"York’s railway station was the largest in the world when it opened in 1877, and the company that ran trains through it was one of Britain’s most powerful. It stands to reason that a regular office would not suffice: instead, the prosperous North Eastern Railway Company built a stately “palace of business” nearby, conducting operations out of an Edwardian-style mansion lined in marble. Their headquarters were later transformed into The Grand, York, which instantly became the city’s most luxurious hotel." - Tablet Hotels