York is a place I’ve always wanted to go. The historic city of culture is steeped in a wealth of history and has many charming features from shopping along the narrow cobbled lanes to the impressive York Minster and beautiful, picturesque River Ouse.
During our stay in York we were treated to a luxury, romantic stay at The Principal Hotel.
There are 4 (soon to be 5) Principal hotels across the UK; Edinburgh (x2), Manchester, London and York and since walking past their Manchester Hotel, they’ve been somewhere I’ve longed to visit.
The Principal is a grand hotel not far from York centre, and just meters away from the train station making it the perfect location to stay and explore the nearby shops and restaurants. The hotel also has ample parking for hotel guests enabling you to travel via car.
With 155 rooms and suites, the hotel is an impressive size and the hotel exterior certainly makes an impressive statement with its beautiful architecture.
When we arrived at the hotel we were welcomed in the impressive, high-ceilinged hotel lobby, decorated in neutral colours. The hotel, despite being a historic building of the late-Victorian era, has been fitted out with modern decor, making it feel light, bright and airy. We were really impressed with the open spaces and the elegance of the hotel.
Upon check-in we were very excited to hear that we’d been upgraded to one of the junior suites at The Principal; The Royal Suite. Making our way up the elegant winding staircase we admired the sheer elegance of the building, with the walls full of mirrors and the shimmering chandelier dangling above.
We instantly felt like a King and Queen for our two-night stay.
Impressive high ceilings greeted us as we opened the giant door into the suite. Junior suites are open-plan and feature a spacious lounge with ample seating, a table, which opens up into a dressing table with folding mirror and plenty of space to relax. The room also had an impressive king size bed and large marble shower with complimentary toiletries from the luxury spa brand Elemis.
With a gorgeous colour palette of greys, creams and neutral tones, the room was spacious and beautifully decorated with a selection of stylish and comfortable furniture.
Our windows looked out across the hotel gardens and in the distance, you could see the famous York Minster.
Attention to detail has been thoughtfully considered at this hotel with tasteful ornaments, books and wall art. Even the fluffy bathrobes wear The Principal ‘P’ monogram.
Upon the coffee table was a lovely welcome hamper filled with tasty treats of chocolate, popcorn, cranberries and chutney, alongside some red wine – the perfect welcome to make us feel at home. Each hotel room also has a tuck box of treats to snack away on during your stay.
On the ground floor of the hotel, there is ample space for guests to sit back and relax in on of the lounge areas. With views across sweeping manicured lawns all the way to the Minster, the Garden Room is a beautiful setting for afternoon tea, to read or to play a board game.
The hotel also has Chapter House bar where you can grab a craft beer or a classic cocktail or you can dine in the Refectory Kitchen and Terrace Restaurant.
On our first evening at The Principal we were treated to dinner in The Refectory within the hotel, enjoying fresh, local, seasonal produce but more to come on that in the next blog post… watch this space!
If you are ever visiting York, I would highly recommend a stay at The Principal. For me, it was the perfect hotel. The decor, amazing service and luxury finishing touches made the hotel feel like a perfect romantic treat, that was thoroughly enjoyed!
I can’t wait to try out the other Principal Hotels around the UK.
Our stay at The Principal was provided with a generous media discount. All opinions and images are my own.
1 Comment
Nicely decorated. I love the bed furnishing.