The Royal Albion Hotel has had a prominent place on the seafront for almost 200 years and has hosted notable people from across the ages. Following the tragic fire that has gutted a large section of the building, The Argus looks back at the hotel’s long history.
The then 115-bedroom Albion Hotel first opened its doors in August 1826 on the site of Russell House, which was demolished three years earlier. Designed by prolific local architect Amon Henry Wilds, the Classical-style building boasted giant Corinthian pilasters and columns, shell decorations and balconies.
From 1841 until 1869, the rooms were a centre of the town’s cultural life, playing host to the Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, which collected historical and artistic artefacts, along with a library of books.
However, the institution fell into debt and was later forced to close. The artefacts were presented to the local council and led to the creation of the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.
The hotel, which became the Royal Albion Hotel in 1847, grew with a five-storey extension, but fell into disrepair in the late 19th century and closed in 1900.
The building was bought by Harry Preston, the owner of the nearby Royal York Hotel, in 1913 for £13,500 (roughly £1.4 million today). The hotel’s reputation was restored and became a fashionable venue for the rich and famous to gather, including the Prince of Wales, who would later become King Edward VIII.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the hotel was requisitioned by the government for military use. It reopened in 1947 and took over the neighbouring Adelphi Hotel, often frequented by former Prime Minister William Gladstone when it was known as the Lion Mansions Hotel.
The Royal Albion Hotel changed hands several times in the run-up to the millennium, being sold to the Prince of Wales Hotels Group in 1978, before being taken over by Park Hotels in 1987 and bought by its current owners Britannia Group in 1997.
Tragedy struck on November 24 1998 after a fire devastated a large part of the building. A trainee chef was cooking eggs and sausages when fat started spitting from the frying pan and caught light.
Flames shot up through an extractor flue as far as the roof, with about 160 firefighters from across the county called to what was described as Brighton’s “biggest firefighting operation for nearly 30 years”. Some 160 guests and staff were safely evacuated. The hotel reopened to guests in September 2000.
The hotel’s once prestigious reputation has fallen into disrepute over the years, receiving many negative reviews from guests.
Fire erupted at the hotel on Saturday afternoon, with hundreds of people gathered on the seafront as the inferno raged. Emergency services from across the county and neighbouring Surrey were called to the scene to tackle the blaze.
Part of the historic building will have to be demolished to help with the efforts to fully extinguish and damp down the site.
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