Impossible Motel

3.0 star property
3-star adults-only hotel near York Minster

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Photo gallery for Impossible Motel

Elite Room - Bath for 2 (Sensational) | Egyptian cotton sheets, premium bedding, iron/ironing board, free WiFi
Breakfast, lunch and dinner served
Reception
Reception
Signature Double Room, Hot Tub (Stella Solarium) | City view

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Air conditioning
  • Bar
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant

Explore the area

View in a map
3 St. Helens Square, York, England, YO1 8QN
  • York Minster
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Shambles
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • York Christmas Market
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Leeds (LBA-Leeds Bradford)
    ‪49 min drive‬

Room options

Romantic Room - Bath for 2 (The Red Room)

  • 100 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Economy Room (The Bank Vault)

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 210 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Economy Double Room (Experience)

  • 178 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Signature Double Room, Hot Tub (Stella Solarium)

  • 213 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Design Double Room - 2 Baths (Labyrinth)

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • 198 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Luxury Room, Hot Tub (Sir Joseph Terry)

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • 160 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Exclusive Room (Splendid)

  • 150 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Superior Room (Mail Room)

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Elite Room - Bath for 2 (Sensational)

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Deluxe Room (Superb)

  • 150 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Comfort Room (Spectacular)

  • 151 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Classic Room (Sublime)

  • 140 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Basic Double Room (Dungeon)

  • 200 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

About the neighborhood

York

City center stay.At this City Centre hotel, you'll be well placed to visit York Minster and Shambles, both within a 5-minute walk. St. Helen's Square and York Mansion House are also within half a mile (1 km).

What's nearby

  • York Minster - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
  • Shambles - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
  • York Christmas Market - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
  • Jorvik Viking Centre - 5 min walk - 0.3 miles
  • York City Walls - 5 min walk - 0.3 miles

Getting around

  • York Station - 8 min walk
  • Leeds (LBA-Leeds Bradford) - 61 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Bettys Café Tea Rooms - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Caffè Nero - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪House Of The Trembling Madness - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Brew & Brownie - ‬2 min walk

About this property

Impossible Motel

3-star adults-only hotel near York Minster
There's a restaurant on site, as well as a coffee shop/cafe. You can unwind with a drink at one of the 2 bars/lounges. Public spaces have free WiFi. Multilingual staff, tour/ticket assistance, and concierge services are also featured at Impossible Motel.

This 3-star York hotel is smoke free.

  • 13 guestrooms or units
  • 2 bars or lounges
  • Front desk (24 hours)
  • Staff is multilingual
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Tour and ticket information
  • Concierge
  • Bellhop
  • No smoking on site
  • Water dispenser
  • Coffee shop
  • Dining venue
Impossible Motel offers 13 air-conditioned accommodations with complimentary bottled water and designer toiletries. Beds feature Egyptian cotton sheets and premium bedding. 40-inch Smart televisions come with pay movies.

Bathrooms include complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. This York hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Hypo-allergenic bedding, irons/ironing boards, and change of towels can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.

Similar properties

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • No onsite parking available

Food and drink

  • 2 bars/lounges
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant

Accessibility

  • Area rugs in room
  • No elevator

Room amenities

Entertainment

  • 40-inch smart TV
  • Pay movies

Bedroom

  • Egyptian cotton sheets
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding

Bathroom

  • Designer toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Champagne service
  • Electric kettle
  • Free bottled water
  • Tea bags/instant coffee

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Electrical adapters
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board on request
  • Mobile key entry
  • Phone

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

Guests will receive an email within 72 hours before arrival with check-in instructions; front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • This property welcomes adults only.

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • Deposit is payable by bank transfer and is due within 24 hours of booking the reservation.

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Noise-free guestrooms cannot be guaranteed
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. No onsite parking is available. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit cards, and cash. Noise-free guestrooms cannot be guaranteed. Guests can access their rooms with a mobile device.

Property is also known as

Impossible Motel York
Impossible Motel Hotel
Impossible Motel Hotel York

Frequently asked questions

How close is Impossible Motel to the airport?

Impossible Motel is 30.5 mi (61-min drive) away from the Leeds (LBA-Leeds Bradford) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

Does Impossible Motel have an airport shuttle?

Airport shuttle services are not available at Impossible Motel.

Does Impossible Motel offer free breakfast?

Impossible Motel does not offer free breakfast.

Is there a casino at Impossible Motel?

No, there is no casino at this hotel.

What time is check-in at Impossible Motel?

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime.

Is there free parking at Impossible Motel?

Free parking is not available at this hotel.

Does Impossible Motel have a pool?

Impossible Motel does not have a pool.

Does Impossible Motel have a restaurant?

Yes, there is a restaurant on site.

Does Impossible Motel have a spa?

There are no spa services available at this hotel.

How close is Impossible Motel to downtown York?

Impossible Motel is 0.1 mi away from York.

Impossible Motel Reviews

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 67 out of 105 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 105 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 10 out of 105 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 105 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 105 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Samantha

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tracy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay, beautiful hotel with very welcoming and helpful staff
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Bren

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Suitable for quirky personalities.

We stayed in the Impossible Motel, the Labyrinth room. The location is excellent, with shops, bars, restaurants etc available as soon as you exit the front door. The walk to the hotel from where we parked took only 6 minutes. Two negatives for the room. 1. The room is underground and it smells musty and damp and it’s quite strong. There are already diffusers in the room but they don’t help. Bring your own air fresheners. 2. Even with all the lighting options on, it’s very dim. The missus struggled to get ready while using the mirror. We did locate all the lights and they weren’t enough for certain circumstance. General info. This is the room with the bed suspended from the ceiling on chains. The chain links are welded so the bed doesn’t swing, for those of you who wondered, I did. When needing light for any useful purpose, the room is quite cosy. The floors are bare paving though and while slippers are provided, I would advise bringing your own. Most of the ceilings are low, I’m 6ft and had to stoop much of the time. The bathroom has 2 baths side-by-side so you and your partner can bath next to each other while sharing a drink. We made use of that. Despite the negatives, it was quirky and while we’d stay again in the hotel, we’d likely try another of the room options, but if the Labyrinth Room was the only one available, we’d take it again.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michelle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

6/10 Okay

Steve

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kate

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful and unusual hotel! We had such fun
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Christian, Hockessin

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Interesting and eclectic hotel in an ideal location in the wonderful city of York. Parking was a challenge though, and warnings about street noise were warranted. not recommended for anyone with accessibility challenges.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

6/10 Okay

William F

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

No lo recomiendo.

El lugar céntrico. No tiene ascensor y son muchas escaleras. Servicio genial, pero la habitación súper pequeñas, ni las maletas se pueden abrir, baño súper pequeños, en realidad no se lo recomiendo a nadie.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I personally loved the motel, unfortunately it was too dark for the wife. The noise from the bar/club was loud, but not bad enough to worry about. Location is amazing. Lots near by .
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

6/10 Okay

john

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Simon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Not luxury for thenprice

Small room, stuffy after taking a bath. The hotel lacks the luxury you’d expect for this price tag.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Paula

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Impossible not to love this hotel

Beautiful, quirky hotel slap bang in the city centre. Couldn’t get a better location. Staff were extremely helpful & polite. Would definitely recommend a stay here.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Helen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Our 3rd time staying, great customer service and a great place!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tayte

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Frederich

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Superb comfort

Superb attention to detail. Excellent location for exploring the city. Beds and pillows were soo comfy. Though our room was small it had everything we needed. Other reviews mentioned noise from the bar above. We accidentally booked on a Tuesday night in January when that bar is shut and had no issues with noise. They offered to look after our bags when we checked out which was nice too.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Emma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Quirky & fun

This was a really fun place to stay. Very helpful staff and lovwd the quirkyness of it all.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Simon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great Stay

Had a lovely stay. Room was in a `vault'. Unique and I loved it! Would definitely recommend
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

4/10 Poor

Dave

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed for one night in one of the underground rooms. From the pictures the brick walls and vaulted ceilings give the impression of a solid (and presumably quiet) room. Sadly, the walls are so thin you can hear the occupants of neighbouring rooms! You can also hear footsteps and doors banging, and in case that isn't enough to keep you awake there's always the loud buzzing noise that the air conditioning unit makes every 2 minutes! On the plus side the room looked every bit as stylish as it did in the photos. What perhaps isnt clear from the photos is that there is no toilet door. This seems a massive oversight in a room with no windows! All in all our stay was a unique experience that I hope to never repeat.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fabulous place!!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

Jack

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Lyndsay

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Not great value for money

Quirky hotel, fantastic location. However, not value for money! If you need a separate bathroom and toilet, don’t book the vault room. No doors on either and the room was tiny.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024