British Travel Journal | Autumn/Winter 2022

‘
It's not difficult to imagine Cary Grant once lounging in the opulent lobby,
Laurel and Hardy dancing about the palatial ballroom or Nelson Mandela
emerging from...the red elevators.
’
Glamorous history meets multimillion-pound
refurbishment
First operating in 1863 as a Midland Railway hotel, the art
deco Grade-II-listed, white-Portland-stone-clad building
you see today was constructed in 1937 and opened by the
Princess Royal. Back then, it was not just the first British hotel
to have en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning from top
to bottom, The Queens Hotel was very much the place to be
seen. Still today, it’s not difficult to imagine Cary Grant once
lounging in the opulent lobby, Laurel and Hardy dancing
about the palatial ballroom or Nelson Mandela emerging
from one of the listed red elevators.
As part of its nine-month, £16-million renovation, an
additional 16 bedrooms were added, bringing the total
to 232 rooms, all of them completely renovated but using
a similar black, white and muted grey colour palette.
Select one with a ‘City Square’ view for the best outlook.
The ground floor has been totally transformed as a social
meeting hub, and the book-shelf-lined lobby with its mix
of plush furniture, sculpture, chandeliers, and pendant
hanging lights offers a striking welcome as you arrive
through the revolving glass doors towards the barrel-vaulted
ceiling of the reception.
Upperworth Studios and Iliard Design are responsible
for the transformation, which sensitively enhances many
of the hotel’s historical art deco features while seamlessly
introducing modernised functionality. So much so that my
initial disbelief that the red passenger elevators may be
ornamental rather than functional proved unfounded.
Grand Pacific Restaurant
With design inspired by Singapore’s opulent Raffles hotel,
the Grand Pacific restaurant in The Queens Hotel has been
kitted out by developer Living Ventures and features nods to
the Golden ‘20s. My first impression at dinner is of relaxed
splendour. It all feels rather exciting to be in a high-ceilinged,
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