Grand Hotel, Bristol

The Grand Hotel is a hotel in a Grade II Listed Building in Broad Street in Bristol, England.[1] It opened in 1869 and has been visited by several celebrities, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. A major refurbishment programme took place in 2017.

The hotel in 2017

Location

The Grand Hotel is on Broad Street in the Old City Corner. It a short distance from St John's Arch, one of the original gateways to Bristol.[2]

History

The hotel was constructed by John Foster and Joseph Wood, replacing two pubs in this location. Construction started in 1864, and it opened in 1869. It was originally known as the White Lion, before being renamed as the Grand Hotel in 1874.[3] It was constructed of limestone ashlar, in a rectangular Italianate Renaissance style. An attic storey was added during the 20th century. The interior was also extensively altered during this time.[1]

In World War II, the hotel was used as a residence for various agents, politicians and royalty and served as a link between London and Bristol Airport. It was Grade II listed in 1966.[3]

The hotel was renovated in 2017 in a £5 million refurbishment program, and is now known as the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel.[2] It has 186 rooms, and is extensively decorated with art by local Bristol artists.[4][5]

In 2013, the Russian emigre Nikolai Glushkov became ill there, in a suspected poisoning incident.[6]

Cultural references

Several celebrities have stayed at the hotel, including The Beatles, Cary Grant and Leslie Howard.[3] In 1964, the Rolling Stones were refused entry into the hotel's bar, because they were not wearing jackets.[2][7]

The hotel was featured in the BBC production of The Trial of Christine Keeler in 2019. During filming, it was briefly closed.[8]

References
  1. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1202023)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  2. "Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel". The Daily Telegraph. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  3. "Refurbishment planned for 150-year old Hotel". Insider Media. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  4. Earl, Grace (6 April 2017). "Historic hotel is unrecognisable after a very Bristol make-over". bristolpost. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  5. "Grand refurb for historic city centre hotel". Bristol 24/7. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  6. "Glushkov 'believed he was poisoned in 2013'". BBC News. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  7. McMillan, John (2014). Beatles vs Stones. Simon and Schuster. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-439-15970-5.
  8. "Film crews take over street in Bristol city centre for production of new BBC drama". Bristol Post. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2020.

51.4553°N 2.5934°W / 51.4553; -2.5934

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