The Georgian Townhouse, City Centre
SLEEPS 17
This Georgian townhouse sits inside the city walls, steps from the Shambles, which means Saturday morning is a Brew & Brownie whether you planned it or not. The house does the rest. Five bathrooms are princess treatment, the kitchen island handles a charcuterie board without complaint, and there’s a hunter green bathroom with a standalone bath that exists, let’s be honest, for photos. Getting ready across multiple floors actually works here, which is half the battle with a group this size, and you’re into the Shambles quarter in under three minutes; the kind of proximity that gives her hen weekend momentum from the get-go.
Good to know: Front-facing rooms pick up street noise, earplugs in the hen weekend bags are a win.
From £720 per night
The Knavesmire, Bootham
SLEEPS 15
Set in Bootham, The Knavesmire makes the weekend feel easy. An eight-minute walk from the Minster, and everything else falls into place around it — boozy brunch, bar, vibey dinner, bar, go again. You probably won’t spend much time here, but it holds its own when you do. Big Chesterfields you can properly sink into, and a dining table that actually fits everyone. Seven bedrooms and five en-suites mean getting ready doesn’t turn into a rota, but it’s worth knowing that one of those is a bunk room, which… someone has to take, but it’s not without its charm. And in the morning, the Sage machine earns its place.
Good to know: Free parking for two cars (rare for central York). It’s on a quiet residential street, so this isn’t the one for late-night chaos.
From £1,228 per night
Alexander House, York
SLEEPS 12–13
A house designed for a group of girls. Five bedrooms, all en-suite, and not a bunk room in sight. Downstairs is set up for the hostess with the mostest: a big table, enough seating, and a kitchen that begs for a full breakfast in the morning (or an array of pastries from Tesco). It has a games room in the basement, which is a nice-to-have, but more importantly, it gives the house a bit of separation. The rooms themselves are clean, modern, and there’s no obvious short straw. Set a 15-minute walk outside of York, you’re close enough, but not chaotic.
Good to know: Five en-suites (a rarity), good social spaces, and a layout that works for a group. Noise is monitored, and you’ll need to keep things respectful.
From £1,076 per night
Central York Apartment Collection
SLEEPS 18
Three apartments, one building. Instead of cramming 18 people into one space, the Central York Apartment Collection splits you across three separate flats, each with its own living room, kitchen, and crucially, space to breathe. Depending on the group dynamics, this might be the perfect fit. Early risers can have a coffee without tiptoeing around 17 people, and those still with tequila rising from their pores can suffer in silence. Inside, the apartments are modern, and everything feels fresh. This isn’t necessarily trying to be a luxury, design-led stay, but that’s kind of the point. What it does instead is work. Really well.
Good to know: Split across three apartments, so you won’t all be in one space, which is either ideal or not, depending on your group. But for ease, location, and not feeling on top of each other, it’s a good one.
From £1,421 per night
Jorvik Villas, York
SLEEPS 14
Set just outside the city walls, Jorvik Villas is a six-bedroom terrace packed with original features. It’s clearly been renovated, but it leans more homely than hotel — cosy, slightly cottage-esque, and a bit more character than you usually get with group stays. In summer, the courtyard does most of the work. Doors open, drinks out, and suddenly no one’s in a rush to leave. There’s a hot tub and sauna too, slightly overlooked and could use some TLC, yes, but once you’re in, it stops mattering. It’s about a 20-minute walk into the centre, so worth factoring in. Fine if you’re happy to taxi or take it slower, less ideal if you want everything on your doorstep.
Good to know: The outdoor space isn’t completely private, and the indoor dining area is a bit tight for everyone at once — but between the courtyard and the layout, it balances out.
From £1,526 per person
The Walmgate Retreat, York
SLEEPS 10–12
Just off Walmgate — one of our favourite streets for food — this is as central as you’d want to be. Five minutes and you’re out for brunch, dinner, drinks, or just a wander within the city walls. From the outside, the Walmgate Retreat looks charming. Peaceful, quaint, picturesque. Inside, less so. The rooms are big and airy, but the design is, well, more functional. Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and enough space that no one’s hovering for a mirror by Saturday morning. There are two kitchens, which sounds excessive until you realise one of them has a dining table that doubles as a pool table (which tells you everything you need to know about the decor). It won’t compete with a luxury York hotel, but it’s easy, well laid out, and does exactly what you need it to.
Good to know: This is more solid and reliable than design-led, but for location, layout, and price, it’s one of the better options in York.
From £823.50 per person
Prince Rupert House, Red House Estate
SLEEPS 10–12
For a full change of pace, we have Prince Rupert House. Set on a private estate between York and Harrogate, it fully embraces the countryside brief. A big house, generous grounds, and — in summer — access to a pool, tennis court, and croquet lawn fit for Saltburn. Inside, it’s dated, sure. But it boasts a kitchen that can handle cooking for a group, a dining table that fits everyone, and a living room built around a log burner that leans into slow mornings and a third bottle of wine. Bedrooms are big, bathrooms are plentiful, and nothing feels overdone. You are 10–15 minutes outside York, so taxis have to be part of the plan, but this is the kind of house where plans tend to get quietly abandoned.
Good to know: The pool is seasonal (May–September). This is a stay-in, make-the-most-of-it house.
From £794 per night
Upper Helmsley Hall, Near York
SLEEPS 20
This is not a girls’ weekend house. This is a country house weekend. Think less matching pyjamas, more Succession meets Saltburn, but in Yorkshire? Set just outside York in a tiny village, Upper Helmsley Hall is exactly what you want it to be. Period drama energy; oak panelling, sweeping staircases, rooms that feel like they’ve hosted conversations you’d love to overhear. And yes, there is a stuffed tiger. No notes. With multiple reception rooms means you’re not forced into one space; you can split off, regroup, linger. The dining room is the main event, though. Fully panelled, long table, the kind of room that makes you sit up straighter and pour another glass of red just because it feels appropriate. Upstairs, the bedrooms are beautiful; each individually decorated in a way that feels, well, expensive. Outside, we have lawns upon lawns, a tennis court, and that slightly surreal English countryside quiet.
Good to know: No traditional hens allowed. This is for a more grown-up group that just wants a wholesome weekend (with copious amounts of wine). Also, it’s more rural, so no boozy brunch within walking distance.
From £1,989 per night
Copmanthorpe Hall, Near York
SLEEPS 12
Copmanthorpe Hall is just ten minutes from York, and yet it feels removed from it. Stone exterior, exposed beams, a grandfather clock nobody will touch, and a hot tub that becomes the default plan the moment anyone suggests going out on night two. Six bedrooms, nearly all en-suite, and a kitchen that doesn’t fall apart the second everyone’s up at the same time. The decor is fully farmhouse: slightly worn, a bit cosy-aunt-in-the-countryside, and better for it. It’s on a working farm, so extremely quiet, open views, and enough space that the weekend slows down without trying. York’s close enough for dinner, but coming back feels like it was always supposed to be part of the plan.
Good to know: The booking process is a little old-school — some payment quirks, not the slickest system, but it all checks out. You’ll need taxis rather than walking.
From £2,146 per night
Innvigour House, York
SLEEPS 16–20
The most traditional hen house you’ll find in York. Or rather, 15 minutes outside of York. If the brief is karaoke, sashes, and a group photo in front of a neon sign, this is the one. Innvigour isn’t quietly charming; it’s loud. It’s cherry blossom trees indoors, bold wallpaper, and “let’s get wild” written on the wall. The open-plan space is where the night in happens: long dining table, big sofas, enough room that pre-drinks don’t feel like a fire hazard. Downstairs, there’s a pool table and karaoke setup that will keep half the group going long after the other half has quietly gone to bed. Not every group needs this kind of house, but the ones that do will absolutely get their money’s worth.
Good to know: If you’re sleeping 20, you’re sleeping a few on sofa beds.
From £2,260 per night
Prospect House, Near York
SLEEPS 14
At Propsec House the trade-off is obvious from the moment you arrive: you’re twenty minutes outside York, in a village so quiet the duck pond is the main event. But the house earns it. The kitchen alone — island, multiple fridges, a dining room that seats everyone without compromise — justifies the taxi. A terrace with a pizza oven is where the weekend happens. Nobody plans to spend six hours out there on the first night, and yet… There’s also a gym, which seventeen women will photograph on arrival and nobody will use. Going into York is an effort rather than a stumble, which means most groups stop pretending they’re going out every night and just… lean into the house.
Good to know: Village-quiet after 10pm means the garden has a curfew, and the no-stag-groups policy tells you everything you need to know about the kind of stay this is pitching for.
From £751 per night
