About this item

The fascinating story of a hotel from its inception and 1930s prime, through its role as a hospital in World War II, its sale into private ownership and fluctuating fortunes to reaching rock-bottom in 2002. This former embodiment of glamour and luxury was a sorry sight. Empty, save for the vagrants and pigeons, with peeling paint, broken windows and a leaking roof, it barely staved off demolition. At the eleventh hour, however, rescue came in the shape of award-winning property developers, Urban Splash who purchased the building in 2003.