Best Western Forest and Vale Hotel

The area and proximity the local shops and bars

Rooms were cold

Fantastic traditional hotel right in the middle of Pickering, 5 mins walk from the high street and the steam railway. Fantastic evening meal, good comfortable room with spacious bathroom. Friendly staff.

Compared to the high standard of the evening meal, breakfast was a bit disappointing, muffin in the Eggs Benedict was soaked from the poached egg water with one egg yolk solid. Otherwise good.

Location for our needs. Comfortable room and very clean bathroom. Bar staff very professional and friendly.

The receptionist was very nice and welcoming, which is not always the case! The room was fine and as expected and the breakfast was good with plenty of choice and the service good. The staff make you feel comfortable and it creates an easy and comfortable experience. Parking is also generous and easy and ideal for easy a chess to Pickering.

The room was over a kitchen fan that would have annoyed if I had been there longer or the kitchen had not been closed that day. It did not seem totally fair for the price paid. I had asked for a quiet room so it seemed a bit counter to that to place me in that room is all I would quibble. Like all hotels I guess, I could also hear the people in the next room when they crashed in after 11pm also and banged on doors to each other. The kitchen fan then starts early. One of those things. Perhaps just not a quiet room 🥲

Everything

Nothing

A perfect location for us to attend a party.

Having no lift and no walk in shower. A Staff member did help with luggage and there were grab rails in the bathroom.

Good. Excellent surroundings. Professional staff welcoming and helpful. Beautiful garden.

You won't be disappointed if you visit the Forest Vale Hotel Pickering. The hotel is so clean and the staff are absolutely fantastic make you feel so welcome and nothing is too much trouble. The breakfast to the evening meal was beautiful the chef is a credit to this hotel. We even booked a extra night.

Food was better than what we were expecting, location was very good, staff went the extra mile.

Room was a little bit smaller than I was expecting, but we managed ok

Good location. Clean & spacious. Very friendly and efficient staff .

N/A

Lovely old building. Centrally placed. Easy parking. Staff fabulous

Rather dated

Good choice.

Expensive but worth it after bad holiday and other hostels. Very good felt wow. As not used to a grand experience, been in cheap hotels this was good.

Firstly, its in the perfect location for Pickering. Right in the middle of town, a 2 min walk to all the bars and restaurants. The hotel itself is a little dated (think 90s), but its clean and looked after. Its got a good size car park. The staff are excellent. We booked on the Friday night for the Sat (on a whim to extend out break) and were offered an upgrade. We had a superior room, it was huge and overlooked the rear garden. Slept like a log. It was very quiet apart from creaky floorboards. Overall, I'd stay again if I ever find myself in Pickering.

All good No problems

All ok

The staff and food were fantastic

Nothing

Well located for Pickering town centre and an easy drive to local attractions. Staff are friendly and look after you, rooms are large, comfortable and very clean. Lovely garden with seating area. Good choice for breakfast and although we didn’t eat there in the evenings the menu looked good and the restaurant was always full. Rooms were extremely well priced for the quality of service. A bonus was the visiting neighbourhood cat that makes the hotel its home!

Clean and tidy rooms and a perfect location with free parking. Nice breakfast as well

We didn't have breakfast at the hotel. Although I would like to have. We were pressed for time as we only had one day to do everything we wanted to do in Pickering and surrounds.

I acknowledge the age and the charm of the hotel, but accessibility to USB charging for devices (phones, watches and camera) would have been convenient. Luckily we had a UK power adaptor so were able to get it done. The height of the shower/tub meant that great care was needed for us old people to step in and out with wet feet. Don't take the tub away, it adds to the charm. We thought a small fridge in the room could have assisted.

Staff where brilliant, very helpful. Room was exceptional, although a little noisy due to having to keep the windows open (for cooling). Restaurant and Bar where very good plenty of choice, breakfast was cooked to order, very good quality. EV chargers available in a public car park across the road from the Hotel - 22Kw chargers charged at 11Kw, 150 Kw didn't use. Well placed for bus route between Leeds/York and Whitby/Scarborough.

We booked for 3 nights but had to change to an inferior room after the second night due to a double booking? No air conditioning in the rooms.

Food at dinner and breakfast very good. Alan the head waiter is absolutely fantastic, efficient and so friendly with all the diners, top marks to him

nothing really

We had a nice room, an excellent breakfast and also dinner. Would definitely stay here again.

The absence of a lift- but a very kind porter assisted us with our luggage.

Lovely friendly staff who all made us welcome, breakfast was really good

We only stayed two nights !

Everything, lovely hotel and to a high standard. Made very welcome. Definitely will stay again. Thank you

Nothing

Location

Restaurant closed

simple check in from a friendly member of staff,infact all the staff were friendly. my room (11) was of a large size,clean and tidy and well decorated and had a double bed,t.v,tea/coffee facilities and a double sofa all over looking the lovely gardens at the back of the hotel making my room very quiet especially at night.the bathroom was of a good size and had a bath tub as well as a shower. the hotel itself has a nice bar and pool room and had a lovely and spacious dining room which gave me a great three course dinner and breakfast all served by friendly and chatty staff.add on the great location of this hotel and the train station a ten minute walk away then i wouldn't hesitate to recommend this all round great hotel.

The location, lovely room ( no 6) and the staff were really lovely, friendly and helpful. Stayed here before and we will stay again 😊

Nothing to dislike

Excellent location, car park, large rooms,

No aircon, which would not usually be a problem in the UK, however it was a warm night, desk fan was on all night with window open

Beautiful hotel in the heart of Pickering. It looks pretty much like a film location. I really enjoyed strolling around the town, and there are some good restaurants nearby too. The breakfast had everything I needed and it all tasted delicious. My room was clean and comfortable. Private parking on site.

Nothing

A lovely stay at this hotel. All staff very welcoming. Room was clean and comfy with a fab power shower 🚿 A cracking Yorkshire breakfast 🍳 cooked fresh in the morning served by a very nice and charming waitress who was very polite. Shall definitely return 😄

The stairs 😟

Lovely garden and terrace. Room was clean, standing fan provided in room, food good, staff friendly and helpful.

The vegan and vegetarian food is fried in the same fryer as the fish.. Not great so beware. Air conditioning in the room would have been nice.

Great location in the heart of Pickering. Our room was a lovely ground floor room, plenty of space and very comfortable. The staff were very pleasant and helpful when I asked a couple of questions regarding the local facilities. Breakfast was a perfect start to the day.

Where it was. Perfect for my needs..

Wall Light with pull switch in my single bedroom, got stuck and stayed on in the the night at 2am coudn't turn it off. It and was also loose and faulty and possibly unsafe as a result. The mattress edges on my bed some how fell away/ sloped off, resulting in myself falling out and hurting myself. It was a totally awful night. No desk staff on at 6.45 am when I left to complain about it. The toilet seat also moved when I sat on it. For the price this was the worst nights stay I have had and I am 60!

The bed was so comfy, and the garden view was gorgepus

Rooms were very spacious, warm and comfortable, albeit rooms were on main road but heard nothing beds were great size. Staff very accommodating, friendly and helpful

No mini fridge, which would be good especially in summer to keep water ect cool, no safe in room which would make me uncomfortable if I was staying longer and wanting to leave personal things.

The hotel was spotlass, Very inviting, The stay were very polite and attentive. Room was very clean comfatable spacious.Bed was amazingly comfatable.Dinningroom service was very good, polite staff .Food was lovely fresh .

My husbands Mix grill was ok saturday eve, but things missing, steak was small & slightly over cooked to what asked. But over all food was amazing .

Fantastic hotel, peaceful lots of character Staff helpful, excellent food , everything you need for a relaxing break, our go-to hotel when in the area

Staff, and rooms and food.

Nothing.

The staff were helpful and friendly , the food was delicious

The room was too warm 😭 and would of loved a bigger television ( room 14 )

Friendly and helpful staff .Great location . Already spoken to friends to arrange a trip back to stay .Excellent keep up the good work and vibes 😁

The hotel is in a great location and a great base for travelling further afield - Whitby, Scarborough, York , Eden Camp, Elvington Airfield etc. North York Moors Railway is a 5 minute walk away too. The hotel itself is lovely, with a beautiful enclosed garden which the restaurant overlooks. A good menu choice, and all meals were well presented and very good value - and the breakfasts are fabulous! Our room was spacious, the mattress and pillows were so comfortable which gave us an excellent nights sleep. The bathroom was a little on the small side, but adequate, and the shower was easy to use and powerful. All in all, we enjoyed our four night stay and look forward to returning.

Just returned from a 4 night break. Our room was quiet, cosy and immaculate. Breakfast was excellent, good variety and beautifully presented. The highlight of our stay was the friendliness of the staff. Great location for visiting North York Moors and coast. Will definitely return.

An exceptional hotel .Service was 5* above and beyond. Staff could not have been more helpful - exceptionally clean hotel - breakfasts to "die" for - evening meals exceptional. Room was brilliant . Thank you to all Vincent (Nigel and Janet)

Great location Lovely sunny garden to relax with a drink. Probably the best scones we’ve ever had and the breakfast was excellent.

Friendly staff clean breakfast and evening meal was exceptional

Was nothing we didn’t like

We have just returned from another lovely stay at this outstanding hotel . We were once again greeted with such a warm welcome. Room 1 was beautiful and spotless .Throughout our stay staff were engaging and very attentive. We must mention once again Alun and Tom , who are such a credit to the Hotel. They make sure you are well looked after and interact so well .We must mention the chef who prepared two excellent meals for us with attention to detail .Suzanne on reception always makes time to have a chat when you pass by about your day .We are looking for an excuse to visit again! Ali & Dave .

Breakfast brilliant

N/a

Location

Hotel is generally tired and bottom of toilet badly stained and shower pressure was very poor.

Great location. Plenty of parking

Very easy walking distance to town. Expect to walk upstairs to bedrooms. Very clean reception staff was loveky

At breakfast we sat a full 10 -15 mins before anyone spoke to us or offered a drink another couple came in after us and was served before us. The woman doing breakfast should have had help seemed like only the older lady who was busy doing stuff.

Lovely garden area where we enjoyed an afternoon tea. Excellent and helpful staff. Great location near the bus station.

The location is really good and the parking is very good the staff are very friendly and interested in the guests

Nothing

very friendly staff arrived late missed evening meal and Alan rustled up some food for me after very long and difficult day traveling from Ireland very welcoming and helpful i new about small shower and extractor fan from kitchen in my room before i arrived but was not put out by that great view of garden no road noise and breakfast was excellent the hotel is a listed building so will have its quirks

laundry in hallway as my room was near house keeping but it is a listed building and large and somethings cannot be helped as there is a lot of rooms

Lovely room and breakfast

Shower wasn't very powerful or really hot

Lovely clean nicely decorated. Very friendly helpful staff

Nothing

The room was really quite stunning.

All good.

Very comfortable with excellent food. comfortable surroundings and a brilliant staff with a 'can do' and cheerful attitude. Ideal for a long stay to explore the area or a short break just to relax.

Close to town centre with good off road parking, friendly staff, good food.

no lift for disable to go up stairs, it's a listed building so I can accept that.

The even meal and breakfast was lovely. Staff friendly and helpfull.good location. Lovely hotel and clean .

N/A

When we checked in the staff members were very helpful and I think his name was Tom on check in and he re arranged rooms to accommodate my 90 year mother in law a ground floor room which was very much appreciated also loved the hotel cat

Food excellent. Staff exceptional. Knowledgeable friendly, local charm NOT corporate "battery feed" service. Unique because staff are allowed to be themselves and spend time with the guests.

Nothing. Don't change a thing.

Our stay was to celebrate my wife's birthday, and we wanted somewhere local. We live in Thornton-le-Dale, so this was ideal. The staff were welcoming, showed good humour, and were polite and helpful. The food was good. The room spacious and it was clean. The bed was comfortable.

1. As with many hotels, the bedroom electrics and switches were a complete puzzle to be solved only by extensive experimentation! :) Perhaps labelling light switches might be helpful? 2. Not overly excited to find a bath IN the bedroom. 3. Weird bathroom taps .. another puzzle to be solved by experimentation! We got the hang of them in the end.

Only 2 miles from where we live, which is why we chose it for a birthday celebration at a convenient location. Friendly and welcoming staff and the building has a warm and friendly atmosphere. Our room was large, clean and comfortable; good value for money. There was no noise disruption.

Breakfast wonderfully, hotel great

Nothing more to fully enjoy your stay at th hotelNo

Location and staff

Some of the furniture is a little dated

Friendly staff. Excellant food. Lovely comfortable bed. Large room and en suite. Well equiped with little extras. Nice big fluffy bath/ hand towels t.v. wifi. Kettle.. tea coffee and d.choc Lovely and warm Room and very clean. ......

Unfortunately no food available on thurs evening but this was pointed out to us beforehand and on arrival..

Breakfast was fresh and well cooked Plenty of choice

The room could of been a little cheaper The walk from the car park to the main reception was uneven

It would be hard to find the right words to express how excellent, fine, comfortable,, safe, superb and satisfactory this hotel proved to be. We use Best Western Hotels on a very regular basis so our expectations are based on considerable experience, However the Forest and Vale 'Pickering' exceeded any expectation we might have had and provided these quite picky octogenarians with the best short break of 2025 a short break I feel will prove hard pressed to be surpassed in 2026. The rooms are spacious, and well appointed similarly our bathroom was large and well equipped, Sometimes hotels situate in a converted listed building reflect only tired grandeur but nor here. This hotel though not grand and not glamourous offers a warmth and a welcome befitting its well crafted décor its well defined individuality and the obviously customer centric management. Finally I must comment on the cuisine, simplistically we have found non better these many years ! The chefs are a marvel, producing dishes that surpass much of what might be served in establishments parading their five star spangled ratings to world.. The waiters ( Here I am being Gender Neutral ) are also of the best we have encountered in the UK and perhaps in recent travels world wide,. We dined from the best a restaurant might offer, for here everything combined to comfort, care and a culinary excellence so rarely provided in these sad days of corner cutting and penny-pinching carelessness.

NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND SOMETHING I MIGHT GRUMBLE ABOUT

Room was very nice, great facilities and lovely staff.

Expensive

Breakfast fine. Covenient location. Good car park.

Internet poor. Dinner service not available 3 out of 5 nights.

We have just returned from yet again a faultless stay. We were welcomed with such warmth by Tom who checked us in . The bedroom was excellent, spotlessly clean and provided everything we needed. Reception staff very Pleasent as always. Excellent food and service at our evening meals .Tom interected with us and we were so pleased to see Alun had rejoined the team. We look forward to our next visit in the Spring.

Lovely quality, market town hotel. Good value, civilised and comfortable. We have stayed here multiple times when visiting family in the area and the Forest and Vale never disappoints.

We love this hotel and have stayed quite a few times over the years. We had a Deluxe Room which was quite spacious and the bed was extremely comfy, not too soft. Breakfast was great, table service rather than a buffet, the lady that served us was very friendly and attentive. Lots of parking spaces too.

Excellent freshly cooked breakfast

Excellent location.very friendly staff. Beautiful room and bed very comfortable

Good location with ample parking. Nice gardens. Good food. Welcoming, attentive staff. Good decor. Good shower. Liked the resident cat, too!

Bedside lights could not be individually controlled. No subtitle facility on TV. Choice of eggs at breakfast would have been nice. Fairly expensive but probably fair enough for the area.

Excellent choice of breakfast. Staff were very friendly and helpful. You could walk to every thing from the hotel and Pickering is lovely.

Nothing. Lovely place to stay. Would go again.

Relaxing and friendly, lovely building, large spacious room with excellent facilities. Very good breakfast, nice and hot! Didn't eat in the hotel, but the menu contains excellent selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Wished we were staying another night!

Very, very minor thing... like to be able to graze a breakfast buffet of fruit, yoghurt, cereal, etc. These were available but only to order.

The room. And Location of the Hotel

The stairs

Excellent location , close to NYMR railway. Staff very friendly & bag taken to our room. Plenty of free car parking. We only had breakfast but it was very good with plenty of choice.

Nothing

We came to stay to go on the Mad Alice train tour and this hotel was perfectly placed close by to the said station. The staff were helpful and friendly and the room was clean, and comfortable. The breakfast the next morning was enjoyable and again the staff member on duty was attentive and friendly, the food itself was delicious.

We had thought that as the restaurant was closed on a Sunday night and the bar doesn't serve food to get take out after the train but were unable to do so as the only places open only took cash and there are no 24 hour ATM's anywhere!!! I would say make sure you take cash in case you want to get something!!

The room was spotlessly clean , cosy and warm. The food was lovely and good value for money. The lady on reception was lovely and we'll definitely stay there again. Great car park and well situated

There was nothing we didn't like.

Beautiful building. Clean, well laundered white towels and bedding. The most comfortable bed with a range of pillow thicknesses to suit everyone. Accommodated us on the ground floor so we didn’t have to tackle the stairs.

My only issue was not enough coffee or sugar sachets. ( not a problem) they gave more on request.

Old fashioned charm. A period building with well appointed rooms. Large bathroom.

A walk in shower might have been preferable and the water pressure was a little low.

Very good location,the staff where very nice and it was 5 minutes walk to the town.

Nothing

Fabulous location and really friendly and helpful staff. Good to have parking at the hotel too. Loved the history and character of the building too.

Nothing

Location, friendly staff

Not the cleanest. Old decor, needs updating

Location: excellent for east Yorks and tourist attractions. Hot water, good hot cooked food, an c friendly and outgoing staff. Parking excellent.

Generally in need of refreshing: some colour. Own room lacked heat in bathroom (reported), and bizarre lighting - really needs sorting.

The hotel is a little dated but I guess the £120 per night is because of the area. Staff are very friendly. Room was dated and small fro £120. WiFi very poor 3-4Mb/s max. Not great for MS Teams or streaming Netflix. I ordered the fish and chips assuming that being fairly close to the coast that it would be good. Unfortunately this was not the case. The batter was soft in places so I assume the temperature of the oil was not hot enough. The fish itself was mushy so I am guessing it is frozen fish that is defrosted rather than fresh. For £19 I expected better.