hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
in
Llandudno
Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigsi ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, overlooking the Promenade on the North Shore. It is owned by Britannia Hotels.
History
The history of the Grand Hotel began with the construction of the
bathhouse
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
in 1855. In 1858 the
Pier
image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
was opened below the bathhouse. However, this was severely damaged in the
Royal Charter Storm
The ''Royal Charter'' Storm (also known as the Great storm of 1859) of 25 and 26 October 1859 was considered to be the most severe storm to hit the Irish Sea in the 19th century,
In 1886 the neighbouring
Llandudno Pier Pavilion Theatre
Llandudno Pier Pavilion Theatre was a Victorian seaside theatre in the holiday resort of Llandudno in North Wales, UK.
Construction
The Directors of the Llandudno Pier Company had successfully opened the new pier in 1878 and were now lookin ...
was opened.
In 1901 the Hotel and Bathhouse underwent a substantial reconstruction to a design by
James Francis Doyle
James Francis Doyle (1840, Liverpool – 1913, Warrington) was an English architect. He was the grandfather of the singing star Anne Ziegler.
Buildings
File:St Barnabas, Smithdown Road (2).jpg, St Barnabas' Church, Mossley Hill
File:Albion Hous ...
it reopened as the Grand Hotel in 1902.
The new hotel was the largest in Wales in its day with 158 rooms. Today the hotel has 162 rooms, two restaurants, a bar and a ballroom.
In 1981 the hotel was acquired by
Butlins
Butlin's is a chain of large seaside resorts in the United Kingdom. Butlin's was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families.
Between 1936 and 1966, ten camps were built, including one in Ireland and o ...
who ran it in an "Adult Entertainment" style along with their other hotels. In 1998 Butlins sold off its hotels to Grand Hotels Ltd. and, in 2004, ownership transferred to Britannia Hotels when 3 former Butlins hotels were sold off by Grand.
Media Appearances
The hotel appeared in the 1979 film
Yanks
''Yanks'' is a 1979 drama film directed by John Schlesinger, and starring Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane, Lisa Eichhorn and Tony Melody. The film is set during the Second World War in Northern England and features no combat scen ...