic keypad for which we had been provided a unique code. Once inside, you could instantly see that no expense has been spared in achieving the finished result, and that the apartment had been finished by someone with a true eye for flair and design.
Ours was a two-bedroomed apartment, both rooms en suite; the master bedroom also had a writing desk from which you could work if staying on business.Mood lighting, rain showers, extra comfy beds, an open plan living room and kitchen, free broadband WiFi, flatscreen TV, iPod dock and games console all add to the amenities. We even had a fabulous breakfast delivered each morning, complete with croissants, yoghurts, muffins and pains au chocolat.
Although the apartment comes with a fully equipped kitchen, you also have the option of wandering into town and choosing from Harrogate’s many restaurants. We opted to go to Brio’s Italian restaurant on the Saturday evening, one of the places recommended in the information provided, andenjoyed a good meal in a relaxed setting. Brio’s happens to be on the ground floor of Kings House so, if you’re staying there, you can even order your meal via room service.
It should also be noted that Harrogate is a great location. On the Saturday, we took the children to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where they enjoyed a return steam train journey from Pickering to Goathland (Heartbeat country). And on the Sunday, after a bit of retail therapy in Harrogate itself, we stopped off at the impressiveBrimham Rocks en route back home.
Serviced apartments such as those offered by The Lawrance have been growing in popularity for some time now and, with offerings such as these, you can see why. You get all the benefits of self-catering accommodation, such as privacy and space, and the services that you might expect from a hotel, all rolled into one. A thoroughly recommended stay – I suggest you definitely look them up if you’re ever in Harrogate on business, or indeed if you’re looking for a weekend treat.
