Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Fitness facilities (surcharge)
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room service
Terrace
Family rooms
Pets allowed
BBQ facilities
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Accommodating staff
Comfortable lounge area
Cons:
Poor breakfast quality
Room size issues
Inadequate amenities

Categories

Cleanliness
7.94
Some reviews mention cleanliness, but also note issues like tired paint and cracked marks.
Service
9.41
Guests highlighted the outstanding and accommodating service from the staff.
Location
9.45
The hotel's location was frequently praised for being ideal, especially for New Year celebrations.
Room Quality
7.9
Comments indicate some rooms are small and have issues with lighting and air conditioning.
Amenities
7.43
Facilities like the spa and pool were noted as unavailable, with breakfast options lacking.
Value for Money
7.89
Mixed feelings about prices versus offered services and quality (e.g., breakfast quality).
Food and Beverage
6.94
Breakfast options received poor reviews, especially concerning quality and variety.
Overall Experience
8.61
Overall sentiment is positive, with enjoyment of the stay despite some issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-10 00:36

Property Description

Luxurious Accommodation
Experience the elegance of the 4-star Principal York, with modern rooms equipped with all the amenities you need for a comfortable stay. From flat-screen Smart TVs to rain showers, we have thought of everything to make your stay unforgettable.

Gourmet Dining
Indulge in a culinary journey at The Refectory Kitchen and Terrace, where fresh and seasonal dishes are served with a local twist. Don't miss out on the traditional afternoon tea in the charming Garden Room, and start your day right with a full English buffet breakfast.

Convenient Location
Located next to York Train Station, our hotel offers easy access to transportation for your adventures in York and beyond. Explore the historic city center, visit York Shambles, or enjoy a day at York Racecourse - all just minutes away from our doorstep.

Book your stay at the Principal York now for a truly memorable experience.

Important information:

The breakfast price is for pre-booked breakfasts only. Guests will be charged extra for breakfasts that are not pre-booked.

When booking for 9 rooms or more, different policies and additional supplements will apply. Guest will be required to sign an additional form.

Please note that the credit / debit card used at the time of the booking needs to be presented upon check-in.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: LBA

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed on request. Charges may be applicable.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Groups

    When booking more than 6 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 12 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    You haven't added any extra beds.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.

  • Parking

    Private parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed) and costs GBP 19 per day.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.2
Based on 8515 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.94
Service: 9.41
Location: 9.45
Room Quality: 7.9
Amenities: 7.43
Value for Money: 7.89
Food and Beverage: 6.94
Overall Experience: 8.61
P
Paula • solo_traveller • gb
6
Great Leisure Centre but staff could do better.
Pros:

It’s very handy for everything in York and right next to the station. It was clean and having an indoor pool, sauna, steam room & jacuzzi was wonderful.

Cons:

The room was very cramped and hot but it was too noisy to open the window. The staff weren’t exactly rude but neither were they particularly friendly or helpful. Their responses to my enquiries were quite offhand. There was only the barman in Peaches, who went out of his way to be helpful.

2026-05-08 • via Nuitee
B
BOB • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-05-08 • via Nuitee
F
Frank • couple • gb
10
2026-05-07 • via Nuitee
H
Helen • solo_traveller • gb
9
Pros:

Access the the leisure centre (13m pool, hot tub, steam room, sauna, gym) was fabulous, especially as it stayed open til 9pm during the week (last admittance is 45 mins prior). Location next to the train station and a short walk into the city centre and main tourist attractions was really good too.

Cons:

The suites are amazing but are on the 4th and 5th floor, the lift only goes to floor 3 then it's carpeted stairs up to the next level. Access to the leisure centre is also via steps to the sublevel with no lift access.

2026-05-07 • via Nuitee
T
Terence • solo_traveller • gb
10
Anniversary stay.
Pros:

We were visiting York to celebrate a wedding on the 4th May James Prior and his new wife Madison and our 36th Wedding Anniversary is on the 5th of May when staff heard of this we were upgraded to a suite and a complimentary drink at the bar. Highly recommend.

Cons:

Nothing everyone and everything was perfect

2026-05-07 • via Nuitee
G
GMan • couple • gb
8
Spectacular hotel, slightly spoiled by poor maintenance
Pros:

Beautifully decorated, and well maintained hotel. Stunning from the inside, and the outside. One of the best gym facilities I've had the pleasure of using in an hotel, but slightly off putting that it is also available to the public on a membership basis. This means it will be more busy the a normal hotel gym.

Cons:

Our room itself had some minor issues, room 118, had what appeared to be signs of black mould around the bathroom window. Also, a bunch of cables hanging down below the TV were ugly, and unnecessary. We had to call maintenance a number of times, firstly for the TV remote, which would not turn of the TV, then again for the same issue the following day, at which point we were given a new remote, which worked ok. The aircon would not turn off using the room control, so reception did that for us remotely, we had no further issues with it after that. The blind in he bathroom also decided to fall down on one side once we attempted to use it, which maintenance repaired.

2026-05-06 • via Nuitee
J
joanne • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Everything

Cons:

Walking to the room because it was not next to the reception like it said x

2026-05-06 • via Nuitee
T
Tracey • couple • au
10
The Milner had the wow factor. Incredible, wonderful and had a lot of history.
Pros:

The room was very big. It had all the amenities I needed to enjoy my stay. The location was just perfect as we had luggage and didn’t want to travel to far from the train station which was next door. The hotel had the wow factor just climbing the staircase and seeing the history of the hotel was lovely.

Cons:

What I didn’t like was there was not any spare covers for the bed and the duval cover did not fit the size of the bed and the cupboard doors did not match the history of the building.

2026-05-06 • via Nuitee
J
JENNIFER • couple • gb
10
Highly recommend!
Pros:

Beautiful inside and out couldn’t fault it.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-05-06 • via Nuitee
J
Jacqueline • solo_traveller • au
9
A comfortable stay in a hotel which is in an excellent location, and has excellent facilities.
Pros:

Very spacious with lots of different areas to sit in and relax

Cons:

It would have been nice not to have been met with a flight of steps upon arrival at main entrance. Also, the available lift was very small. For a hotel with such a capacity, bigger lifts are required.

2026-05-06 • via Nuitee
A
Aicha • family_with_children • gb
8
Great hotel, value and location
Pros:

This hotel is beautiful and great location. Facilities were great and loved use of spa, swimming pool and gym.

Cons:

The beds in the bedroom would roll and move when you sat on them. I think it needed something under the wheels or stopper to stop beds from rolling moving.

2026-05-06 • via Nuitee
M
Martin • solo_traveller • us
4
Stayed in many better maintained hotels. For less.
Cons:

First room was close to two sets of doors. When in room could hear the doors bang very loud when closing. Saw this as a nightmare for sleeping — with this banging! Asked to move to another room. Second room the toilet did not work! Would not flush. Period. I didn’t want maintenance in my room that night or next day/night or being moved to third room. So I used the common toilet down the hallway. Staff acted as if the door banging noise was a new thing. I saw staff and management go through same doors. The doors slammed very loud then as well. So they were aware of this. Didn’t just happen when I arrived. First breakfast: worker (young woman) stood around playing with her hair and young man stood around picking at his fingers or hand. Nice when eating. Customers would arrive to enter. Taken back to check stand. Why didn’t one of the useless two stand by the check in stand and be useful? Second breakfast was manager on duty. He seemed to do most anything. Saw other employees milling around and just talking in the hotel. This was when clearly no managers around. While place was nice in its glory days. Not so now. Carpeting (especially in connecting hallways to other building) was dirty and dated. Make do elevator button device taped together. Hanging on wall. Expected much more. Numerous exit door (leading to station) were out of service or hard to use. Common use areas ground floor had strange odor. Could smell freshener being used to mask.

2026-05-05 • via Nuitee
A
Andrew • extended_group • gb
10
2026-05-05 • via Nuitee
S
Stacey • family_with_children • gb
9
A wonderful, historic building in a perfect location with everything you need!
Pros:

The location is perfect for exploring the city, the building is beautiful with great views from our room, which is very spacious and comfortable with a fabulous shower!
The hotel spa is a bonus too.

Cons:

Only slight problem was that the steam room wasn’t working properly.

2026-05-05 • via Nuitee
O
Oswin • couple • gb
1
No sleep and not offered any refund
Pros:

Good breakfast and staff friendly and helpful

Cons:

Bed was the most uncomfortable mattress ever slept on ie could feel every spring

2026-05-05 • via Nuitee
S
Stephanie Jane • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Near to the train station

Rooms were lovely

Staff very helpful

Cons:

Pool was a little cold but you got used to it eventually

2026-05-05 • via Nuitee
T
Tim • solo_traveller • gb
5
Good location, over priced with some very small inadequate rooms
Pros:

The Location and the hotel in the main area, lounges etc was very grand and spacious.

Cons:

We stayed in room 308,
I should have asked to be moved, you can barely get in the room because of the imposing wardrobe right in front of the door,
We were also worried about opening it as it was leaning over so far,
The lady on reception said, a room with a view! A tiny sash window that was mainly full of condensation does not class as a room with a view in my opinion.
We went to eat in the restaurant, which had 2 doors to the terrace left open and one to the main bar, this made it loud with a draft blowing through. We ordered but decided to leave before our food came out.
Wouldn’t stay again!

2026-05-05 • via Nuitee
P
Patricia • couple • gb
10
We had a great weekend. The staff were lovely and helpful keeping our luggage and hiring an umbrella
Pros:

The location was perfect due to proximity to station. When I saw scaffolding I thought oh dear it won't match the images I'd seen but it was lovely.

Cons:

Room was a little snug and it would have been good to have the bedside light controls on both sides. I had to turn them off and then walk round the bed to my side. A small stool in the bathroom would have been good. I don't like to put things on toilet lid.

2026-05-05 • via Nuitee
S
stephen • couple • gb
9
2026-05-04 • via Nuitee
P
Philip • couple • nz
9
Very happy we stayed there and will book to stay there again when returning to York
Pros:

Front reception staff were very helpful and friendly. Room 224 was amazing, bed was so comfortable. Location close to attractions - Roman Walls, Minster, Shambles easy to walk to them from the hotel

Cons:

We had to carry our bags up the stairs at the main entrance. There was no ramp

2026-05-04 • via Nuitee