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Imperial Hotel, Blackpool

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Coordinates: 53°49′38″N 3°3′16″W / 53.82722°N 3.05444°W / 53.82722; -3.05444
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Imperial Hotel
The Imperial Hotel
Imperial Hotel is located in Blackpool
Imperial Hotel
Imperial Hotel
Location in Blackpool
Imperial Hotel is located in Lancashire
Imperial Hotel
Imperial Hotel
Location in Lancashire
General information
LocationBlackpool, Lancashire, England
Coordinates53°49′38″N 3°3′16″W / 53.82722°N 3.05444°W / 53.82722; -3.05444
OwnerFragrance UK
Technical details
Floor count4
Designations
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated20 October 1983
Reference no.1072011
Other information
Number of rooms180
Number of restaurants1 and bar
Website
[1]

The Imperial Hotel, formerly Puma Hotels Collection, is a 4-star hotel located on the northern promenade in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was established in 1867 and is situated in a large Victorian red brick building, in what, before development, was Claremont Park.[1] The hotel has a gold and blue facade, 180 rooms, The Palm Court Restaurant and the Number 10 Bar (which has photographs and memorabilia of Prime Ministers who have stayed at the hotel).[2] The hotel is Grade II listed.[3]

History

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The main public lobby and reception of the hotel

The hotel was established in 1867.[4] Charles Dickens stayed at the hotel in 1869.[4][5] In 1904, the hotel was extended with the addition of a large neo-baroque style dining room.[4] In 1912, Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll stayed at the hotel.[4] In the mid 20th century, Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and The Beatles stayed at the hotel.[4] Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the hotel when visiting Blackpool, as did Charles Dickens[5] as have many other British Prime Ministers.[6] in 1985, Margaret Thatcher celebrated her 60th birthday in the hotel.[4] In 2002, US President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair stayed at the hotel for the Labour party conference.[7][8]

Owned by Barceló Hotels for many years, it was operated by The Hotel Collection from June 2014 who sold it to the Fragrance Group (Singapore) for £12.8 in 2017.[9]

In 2023 the historic turkish baths of the hotel were extensively restored by volunteers from Blackpool Civic Society.[10]

Conference venue

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Granada Television once set up a studio in the hotel to cover party conferences held in the town.[11] It has been used as a conference and party venue for a wide range of organisations.[12]

The George Formby Society currently holds its conventions there four times per year.

Concerts

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The Imperial Hotel hosted concerts in its ballroom in the 1970s. Bands that performed at the Imperial Hotel include UFO, Judas Priest and Joy Division.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ W. Porter (publisher.) (1871). Porter's guide to Blackpool, Fleetwood, Lytham, etc., with a directory of Blackpool. p. 21. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  2. ^ Craig, Jon (2 May 2024). "decades after Bill Clinton's surprise McDonald's visit". Sky News. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  3. ^ "IMPERIAL HOTEL, Non Civil Parish". Historic England. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rigby, Janet (15 February 2023). Celebrating Blackpool. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-3981-0415-0.
  5. ^ a b Steves, Rick (4 January 2011). Rick Steves' Great Britain 2011 with Map. Avalon Travel. p. 417. ISBN 978-1-59880-667-0. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  6. ^ Porter, Darwin; Prince, Danforth (28 September 2010). Frommer's England 2011. John Wiley & Sons. p. 619. ISBN 978-0-470-61538-6. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  7. ^ Lark, Claire (27 September 2022). "12 brilliant pictures 20 years on". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Bill Clinton arrives at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool, with Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair (left) and wife Cherie, join former United States President Bill Clinton at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool. Clinton is scheduled to address the annual Labour Party Conference, at Blackpool, tomorrow, Wednesday Stock Photo". Alamy. 1 October 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Imperial hotel in Blackpool to be sold to Singapore company for £12.8m". The Caterer (in Portuguese). 27 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  10. ^ Lark, Claire (15 December 2023). "Thick 1950s plaster was painstakingly chipped away to reveal 19th Century 'spa'". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  11. ^ Finch, John; Cox, Michael; Giles, Marjorie (8 November 2003). Granada Television: The First Generation. Manchester University Press. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-7190-6515-6. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  12. ^ British Power Farming Club (ENGLAND) (1 January 1980). Power farming. Agricultural Press. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
    - Institute of British Foundrymen; Welsh Engineers' and Founders' Association; Foundry Trades' Equipment & Supplies Association (January 1970). The Foundry trade journal. p. 520. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
    - The Commercial motor. Temple Press Ltd. March 1975. p. 76. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
    - Institution of Municipal Engineers (Great Britain); Incorporated Association of Municipal and County Engineers (Great Britain); Association of Municipal and Sanitary Engineers and Surveyors (Great Britain) (1960). Journal of the Institution of Municipal Engineers. p. 208. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  13. ^ "Imperial Hotel, Blackpool, England Concert Setlists". Setlist. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
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