Where to stay, where to shop and where to pamper yourself...

If money is no object (for just a few days at least!) then there are plenty of ways to spend it in York. Here's how to enjoy blowing a fortune in just a couple of days.

A brief History of Luxury York ...

The Romans were keen on bathing, but most of the business of bathing was for pleasure and recreation, rather than for keeping clean. To clean off the dirt they went through a hot room in the baths, like a sauna or a Turkish bath, and then rubbed oil on their skin, and scraped off the mucky mixture of oil, sweat, and dirt, using a curved metal scraper called a strigil. Seen as remarkably effective, apparently Roman ladies used to collect the sweaty gloop from athletes and gladiators and use it in a face pack.
From cosmetics to concrete, fast food to frescos and lighthouses to loos, the Romans transformed numerous aspects of British life. The Romans brought with them innovations and inventions during their invasion of Britain.

Roman Baths and Pump Room
The baths were like a club in a sports complex. When you had finished bathing there was a gym, library with a reading room for reading scrolls, a snack bar, restaurants, bars, shops, lounges, taverns even museums and theatres. The bathhouse was used to meet friends for a chat, to exchange gossip, exercise or just a wash. The baths were noisy with men singing, the odd poet reciting poetry in the hope of getting an invitation home to dinners. Criers calling "HOT SAUSAGES" or "CAKES FOR SALE" could be heard. A rich strict roman called Senaca disapproved of the baths saying it was a sign of weakness, and that you should only wash once a week like "the good old days."

Some of the bathing habits of the richer part of the Roman civilisations were very lavish. Roman men would bathe in wine and the women sometimes in milk. The wife of Emperor Nero had 500 asses to supply the milk for her baths.

The baths were very luxurious. The average bath house would have mirrors covering the walls, ceilings were buried in glass and the pools were lined with rich marble and complicated mosaics covered the floors. A Roman wishing to enter the baths would do so through the front porch whose roof was supported by Roman Baths. He would enter into the main hall were he would pay his fee, from there he would go to the changing rooms called apodyterium and he would leave his clothes with his slave to guard. The bath house had many different rooms each with it's own special use. In the present day the idea of luxury and shopping has changed somewhat!

In Georgian times York became the fashionable alternative to London and quite the place to be seen. Smart Londoners bought themselves town houses in York and came regularly to socialise, to shop and generally to enjoy themselves.

Fairfax House perfectly encapsulates such a lifestyle, built in 1750 when York was at the height of its popularity among the moneyed and leisured classes. The house was occupied by Viscount Fairfax of Emley and his daughter, who moved from London to enjoy fashionable York, bringing their eleven servants with them. Now that is luxury! The house now provides a perfect setting for the superb Noel Terry Collection of English furniture - over 120 pieces dating back to 17th century and including some quite outstanding craftsmanship. Have a visit and imagine yourself to be the proud owner of this sumptuous and beautiful house - and its furniture, and you will soon be in the mood for luxurious York. Private viewings can be arranged. Tel: 01904 655543.

Where to Stay

Unfortunately, you can't actually move in to Fairfax House for your luxury stay, but there are plenty of places to stay instead, to suit all moods.

Blue Rooms at the Blue Bicycle
Now this is something a bit different and the last word in luxury. The Blue Bicycle is one of York's best and most expensive restaurants. It is small, intimate and has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. To give you an idea, on their opening night they opened 108 bottles of Laurent Perrier champagne! Once a brothel, the design of the restaurant capitalises on its "blue" history, and employs some voluptuous nudity in the décor - but all in the best possible taste, of course. Now the Blue Bicycle has opened just two luxurious rooms, complete with Villeroy and Bosch bathrooms, steam showers, luxury kitchens, Bang & Olufsen hi-fi systems, goose-down quilts and pillows. What's more, breakfast is provided in the rooms by the BB chef. The rooms cost £150 per night.
4 Franklin's Yard, off Fossgate.
Public contact - Tel: 01904 677726, website: www.thebluebicycle.com.
Press contact - David Rose. Tel: 01904 677726, email: blue-rooms@thebluebicycle.com.  

Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa

If you want to experience the ultimate luxury break, then the Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa is the place for you. The Grand is situated in the heart of York, a city of cultural heritage. Constructed on the site of the original North Eastern Railways Headquarters, the hotel revives the splendor of the Golden Age of travel, having been carefully restored to retain all of the original features of this stunning building.
Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa, Station Rise, York
Tel: 01904 380038 www.cedarcourtgrand.co.uk  

Middlethorpe Hall
Part of the National Trust, this distinguished William III house stands in 20 acres of gardens and provides excellent luxury accommodation. Built in 1699 it was the home of the famous diarist Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, whose husband was British Ambassador to Turkey. She visited Constantinople and immersed herself in Turkish culture, writing passionately and prolifically about it to her friends in England - in particular she described the surprisingly liberating effect for women of wearing a veil. The Middlethorpe Spa is available to all residents, with pool, steam rooms, beauty treatments and gymnasium.
Middlethorpe Hall, Bishopthorpe Road.
Public contact - Tel: 01904 641241, website: www.middlethorpe.com.  

The Royal York Hotel
Set in 3 acres of landscaped gardens in the heart of the city, the Royal York Hotel is a magnificent 4 star Victorian hotel. The refurbished hotel offers contemporary, modern cool interiors. Bedrooms are located in both the main hotel and Royal Garden wings. Facilities include a leisure centre with indoor heated swimming pool. Room start at £56.80 per night.
Station Road, York.
Public contact - Tel: 01904 623503, website: www.royalhotelyork.co.uk  

The Grange Hotel
This beautiful, classic Regency townhouse is situated just outside the city walls, a short walk from all York's major attractions. The hotel has 30 luxurious en-suite bedrooms, 3 superb restaurants including a Seafood Bar and Brasserie, award-winning food and first-class service.
1 Clifton, York.
Public contact - Tel: 01904 644744, website: www.grangehotel.co.uk.  

Where to Shop

Now you've unpacked - it's time to hit the streets for some serious shopping.
With more than 2,000 shops, York offers some of most distinctive, specialist and stylish shopping in the UK, along its historic, picturesque and often traffic-free streets.
If it's clothes you're after, a stroll along Low Petergate will soon have you flexing your credit card. The line-up of designer names includes Paul Smith and Mannix for the men, and Sarah Coggles for seriously expensive and very beautiful women's clothes (with table football upstairs to amuse the boys). To complete your new outfit turn off Petergate onto Grape Lane for a dazzling array of shoes in Chinelli, and then continue past the Minster to High Petergate, to visit Monkey Puzzle, for gorgeous designer jewellery.

As you would expect from a city so steeped in history, York is packed with antique shops, where it is all too easy to blow a small fortune - but you can always tell yourself it's a good investment! On the corner of Duncombe Place, the Red House was constructed around 1700 and possibly designed by William Etty. Today this fine Georgian town house is one of York's premiere antique centres, with a particularly good selection of art deco and art nouveau pieces. And on Stonegate, York Antiques Centres house over 150 dealers specialising in china, glass, porcelain, gold, silver, jewellery, clocks, watches, fine art, ancient antiquities, furniture, toys, books and collectables. Recently awarded a Five Star rating by the prestigious The Antique Dealer magazine, the centres offer a relaxed atmosphere with friendly and knowledgeable staff always on hand.
Staying on Stonegate, the beautiful, medieval Mulberry Hall is established as one of the world's leading fine china and crystal specialists and its new dining warehouse stocks the very best designer names for the kitchen from Alessi to Bridgewater pottery.

Refresh Yourself

Time for a break. The Yorkshire sweet tooth is in evidence throughout the city, and it's no surprise to learn that the home of the famous chocolate firms Terry's and Rowntree's is staking a claim to being the afternoon tea capital of Britain. There are those who claim that cinnamon toast and ‘fat rascals' (a sublime cross between a scone and a biscuit, studded with almonds and cherries) can't be beaten, and when enjoyed in the refined surroundings of Betty's Tearoom, or the Tudor magnificence of Mulberry Hall, word has it they taste even better. For tea and cake on the Shambles, try the Earl Grey Tearooms for a welcomed break in either the morning or afternoon.

The Evening

Yet more decisions... Time to decide where to eat. These are a few suggestions, but there are plenty of places to choose from in York, and you may need to go no further than the restaurant of your hotel to find the perfect place to eat.

J Bakers Bistro Moderne, www.jbakers.co.uk
7 Fossgate. Tel: 01904 622 688,
A stylish and expensive jewel of a restaurant, with art deco interior, serving contemporary British and continental cuisine.

Blue Bicycle
34 Fossgate, Tel: 01904 673990, www.thebluebicycle.com.
Expensive but relaxed with an unparalleled reputation, and, as described earlier, the restaurant takes the blue theme to heart in its décor and design.

Melton's
Scarcroft Road, Tel: 01904 63434, www.meltonsrestaurant.co.uk.
Classical music, 1930s murals, and an impressive wine collection, sophisticated without being pretentious. Set in a converted Victorian house, Melton's is a very distinguished restaurant and the food is excellent.

A Day in the Country
To get a real feel for York you need to experience the majesty and grandeur of the surrounding Yorkshire countryside. And by now you may be ready to blow away a few cobwebs!

Explore York's spectacular surrounding scenery - but do it in style. Explore the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks, visit Castle Howard or Harewood House, maybe even get someone else to do the driving so that you can sit back and enjoy the views.

A Day at the Races
Keen racegoers will want to check the York Races calendar before booking their break in York. From May to October there are races every month, the most splendid being the three-day Ebor Festival every August. For a real day to remember, why not dress up, splash out and go for luxury hospitality in the tented village, an all-inclusive package of champagne, full bar facilities, four-course lunch and afternoon tea.
Tel: 01904 620911, www.yorkracecourse.co.uk.  

For any further information and your free guide to York, please contact: York Visitor Information Centre, Tel: 01904 550099, email: info@visityork.org  or visit the website at www.visityork.org.

Press contact: Kay Hyde PR Manager - Visit York, Tel: 01904 554451, email: kh@visityork.org,  website: www.visityork.org  

For any further information and your free guide to York, please contact: York Visitor Information Centre, Tel: 01904 550099, email: info@visityork.org or visit the website at www.visityork.org.

Press contact:  Kay Hyde, PR Manager - Visit York, Tel: 01904 554451, email: kh@visityork.org, website: www.visityork.org.