The Royal Hotel

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The Royal Hotel and adjacent Royal Terrace were built in 1790-3 on the cliffs at the ‘South End’ (Southend) of the manor or Prittlewell Priory in Prittlewell parish in south-east Essex. Originally the Grand or Capitol Hotel it was renamed the Royal Hotel after Princess Caroline, the then Princess of Wales, stayed in the Terrace in either 1803 or 1804 (or possibly both). It was also noted for the visits of Lady Hamilton, mistress of Admiral Lord Nelson. Royal Hill was named after these buildings and but was renamed Pier Hill after Southend Pier was built in 1830.

In 1978 the Royal Hotel was owned by the Courage Brewery and was in a late stage of collapse. Courage wanted to demolish the Hotel and adjoining buildings and erect a poor imitation of them. The Hotel and Terrace were listed buildings and could not be demolished unless a concerted effort had been made to save it and had failed. The Trustees made strenuous efforts to make a case for the building’s retention but Southend Borough Council did not seem interested in saving the building.

One of the reasons the Trust was set up was to create a revolving fund to restore the Royal using funds it would raise itself. This was a daunting task and really needed the expertise of an enlightened developer. Haslemere Estates took up the challenge and within two years the buildings were restored, including the Function Room on the first floor which was used for the first Borough Council meetings in 1892. The building was officially opened by the Duchess of Kent in 1980.

Old Photo of The Royal Hotel and Terrace (left) prior to the additions of the rooms on the roof