What was, isn’t anymore, sadly gone into rapid decline. Stayed here previously when it was known as The Principal York and based on that experience we have made several recommendations to friends and family and also the main reason we booked a suite @ £420 ( per night) for this stay to mark our wedding anniversary. However it’s has recently rebranded as The Milner after being acquired by RBH in 2022 who have also rebranded the restaurants and bars. Based on our recent experience I would encourage readers to seriously review the reviews and then chose very wisely. Service with one exception ( Receptionist - who was very helpful) is mediocre at best. It’s gone downhill drastically based on our last experience. Staff are unable to function, stressed and complaining about staff shortages, working extra hours and complaining directly to and in earshot of paying guests about their frustrations with lack of staff and requests being made of them. For example rebranded bar areas are 4 deep and it’s 20 mins to be served, what few staff there are are running at 200mph. The bars resemble beer tents at music festivals and no one is available to mix a cocktail from the menu. One member of staff after listening to our desire of celebrating our anniversary with a cocktail did offer to try ‘insert herself behind the bar to try’ but we declined and settled for an alternative. There appears to be a lot of atmosphere and low morale that has been presumably created or are unable to resolve hence the numerous vacancies currently being advertised on the main RBH site. Based on this experience we opted to have dinner at an alternative nearby establishment which was completely amazing experience, a decision which was totally justified by the breakfast experience at The Milner the following morning. The Milner elect to use the smallest room for serving breakfasts with minimal inexperienced staff, which makes a simple breakfast somewhat a pantomime. The hot food availability was very limited and several people tried to plate up a breakfast, but had several items missing and there was just empty containers, for example no eggs, scrambled or fried and no hash browns - at which point just 10 fried eggs were wheeled up and some hash browns which caused issues as people who had part breakfasts needed to access to these and other guests had formed a queue and were taking what was now available. This led to some snide comments and bad behaviour as guests with part breakfasts tried to reenter the queue part way. Basically badly organised unprofessional food preparations that didn’t meet basic demand and caused unnecessary issues between guests and once the food had been topped up staff just walked away. Yes and coffee is available out of canteen style flasks, all of which were empty.

Would you believe it that The Milner (RBH Hospitality Management) don’t and can’t even supply a needle and thread kit ! Reception advise that they don’t have and haven’t for months, had any needles and threads available for any guest emergencies- in essence nothing major but speaks volumes about the decline in standards and just how this hotel is now being operated. Our Suite @ £420 a night was adjacent the lifts and opposite the stairs so very distracting with noise and loud drunken people returning to rooms in the early hours. Rooms are OK but a far cry from luxury and finesse portrayed on the web site . Rooms are cold and just lack those finer touches that you expect for £420 Horrible experience and won’t be coming back, recommending The Milner, as in our opinion it’s totally broken and hidden behind somewhat misleading descriptions and imagery