Look beyond its middle-class gloss and you’ll find that this is a rather hip, sharply designed place to stay in the genteel old spa town
No one heads to Harrogate for high-octane excitement. This is a genteel spa town. Bettys tea room and the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Harlow Carr are big draws. It is also known for its shopping. With branches of Farrow & Ball, Lakeland, Molton Brown and Swarovski, James Street typifies a town which blends solid middle-class style with a little of the designer bling that wealthy North Yorkshire loves.
At first glance, West Park Hotel, a new venture by local pub group Provenance Inns, appears to be aimed squarely at this audience. With its zinc-topped bar, expensive flower displays, champagne and cocktails, the ground-floor brasserie and bar seems tailormade to appeal to well-heeled Yorkshiremen and women. Afternoon teas and lessons in flower arranging offer gentler diversions, but of a similarly middle-aged bent.
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