With a stay at The Milner York formerly the Principal York, you'll be centrally located in York, within a 10-minute walk of York National Railway Museum and York Minster. .This eco-certified hotel is 0.6 mi (1 km) from York Dungeon and 0.8 mi (1.2 km) from Jorvik Viking Centre.
What's nearby
York National Railway Museum - 8 min walk
York Minster - 10 min walk
Shambles - 12 min walk
Jorvik Viking Centre - 12 min walk
York Racecourse - 3 min drive
Getting around
York Station - 1 min walk
Leeds (LBA-Leeds Bradford) - 54 min drive
Restaurants
York Tap - 1 min walk
The Punch Bowl - 5 min walk
Society Lounge Bar - 5 min walk
The Maltings - 4 min walk
BrewDog - 6 min walk
About this property
The Milner York formerly the Principal York
Eco-certified York hotel in South Bank with a health club
The Milner York formerly the Principal York offers 155 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. This York hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access, with a speed of 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices). Bathrooms include showers with rainfall showerheads, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. Additionally, rooms include coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards. Housekeeping is provided daily.
An indoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a health club and a sauna.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 155 air-conditioned guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Private bathrooms with showers feature rainfall showerheads and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include safes and desks, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Take advantage of recreational opportunities offered, including a health club, an indoor pool, and a spa tub. Additional amenities at this Victorian hotel include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and wedding services.
Satisfy your appetite for lunch or dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Refectory, or stay in and take advantage of the 24-hour room service. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. English breakfasts are available daily from 7 AM to 10 AM for a fee.
Featured amenities include a business center, express check-out, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Event facilities at this hotel consist of conference space and meeting rooms. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
English breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 7 AM and 10 AM.
Refectory - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations are required.
Chapter House - Onsite bar. Open daily.
24-hour room service is available.
Awards and affiliations
Eco-Certified Property
This property participates in Green Key (Foundation for Environmental Education), a program that measures the property's impact on one or more of the following: environment, community, cultural-heritage, the local economy.
Languages
English
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
In-room WiFi speed: 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices)
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transportation
Uncovered self parking on site (GBP 19 per day)
Wheelchair-accessible parking available
Food and drink
Daily English breakfast available 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee: GBP 19.95 per person
A bar/lounge
A restaurant
Snack bar/deli
Restaurants on site
Chapter House
Refectory
Things to do
Health club
Indoor pool
Sauna
Spa tub
Steam room
Family friendly
Indoor pool
Laundry facilities
Snack bar/deli
Conveniences
24-hour front desk
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Safe at front desk
Guest services
Concierge services
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Housekeeping (daily)
Wedding services
Business services
Business center
Conference space
Meeting rooms
Outdoors
Barbecue grill
Garden
Terrace
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Assistive listening devices
Braille/raised signage
Elevator
Stair-free path to entrance
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
Wheelchair-accessible business center
Wheelchair-accessible parking
Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
Wheelchair-accessible path to elevator
Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
More
1 building
5 floors
Banquet hall
Built in 1870
Smoke-free property
Victorian architecture
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Rainfall showerhead
Shower
Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
Towels provided
Entertainment
TV
Food and drink
24-hour room service
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
More
Air conditioning
Desk
Heating (climate-controlled)
Iron/ironing board
Safe
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
A late check-out fee will be charged
Express check-out available
Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival
For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
The credit card used to book the reservation must be presented by the cardholder at check-in.
Renovations and closures
The following facilities are closed seasonally each year. They will be closed from December 23 to December 26:
Dining venue(s)
Access methods
Staffed front desk
Pets
Pets allowed for an extra charge of GBP 30 per pet, per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
1 total pets
Pets cannot be left unattended
Specific rooms only, restrictions apply; pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation
Food and water bowls are available
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available
Property payment types
Important information
Optional extras
Fee for English breakfast: approximately GBP 19.95 per person
Uncovered self parking fee: GBP 19.00 per day
Pet fee: GBP 30 per pet, per night
Service animals are exempt from fees
Late check-out is available for a fee (subject to availability)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
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 and debit cards; cash is not accepted
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
We should mention
Some facilities may have restricted access; guests can contact the property for details using the contact information on the booking confirmation
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly)
Property is also known as
Hotel Royal York
Hotel York Royal
Royal Hotel York
Royal York
York Hotel Royal
York Royal
York Royal Hotel
Royal York Hotel Grand Victorian
Royal York Hotel York
Principal Hotel
Principal York
The Royal York Hotel
The Principal York
Principal York Hotel
Hotel Principal York York
York Principal York Hotel
Hotel Principal York
Principal York York
The Principal York
The Royal York Hotel
Principal Hotel
Principal
The Milner York formerly the Principal York Reviews
Reviews
8.4
Very Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
A beautiful hotel close to the York city walls and close walk to historic attractions. The hotel and room were beautiful but the bed and pillows a little uncomfortable. This was after we upgraded to a deluxe king room from our original booking.
Really great stay, fantastic historic venue, lovely pool and jacuzzi area. Next to the train station, overlooking the walls and short walk to the river and city centre.
The staff were superb
Nothing was too much travel.
The interiors are starting to look a little tired and all the light fittings look as if they need to be cleaned
Reception staff were really helpful. We were allocated a room next to the lift (noisy) and when this was raised with reception they moved us and upgraded us as soon as they could.
What 200+ pounds a night gets you at the Principal
We booked a room at the Principal, specifically a standard room in the "Annex" which I presumed was a wing or offshoot of the main hotel pictured. There is in fact currently NO PICTURE of the Annex explicitly on hotels.com. Someone should probably fix that so I don't feel like a victim of fraud when I check in.
The Annex has nothing to do with any of the beautiful photos you are seeing on here of the main building.
It comes with a gorgeous second story view of the Royal Mail Depot surrounded by construction fencing. Our first accommodation smelled like somebody emptied a case of axe body spray cans in the room, and there was some scratching in the wall that sounded like a mouse creeping around. We tried to air it out but the windows were sealed so in the end we asked for a new room. There was also a patch job in the ceiling that looked like something from a sketchy roadside motel in the US.
The staff gave the vibe that this happens quite a bit with the Annex. To that point the staff were excellent and that was the only nice part of the experience.
The room we were then provided was downstairs on the ground level of the Annex and the hallway of this lower section had an awful sewer smell, but in the room it was only a damp moldy smell which was an improvement. Not worth 200 + pounds.
They should refund me 150 pounds of my cost for the aggravation. I can't recommend you stay here dear reader, all room and board funds are better spent elsewhere.
Joseph
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024
6/10 Okay
Nicky
Sep 15, 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
After a positive start pulling up outside with a beautiful facade to the hotel things started to go downhill. Inside the hotel looks spectacular so we checked in a little early around 12:30 and left our luggage with reception. On return at around 6pm we were given our room key and made our way up to room 115 which upon opening the door immediately smelt damp and slightly mouldy. The chain had been ripped out of the woodwork on the inside of the door and the room overlooks the main train station entrance which is noisy. The shower in the bathroom dripped constantly from the overhead rainfall unless you switched to the hand shower and waited for the pressure to drop.
I called reception as our luggage had not been brought to the room to be told they don’t do that here, you have to walk down stairs and fetch it yourself. I have stayed at a lot of hotels and this has been de-rigeur in my experience let alone one that purports to be as good as the Principal. The girl on reception seemed unfazed when I said I wasn’t happy with the situation and offered nothing but a blank look.
On the whole the staff were well turned out but lacked training and often left guests hanging about while they talked amongst themselves.
We have stayed at the Grand in York recently and that experience was some degrees above the Principal despite the similarities in the properties. I would not return.