The Grand Hotel and Spa can host board meetings for 14, conferences for up to 120 delegates theatre style and banquets for up to 100, all inside the former headquarters of the North Eastern Railway in central York. Five function rooms, a cookery school, two restaurants and a spa sit under one roof, just inside the city walls.
Seminars and company events
The meetings program covers day conferences, board meetings, business retreats, galas and receptions. The Grand Boardroom is the main room: 16 by 9 meters, with original features and views of York Minster and the City Walls. It seats 120 theatre style, 54 classroom, 64 cabaret and 40 around a boardroom table, and takes 100 for a reception or a banquet. The Chairman's Suite connects to it and works as a breakout room or a second plenary for 35. Three smaller rooms, The Gibb, The Leeman and The Ridley, suit committees and syndicate work.
Business retreats can combine a morning meeting in the Cookery School with an afternoon cooking session led by the hotel's chefs, a format that replaces the usual team-building outing. Lunch can be served as a buffet or in the Grand foyer, and a specialist events team plans each program. Private dining is available for evening dinners.
Weddings and receptions
The hotel sells weddings with ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening in the same building. The Grand Boardroom takes up to 120 guests for a ceremony and wedding breakfast. The Chairman's Suite and Legacy, the fine dining restaurant, each suit about 30 guests for a smaller celebration. The White Rose Lounge is used for a private cocktail hour. Couples can take exclusive use of the event spaces. Confirm with the hotel which rooms are licensed for civil ceremonies.
Rooms and capacities
The Grand Boardroom holds 120 theatre style, 100 for a banquet or a standing reception, 64 cabaret and 54 classroom. The Chairman's Suite holds 35 theatre style, 40 standing and 30 for dinner. The Leeman and The Ridley each hold 30 theatre style and 24 for a meal. The Gibb is set as a boardroom for 14. The Cookery School and the White Rose Lounge complete the event spaces.
Accommodation
Delegates and wedding guests can stay on site in five-star bedrooms and suites, and overnight retreat programs end with a full Yorkshire breakfast. The event pages do not publish the bedroom count, so state the number of rooms you need when you send your request.
Catering
All catering is produced in house. Options range from working buffet lunches to private dinners and banquets. Legacy serves an eight-course tasting menu, and SubRosa, the spa restaurant, serves lighter dishes inspired by East Asian cooking. The Cookery School can host a Chef's Table where the meal is prepared in front of the group.
History and setting
The building was completed in 1906 as the head office of the North Eastern Railway Company, designed by William Bell and Horace Field. It was built to impress clients and shareholders, with marble interiors, oak-paneled rooms and the boardroom where the railway's directors met. The Chairman's Suite was the chairman's own office. The building is listed Grade II* and was restored in 2010. SubRosa Spa occupies the floor beneath the hotel.
Getting there
The hotel stands on Station Rise, YO1 6GD, inside the city walls and a short walk from York railway station, which has direct trains to London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester. York Minster and the historic center are within walking distance, so a group arriving by train needs no coach transfer.
