HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Bailey's Hotel, is a historic hotel in the
Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...
district of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. The postal address is 140 Gloucester Road, but the main entrance is on Courtfield Road, opposite
Gloucester Road tube station Gloucester Road () is a London Underground station in Kensington, West London, England. Its entrance is located close to the junction of Gloucester Road and Cromwell Road. Close by are the Cromwell Hospital and Baden-Powell House. The station ...
. It was established in 1876 and named after its original owner, Sir James Bailey (1840-1910), Member of Parliament.


History

Bailey's Hotel was one of the earliest privately built hotels in London, built between 1874 and 1876 by Aldin and Sons under the command of James Bailey, a hotelier. He erected the hotel in an upmarket location so as to attract London's aristocracy and wealthier inhabitants and to be easily accessible through
Gloucester Road tube station Gloucester Road () is a London Underground station in Kensington, West London, England. Its entrance is located close to the junction of Gloucester Road and Cromwell Road. Close by are the Cromwell Hospital and Baden-Powell House. The station ...
. When completed the hotel also included nine stables to host a carriage service from the hotel. In 1877 Bailey extended Bailey's Hotel along Courtfield Road and in 1881 replaced the stables with a garden and additional buildings, which today houses the Bombay Brasserie restaurant. In 1883 Bailey installed new bedrooms and built a new elevator and installed electric lights in 1890. By the 1890s Bailey's Hotel was one of the more successful hotels in London with over 300 rooms, and was popular with international guests. An American tourist guide published in 1891 mentioned the "cosy, homelike atmosphere, which is enhanced by the rich and substantial surroundings" (all for $1 a night at the time).
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Abu Bakar of Johor Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Al-Khalil Ibrahim Shah ibni Almarhum Maharaja Tun Daeng Ibrahim ( Jawi: ; 3 February 1833 – 4 June 1895) was the Temenggong of Johor. He was the 1st sultan of modern Johor, the 21st Sultan of Johor and the first Mahara ...
spent his last days in bed at the hotel before dying of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
on 4 June 1895. At the peak of its success, Bailey sold the hotel to Spiers & Pond Limited in 1894, but remained as Managing Director for several years, as he was elected a Member of Parliament for Walworth, Newington, and was knighted in 1905. By 1914 Bailey's Hotel faced stiff competition, with some fourteen hotels in eighteen buildings in close proximity. It survived, though, and during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
was hit by an incendiary bomb, causing a major fire and damage, and again on 8 March 1941. A further fire broke out in the staff quarters in 1945, damaging the ceilings and floorboards, which meant the building had to be evacuated at a time when it was being used as a provisional hospital. It wasn't until 1952-54 that the hotel was renovated, and new bathrooms were added in 1954 and a new bar in 1958. However, the hotel had significantly fallen from grace and was not the elegant, upmarket hotel it had been, and it changed ownership many times. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea protected the hotel from being demolished in the 1970s and 1980s because of its historical value. In the 1970s a room in the hotel cost just $12 a night, compared to $110 today. The hotel was completely restored in 1988 and purchased from the Taj Group by Securum Hotel Holdings in 1992, and by City Developments Limited (CDL) in July 1994. It is now operated by
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) is a Singapore-based global hospitality company, acquired by City Developments Limited. With a presence across four continents and over 80 destinations, the group manages more than 145 properties worldwide. M ...
.


Architecture


Exterior

The building retains its elegant Victorian appearance. The name of the hotel, Bailey's Hotel, is written in gold lettering above a central porch. Above the name are five royal flags of Great Britain.


Interior

In 1996 it underwent renovation but today the hotel retains many of its Victorian furnishings, including the period fireplaces and grand, spiralling main staircase. The hotel is 5 floors in height and contains 212 rooms. The main restaurant is the ''Bombay Brasserie'', which serves
Indian cuisine Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally av ...
typical of the
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
and ''Olive's Restaurant'', a stylish Victorian restaurant that serves continental and full English breakfasts. The main bar is called ''Olives Bar''.


References


External links


Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey's Hotel Hotels in London Hotels established in 1876 Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 1876 establishments in England