
‘It's the UK's Sistine Chapel' Wetherspoons fans are raving about ‘most beautiful' pub but ask ‘are the carpets sticky?'
But one particular branch has stunned punters - with some fans saying it looks less like your usual boozer and more like the
7
People have been raving over the 'beautiful' Wetherspoons in Harrogate
Credit: Wetherspoon
7
The Winter Gardens Harrogate branch is set in a large glass atrium with a double staircase
Credit: Dean Atkins Photography
dating
back to 1897.
Inside is a huge glass atrium with a grand double stairway, with many of the original
features
remaining.
Instead of tired slot machines being the decoration of choice, the watering hole feels like a botanical garden, with big palm
plants
nestled in every corner.
Spoons lovers have been left baffled at the luxe feel, with many hailing it as the 'greatest' branch in the country.
More on Wetherspoons
One fan wrote: 'Can't believe they're serving WKD in the actual Sistine Chapel of Harrogate.'
A second shared: 'Wait, is this the Louvre?'
Another added: 'It's a stunning building,' and one commented: 'I think we need a trip up north.'
Meanwhile, people have also raved about the pub on TripAdvisor with some calling it a "posh Wetherspoons".
Most read in Fabulous
One person said: "Me and my Wife really love Wetherspoons
pubs
, this is one of the best ones we have been in."
Another added: "Absolutely beautiful building with a grand staircase at the entrance."
Wetherspoons taste test
Former guests of the historic building would have watched the MunicipalOrchestra, which played every morning throughout the year which had free entry to patients of the baths.
It was eventually bought by Wetherspoons in 2007, and turned into the much-loved pub.
Wetherspoons fans who seemed keen to check out the jaw-dropping branch did have one big query - how far the loos were.
7
The interior features a beautiful stylised design - but the bold Wetherspoons carpet is still there
Credit: Wetherspoon
7
There is a spacious outdoor terrace decorated with plants
Credit: Wetherspoon
7
The Winter Gardens in Harrogate is located in a historic building which used to be Royal Baths, dating back to 1897
Credit: Alamy
It has become a running joke with many Wetherspoons fans how the bathrooms are often found on a separate floor, a long way from the bar, and many speculated it could be far in this grand building.
One person joked: 'Toilet must be on the International Space Station.'
However, the Harrogate pub has a very unique feature - with
Others were quick to point out that the branch still has the trademark patterned carpet, with some querying if it would still be sticky.
While many people were unanimous that this is the most beautiful Wetherspoons, others were quick to defend their own locals.
One said: 'This has nothing on the one in Tunbridge Wells.'
7
The Opera House in Royal Tunbridge Wells has kept many of its original features
Credit: Louis Wood
7
The Palladium in Llandudno, in North Wales, used to be a cinema
Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Another shared: 'Nice one in Llandudno too.'
A
Sun Online Travel also went to the
How can I save money at Wetherspoons?
FREE refills - Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day.
Check a map
- Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other.
So if you're planning a pint at a Spoons, it's worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you're settling in at the cheapest.
Choose your day
- Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights.
For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual.
Pick-up vouchers -
Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled.
Get appy
- The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table - but you don't need to be in the pub to use it.
Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play.
Check the date
- Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry.
It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14.
As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.

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The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
People say they'll never see the Lidl logo the same way after spotting hidden ‘dog' & even Aldi have weighed in
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The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Inside secret Ibiza shanty town riddled with snakes where superclub workers live in squalor with no water or electricity
AS dawn breaks and the thump of Ibiza's wild nightlife begins to subside, the ramshackle shanty town is starting to awake. Folk emerge from mosquito- infested tarpaulin shacks as tipsy clubbers leave Pacha superclub — where VIP tickets can cost almost £1,700 — just a five-minute drive away. Advertisement 10 The super-rich and celebrities who have turned the White Isle into Europe's premier party destination are being catered for by shanty town dwellers Credit: Louis Wood 10 Chelsea fan and sous chef Mohamed said: 'We have no water, no electricity, no toilets and no hope' Credit: Louis Wood 10 In other impromptu camps, workers are all reduced to living in tents, cars, caravans and camper vans Credit: Louis Wood The makeshift encampment, plagued with snakes and without electricity, running water or toilets, resembles the fetid Yet, waiting for their shifts to begin at the Ibiza camp, I met a sous chef, a kitchen porter, a security guard at the port, a hotel cleaner and a dish washer. Advertisement For the super-rich and celebrities, who have turned the Spain suffers a housing crisis. Nestled beneath the high-end restaurants of Outside his shack of wooden pallets, restaurant worker Yaslem Hamdi, 34, originally from Western Sahara, told me: 'We live here with the snakes and insects because we can't afford to rent an apartment.' Yaslem tells me he makes around £1,100 a month while a tiny room nearby costs about £700 to rent. Pitched amid scrubland near the Can Misses Hospital, the hospitality workers here shower by pouring bottles of water over themselves in cubicles made from discarded wood. Advertisement Some use a patch of bushes as an outside loo. Sun-drenched party isle It is a miserable existence for staff propping up GDP . As temperatures soar towards 35C, yachts bob in azure waters as those aboard sip ice-cooled beer and champagne just a short drive from the camps. Brit tourists face holiday chaos with strikes confirmed for 180,000 hospitality staff throughout July on hotspot islands Pot washer Yaslem is among thousands of working homeless people on the sun-drenched party island. In other nearby impromptu camps I met a nurse, a hairdresser and chef, all reduced to living in tents, cars , caravans and camper vans. Advertisement Yet, its own left-wing government has helped fuel the shortfall by encouraging immigration while not building enough new homes for the incomers. New arrivals mean 250,000 households are added in Spain each year — but fewer than 90,000 new homes are built, according to the Economist magazine. The Bank of Spain has estimated that there is a shortage of 500,000 properties. The shanty town is a world away from the sun-kissed Balearic island's famous nightclubs, pristine sandy beaches and luxury villas. 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Some we spoke to believe a slice of the profits and taxes reaped from tourism should be spent on workers' accommodation. 10 It's a miserable existence for staff propping up an industry projected to be worth over £220billion to the Spanish economy this year Credit: Louis Wood 10 Activists have blamed over-tourism for driving up rent prices which many workers cannot afford Credit: Louis Wood 10 Restaurant worker Yaslem Hamdi, 34, originally from Western Sahara, said 'We live here with the snakes and insects' Credit: Louis Wood Advertisement 10 Sanchez's left-wingers have also been accused of siding with squatters over landlords Credit: Louis Wood Shanty town dweller Yehdih Salec Abdalila, 25, who works six days a week as a bartender, told me: 'We're working all day, so why can't we come home to a normal house like everyone else? The employers or government should give us a little bedroom with somewhere to wash.' 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I don't think businesses care about the people in the shanty town' Credit: Louis Wood 10 Home to 160,000 people, Ibiza received 3.6million tourists last year, with Brits the largest group from overseas Credit: Louis Wood Enjoying a paddle in the waves, Vikki Malek, 27, from Dundee, who runs a beauty business , added: 'The rents here are overpriced. I don't think businesses care about the people in the shanty towns.' Her friend, businesswoman Tamara Bentley , 31, from Aberdeen, told me: 'If you want tourists to come you need workers. Advertisement 'They help bring in the profits so they should be looked after.' While much of the ire for Spain's property shortfall has fallen on tourists, socialist PM Pedro Sanchez's policies have only fanned the flames of the housing crisis. Bucking the trend across Europe , Sanchez's tottering administration — attempting to weather a corruption scandal — has encouraged immigration since taking office in 2018. Vulnerable families In 2022 alone, close to three quarters of a million people arrived to start a new life in the nation. With house building failing to match the rising population, it's hardly surprising that rents have risen by nearly 80 per cent in the past decade. Advertisement Sanchez's left-wingers have also been accused of siding with squatters over landlords, which has left homeowners wary of renting out their properties. Laws mean vulnerable families cannot be evicted unless they have alternative housing to go to. Last year there were 16,000 reports of squatting in Spain, with heavies often employed in forced evictions. Activists insist that tourism has made the housing emergency worse. Ibiza campaigners point out that flights to the island have risen from just over 25,000 in 2000 to a record 66,000 scheduled for this year. Almost a fifth of the planes are arriving from the UK. 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The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘It's the UK's Sistine Chapel' Wetherspoons fans are raving about ‘most beautiful' pub but ask ‘are the carpets sticky?'
WHEN most people think of Wetherspoons, those famously sticky carpets that have seen numerous late-night shenanigans springs to mind. But one particular branch has stunned punters - with some fans saying it looks less like your usual boozer and more like the 7 People have been raving over the 'beautiful' Wetherspoons in Harrogate Credit: Wetherspoon 7 The Winter Gardens Harrogate branch is set in a large glass atrium with a double staircase Credit: Dean Atkins Photography dating back to 1897. Inside is a huge glass atrium with a grand double stairway, with many of the original features remaining. Instead of tired slot machines being the decoration of choice, the watering hole feels like a botanical garden, with big palm plants nestled in every corner. Spoons lovers have been left baffled at the luxe feel, with many hailing it as the 'greatest' branch in the country. More on Wetherspoons One fan wrote: 'Can't believe they're serving WKD in the actual Sistine Chapel of Harrogate.' A second shared: 'Wait, is this the Louvre?' Another added: 'It's a stunning building,' and one commented: 'I think we need a trip up north.' Meanwhile, people have also raved about the pub on TripAdvisor with some calling it a "posh Wetherspoons". Most read in Fabulous One person said: "Me and my Wife really love Wetherspoons pubs , this is one of the best ones we have been in." Another added: "Absolutely beautiful building with a grand staircase at the entrance." Wetherspoons taste test Former guests of the historic building would have watched the MunicipalOrchestra, which played every morning throughout the year which had free entry to patients of the baths. It was eventually bought by Wetherspoons in 2007, and turned into the much-loved pub. Wetherspoons fans who seemed keen to check out the jaw-dropping branch did have one big query - how far the loos were. 7 The interior features a beautiful stylised design - but the bold Wetherspoons carpet is still there Credit: Wetherspoon 7 There is a spacious outdoor terrace decorated with plants Credit: Wetherspoon 7 The Winter Gardens in Harrogate is located in a historic building which used to be Royal Baths, dating back to 1897 Credit: Alamy It has become a running joke with many Wetherspoons fans how the bathrooms are often found on a separate floor, a long way from the bar, and many speculated it could be far in this grand building. One person joked: 'Toilet must be on the International Space Station.' However, the Harrogate pub has a very unique feature - with Others were quick to point out that the branch still has the trademark patterned carpet, with some querying if it would still be sticky. While many people were unanimous that this is the most beautiful Wetherspoons, others were quick to defend their own locals. One said: 'This has nothing on the one in Tunbridge Wells.' 7 The Opera House in Royal Tunbridge Wells has kept many of its original features Credit: Louis Wood 7 The Palladium in Llandudno, in North Wales, used to be a cinema Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Another shared: 'Nice one in Llandudno too.' A Sun Online Travel also went to the How can I save money at Wetherspoons? FREE refills - Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day. Check a map - Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other. So if you're planning a pint at a Spoons, it's worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you're settling in at the cheapest. Choose your day - Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights. For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual. Pick-up vouchers - Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled. Get appy - The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table - but you don't need to be in the pub to use it. Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play. Check the date - Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry. It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14. As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.