THE much-anticipated opening of the Malmaison hotel in York, complete with its roof-top sky bar with Minster views, has been pushed back for several weeks because the project is "running behind schedule".

The 150-bed hotel, in the former Aviva building on Rougier Street, was supposed to open in a fanfare of publicity on Thursday May 20.

But a spokesman has told The Press it will now not open for several weeks - with a new opening date for late June.

However, bookings via the hotel website are not being taken until Thursday July 1, suggesting this could be the rescheduled opening date.

York Press: Malmaison York - rooms available from July 1Malmaison York - rooms available from July 1

The hotel, which will have two restaurants including the Asian tapas eaterie Sora in the sky bar, has sent an apologetic letter to customers with bookings for May and June.

It reads: "Despite our very best efforts, we’ve been unable to complete the development works for Malmaison York in time for the planned opening date of May 20, due to unforeseen delays out of our control.

READ MORE: What to expect when Malmaison York and its sky bar opens

"However, the best things in life come to those who wait, and beauty quite simply cannot be rushed. We want to ensure this former beast is truly beautiful when we open the doors, and are now planning for an opening date later in June.

"This delay unfortunately impacts your upcoming reservation and we wanted to make you aware as soon as possible.

"We’ll be calling you over the coming days to discuss the options for rescheduling your reservation. We’ll make sure you’re treated like a VIP during your stay, with some little extras… of course, the first drink is on us!

"If you are committed to being in York on the dates of your reservation, we’ll do our best to relocate you to our sister property, the Hotel du Vin York, or help provide information on alternative options within the city.

"However if you’re happy to stay elsewhere, we have four fantastic hotels within an hour of York, in Harrogate, Leeds and Newcastle, and we’ll happily arrange bookings for you.

"We’re extremely proud of the hotel and all it will have to offer. Everybody is working super hard behind the scenes in preparation for opening all our fabulous spaces.

"We’ll soon be able to open our doors for you to enjoy Asian fusion tapas and cocktails on the Sora sky bar, stunning wines, great steaks and wonderful cheeseboards in Chez Mal Brasserie & Bar and an unwinding massage in the spa.

"We aim to give you everything you want, not just what you need and promise it will be worth the wait."