Grand Metropole Hotel
Grand Metropole Hotel | |
---|---|
Former names | Bailey's Hotel Higher Royal Hotel Rossall's Dickson Hotel |
General information | |
Town or city | Blackpool, Lancashire |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 53°49′12″N 3°03′22″W / 53.820°N 3.056°W |
Construction started | 1776 |
Opened | 14 June 1785 |
Owner | Britannia Hotels |
Other information | |
Number of rooms | 223 |
Website | |
www |
The Grand Metropole Hotel is a large hotel in Blackpool, England, the only Blackpool hotel to sit directly on the shoreline. It is one of the two oldest hotels in Blackpool; work originally began in 1776 on what was then named Bailey's Hotel and it opened in 1785. It is now owned by Britannia Hotels.
History
In 1776, Lawrence Bailey, a farmer from the
The hotel opened with 34 bedrooms, three dining rooms, and a coffee lounge.
In 1826, the hotel was purchased by Robert Dickson and was renamed the Higher Royal Hotel. In 1852 it was taken over by Robert Rossall, who renamed it Rossall's Dickson Hotel, then by 1867 reverted to the name Bailey's.[1]
In 1856, Blackpool's first
The hotel underwent renovations in 1873, with an additional wing to the East, and again in 1876 with the construction of shops on the landward side. In 1900 the building underwent further substantial renovation resulting in its expanding to twice its previous size and taking on the Victorian appearance it retains to this day.[1]
In 1875, the town's first council meeting took place in the hotel.[3]
In 1896, the hotel was purchased by JT Murray and was renamed "Hotel Metropole", the name it still retains. In 1900 it was sold to Spiers and Pond Limited. In 1939 the government requisitioned the hotel as part of the war effort. After the war, in 1947, The Metropole Hotel (Blackpool) Limited Company was formed, when F Price purchased it back from them.[1]
In 1955,
.As of 2018[update] the hotel has been modernised and has 223 bedrooms, two restaurants, and a café.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Blackpool and District Now and Then
- ^ Hall Genealogy Website Chronology of Blackpool
- ^ a b Butlins Metropole Hotel, Blackpool
- ^ The Grand Metropole Hotel in Blackpool Britannia Hotels, retrieved 17 February 2018.