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 8580 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
Z
zettie94 • solo_traveller • ch
10
Pros:

Wunderbar renoviertes historisches Bahnhofshotel. Grosses Zimmer mit schöner Aussicht.

Cons:

Wieso gibt es in einem so edlen Hotel keine WC-Bürste?

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
S
Simon • couple • gb
8
Excellent except for the Breakfast
Pros:

The old style, had a stately home feel

Cons:

Breakfast

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
G
Gary • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

Convenient location to the station and town centre. Lovely historic hotel.

Cons:

Breakfast buffet was a bit chaotic.
Rooms not value for the money paid.

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
J
johnson • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

The hotel was fantastic very lovely and will be staying again

Cons:

Nothing

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
G
Grove • solo_traveller • gb
9
Pros:

The architecture, staff, food and comfort were all excellent.

Cons:

The bed was against the wall so only one person could get in and out of bed easily.

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
D
Dan • couple • gb
3
Never again.
Pros:

Good location

Cons:

First of all, you have to pay for parking, even though you are booked with the hotel which I find totally wrong. As soon as I got into the room, the lights were not working. After a long travel day and decided to take a shower, I noticed that my towels had brown stains on them, which was very worrying. The shower drain was clogged and the toilet was not flushing properly. For a hotel of this prestige I was shocked at the facilities and when I explained this to staff, all I got was “I am sorry”. The bad part about this is that if everyone is sorry, nothing gets done. If my room was like this, there are plenty more. Not even to say the stains on the carpet, chair and curtains. Horrible stay, will never go there again.

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
J
Justine • family_with_children • gb
8
Beautiful hotel.
Pros:

Beautiful hotel. Lots of open spaces with sofas and chairs to relax and read. Garden room is lovely. Staff are really helpful and eager to please. Mealie was exceptional. What a lovely person!
The location is excellent - we discovered when we left there is an entrance/exit directly into station. We really enjoyed our stay and would return without doubt.

Cons:

Pool was small and often overcrowded. Standard room was pretty standard. Freezing air con especially at breakfast. Room was not always cleaned and certainly not vacuumed every day.
No room key required to enter lifts and use the lifts which worried me about the security of the hotel. This is standard practice in my experience these days. The reception staff rarely glanced up when we entered the hotel so again, security seems poor.

2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
F
Fiona • couple • gb
9
Lovely hotel, highly recommended
Pros:

Brilliant location next to train station, helpful and friendly staff, immaculately clean, loved our anniversary stay. York was an amazing city definitely will come back to stay again.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
S
Stephanie • family_with_children • gb
10
2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
W
Wendy • extended_group • gb
8
2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
M
misser • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

Close location to the city center
Large size rooms, I had the junior suite. Amenities and look and feel of the hotel was fantastic

Cons:

Breakfast wad sent up to the room without few essentials, tried to ring the reception about it and the phones didn't work.
Had to go downstairs myself

2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
K
Karen • couple • gb
8
2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
G
Gemma • couple • gb
8
Lovely way to celebrate 50th birthday with husband
Pros:

Proximity to town and station
Swimming pool etc
Rooms very nicely decorated and clean

Cons:

Staff don’t seem all that happy, particularly in the breakfast room

2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
S
Sarah • couple • au
9
A very enjoyable stay in a beautiful, luxury hotel!
Pros:

The hotel has a beautiful old-world grandeur and is decorated very tastefully, sympathetic with the age of the grand building. It exudes a sense of luxury.
Having use of the heated pool and jacuzzi further enhanced our stay.

Cons:

A minor complaint, but the breakfast buffet didn’t quite meet our expectations. Some more staff attention there would be appreciated, as would some smiles!

2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
N
Nicola • couple • gb
10
A wonderful stay in York in a fabulous hotel. We will return.
Pros:

The location, the decor, the breakfast

2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
G
Gary • couple • gb
9
2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
B
Bradley • couple • gb
10
2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
P
Philip • couple • us
7
2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
H
HELEN • couple • gb
10
Fab, fab fab
Pros:

Great location, next to the station, and walkable into town.

Cons:

Leaving to come home

2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
D
Daniela • solo_traveller • ar
10
Pros:

Todo, divino
La decoración
El lobby
La ubicación, al 100m de la estación de tren

Cons:

Lo que menos me gusto fue que la habitacion no era muy luminosa.

2026-05-27 • via Nuitee