THE Principal York Hotel has been nominated for The Press Business awards in the Retail, Tourism and Leisure category.

It first opened its doors in 1878 and was designed as an integral part of the new train station, the North Eastern Railway Company’s flagship hotel.

Last year a £15m refurbishment and rebrand was completed, breathing new life in to the iconic lady’s history.

“It would have been quicker to look at the fabric first but ultimately if culture isn’t right then the refurbishment won’t work” said David Taylor CEO Principal, adding: "Our values are our key selling points."

They are:

• Distinctive – local heritage and character with a modern take on the classic British hotel experience.

• Intuitive - we aim to anticipate the needs of each individual guest, not sticking to a ‘script’.

• Warm - an atmosphere where our guests feel ‘at home’. Our complementary ‘tuck shop’ snacks in every room or the vintage red post box in our hotel lobby add a sense of welcome.

• Local at Heart - our hotels derive its own individual character from its city and the people in it and utilising local food suppliers.

And people are key to the unique guest experience.

The hotel empowers every member of the team to surprise and delight each guest in some way, exceeding the expectations of the star-rating. Anybody has the authority to surprise and delight, whether it is a complementary bottle of champagne or a sample pot of the paint colour on our walls for an interior enthusiast

As part of its customer service ethos, the hotel trains the team to naturally and spontaneously act on thoughtful gestures and personal touches where they can.

Principal York uses Trust You which analyses guest reviews from multiple platforms, this enables it to respond back to all reviews.

In line with one of the key core values at The Principal York Hotel - ‘Local at Heart’ - the menu showcases the best of York and the surrounding countryside.

Commitment to promoting local suppliers is clearly communicated through ocial media, the website and on printed menus in The Refectory, Chapter House Bar and The Garden Room.

Menus are adapted to cater for all food dietary requirements. The Principal York offers the closest equivalent choice to the standard menu option for those with special diets to avoid anyone feeling alienated from the rest of the group.

At the end of 2016 the hotel entered into a new relationship with Virgin Trains East Coast to drive both business and leisure customers from throughout the UK into Yorkshire. This marketing campaign focuses on London and Edinburgh travellers who want that VIP experience both in travel and hotels.

A recent key success from this would be securing a series of residential conferences from a new client in October-16, January-17 and March-17, this includes 600 delegates travelling from Kings Cross – York – Kings Cross. Not only is this a win for The Principal York Hotel but also for Virgin Trains and Yorkshire as a destination.

The Principal York is a great supporter of city-wide campaigns, hosting the launch party and participating in Make It York’s ‘Illuminate York’ festival as well as actively participating in York’s Living Advent Calendar.