Early Hotels - Questions & Memories

[DaveR]

I believe that a lorry or something hit the arch and it then had to be demolished.

Would be nice if the Arch could be rebuilt.

[Bedelia]

Further to my posts from 2014, I'm still looking for personal accounts from families who ran hotels before/during WW2 and whose properties were requisitioned by the Department of Works for the Inland Revenue.  I've trawled the newspapers of the time (Llandudno Advertiser, North Wales Weekly News, and the Inland Revenue magazine, Ormescliffe Gazette) in the British Library, but most elusive is practical detail on what happened to hoteliers who were turfed out of their businesses for the duration - where did they go when given often only hours' notice to quit the premises?  How did they make a living in the meantime?  I have found reference in the Flintshire Archives to a hotelier "Mrs Lazar", who had expressed concerns to landlords Mostyn Estates re payment of insurance premiums on requisitioned properties and imagine this might be the mother or other relative of Vicki Lazar, who later became a town councillor?  Any direct local or family info on this subject would be most welcome.  Thank you.

[plas penmon]

My father told me that their hotel, The Wavecrest was requisitioned in the war. They had to leave as you say in a hurry. When they got the hotel back after the war it was in a hell of a state. They weren’t paid any money at all. Luckily, my grandfather was lucky enough to have investments in other properties around the town.

[John Willie]

And here's an advert from 1925 for the Jesmond Hotel:

[temperancellandudno]

Hello everyone

I'm not sure if it qualifies as "Early Hotel", but I have the vaguest memories of the Queens Hotel, Old Colwyn, and my parents saying that they had attended social events there.

I can find references to the place still being open at the end of 1980, but nothing since. The building is now a care home.

Does anyone know when it closed, and does anyone have any memories of what it was like inside.

Very grateful if someone has any memories or information.

Take care

TL 

[Nemesis]

My parents booked there in the late 50s and refused to stay as it was so grim and grubby!

[temperancellandudno]

Thanks Nemesis

I hope that it improved after that!

Regards

TL

[SteveH]

John Lawson-Reay: Time to celebrate the Tudno                           (sorry Hugo)

https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/john-lawson-reay-time-to-celebrate-the-tudno/

[Hugo]

It's a beautiful building and a credit to the designers and the people who helped to rebuild the hotel'.

John Lawson Reay praised Greg and Edward Hiller for this building but the applicant making the proposal for the rebuild was Opus North (Llandudno) Ltd so I wonder who actually paid for the rebuild?     Was it the property company or did Mostyn Estates break the habit of a lifetime and pay for the building?
Either way it is now a lovely asset to the town

By the way the property was originally two hotels, the Castle Hotel and the Temperance Hotel which was on the right hand side of the photo and it was run at one time by my G Grandfather

.

[Cambrian]

There doesn't seem to be any activity at the site for a few weeks.  I thought there would have been much fitting out to be done and then deliveries of furniture etc.

[Blongb]

 I wonder who actually paid for the rebuild? Was it the property company or did Mostyn Estates break the habit of a lifetime and pay for the building?

I think you must have forgotten the rebuilding of the Embassy Building (Ex Bartons) in St Georges Place Hugo, at over £3M, Mostyn's will never recoup the rebuilding costs.

[Hugo]

 I wonder who actually paid for the rebuild? Was it the property company or did Mostyn Estates break the habit of a lifetime and pay for the building?

I think you must have forgotten the rebuilding of the Embassy Building (Ex Bartons) in St Georges Place Hugo, at over £3M, Mostyn's will never recoup the rebuilding costs.

I think that the Embassy case was one where they simply had to pay for the foundation work etc as no one would be interested in leasing an unsafe building.   I bet it upset the Estate having to do that.

[norman08]

Talking of Mostyns est Hugo, will the royal hotel ever get done it's as if they get a bit of cash and do a bit more, they are doing the Ambassador and I heard Williams ( son) will be going back in, as for the Embassy as you say they had to spend on it as one of the floors had collapsed,  mind you I've heard something about Mostyn est,    Another thing I noticed a lot of cars clamped in Llandudno & rhos yesterday.

[Nemesis]

A clamped car opposite us was there for 5 or 6 days. I had the feeling that once freed whoever drove away with the huge yellow label obscuring the wind screen.
As for the Royal, it gets worse rather than better !

[SteveH]

The amazing history of the Llandudno hotel where emperors and prime ministers have spent the night
Historic figures including Winston Churchill, Napoleon III and Otto von Bismarck have stayed there

One of North Wales' first hotels has a fascinating history.

The roll call of famous guests at the St George's Hotel in Llandudno includes Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, the French Emperor Napoleon III and Otto von Bismarck. Churchill even caused a minor incident when he booked a room there.

READ MORE: Llandudno seafront hotel appoints new head for first time in 25 years

Now everyone can read about the St George's Hotel in Llandudno - and many other historic people and sites - on the historypoints.org website.

It features many intriguing anecdotes and snippets about politicians, royalty and others who have visited our region over the years.

As for the St George's Hotel, historian John Lawson-Reay says on the HistoryPoints website: "Opened in 1854, it was the first modern building to be erected on the promenade at Llandudno.

"It was built by Isaiah and Anne Jane Davies. He was an astute young man, born c.1830 at a farm on the Little Orme.

"His father-in-law owned the King’s Head pub, which the couple inherited. Anne Jane later bought and rebuilt Plas Fron Deg in Church Walks.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/amazing-history-llandudno-hotel-emperors-22381235