Collection GB 0074 LMA/4549 - REGENT PALACE HOTEL

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 LMA/4549

Title

REGENT PALACE HOTEL

Date(s)

  • 1911-2006 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.52 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Designed by architects Henry Tanner, F.J. Wills and W.J. Ancell, the Regent Palace Hotel was built in 1914 on Glasshouse Street, Piccadilly Circus, and at the time of its opening on 16 May 1915 was the largest hotel in Europe with 1028 bedrooms. Initially the responsibility of Morris Salmon, the hotel later came under the remit of Douglas Gluckstein and Rex Joseph, with Mr Frederichs and Mr Delaloye forming part of the management team.

At its height, the hotel employed more than 1000 staff, some of which were accommodated in the adjacent Annexe and its 160 bedrooms. This building also contained a complete laundry service for all of the Strand group hotels in London, and was linked to the main building by a bridge and underground passage constructed in the 1930s. The Regent Palace Hotel additionally supplied meat to all the Strand hotels and Cornerhouses in the form of pre-cut steaks which were butchered onsite in specially designed kitchens in the basement of the hotel.

During the First World War, the hotel's accommodation was requisitioned by the government, and later in the Second World War, two separate bombs caused minor damage to the building, including the staff Annexe.

The hotel was owned and operated by Strand Hotels Limited, a subsidiary of J. Lyons and Company Limited, until 1977 when the Stand Hotels group was acquired by Trusthouse Forte. It was subsequently run by Grenada, Compass and Travel Lodge, and finally closed in December 2006.

Archival history

GB 0074 LMA/4549 1911-2006 Collection 0.52 linear metres Regent Palace Hotel, London , 1915-2006

Designed by architects Henry Tanner, F.J. Wills and W.J. Ancell, the Regent Palace Hotel was built in 1914 on Glasshouse Street, Piccadilly Circus, and at the time of its opening on 16 May 1915 was the largest hotel in Europe with 1028 bedrooms. Initially the responsibility of Morris Salmon, the hotel later came under the remit of Douglas Gluckstein and Rex Joseph, with Mr Frederichs and Mr Delaloye forming part of the management team.

At its height, the hotel employed more than 1000 staff, some of which were accommodated in the adjacent Annexe and its 160 bedrooms. This building also contained a complete laundry service for all of the Strand group hotels in London, and was linked to the main building by a bridge and underground passage constructed in the 1930s. The Regent Palace Hotel additionally supplied meat to all the Strand hotels and Cornerhouses in the form of pre-cut steaks which were butchered onsite in specially designed kitchens in the basement of the hotel.

During the First World War, the hotel's accommodation was requisitioned by the government, and later in the Second World War, two separate bombs caused minor damage to the building, including the staff Annexe.

The hotel was owned and operated by Strand Hotels Limited, a subsidiary of J. Lyons and Company Limited, until 1977 when the Stand Hotels group was acquired by Trusthouse Forte. It was subsequently run by Grenada, Compass and Travel Lodge, and finally closed in December 2006.

Records donated to the Archive in 2007.

Records of the Regent Palace Hotel, London, including:

  • Operational records, including Works Manager and Electricians Supervisor files, memorandum books, customer bills and feedback reports, and restaurant menus.

    • Staff handbooks, conditions of employment, and staff attendance statistics.
    • Marketing material, including photographs of the building, guests, staff, and the opening of the Stetson Saloon, newspaper cuttings and advertisements.
    • Plans of the Island Site and Regent Palace Hotel and Annexe, together with copy leases.
    • Historical material compiled by Mr Leigh Smith, Managing Director, including copies of book and journal extracts relating to the hotel, newspaper articles, and original menus from related restaurants.

    These records are arranged as follows:
    LMA/4549/01 OPERATIONS;
    LMA/4549/02 STAFF;
    LMA/4549/03 MARKETING AND ADVERTISING;
    LMA/4549/04 PREMISES;
    LMA/4549/05 HISTORY.

    These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

    Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

    English

    Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

    See J Lyons and Company Limited collections (ACC/3527, ACC/3811,LMA/4004, LMA/4018, LMA/4183, LMA/4258, LMA/4271, LMA/4306).

    Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

    August to October 2010. Hotel industry Communication process Advertising Architecture Buildings Commercial buildings Hotels Management Business management Service industries Business administration Regent Palace Hotel , London , 1915-2006 Business

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Records donated to the Archive in 2007.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Regent Palace Hotel, London, including:

  • Operational records, including Works Manager and Electricians Supervisor files, memorandum books, customer bills and feedback reports, and restaurant menus.
    • Staff handbooks, conditions of employment, and staff attendance statistics.
    • Marketing material, including photographs of the building, guests, staff, and the opening of the Stetson Saloon, newspaper cuttings and advertisements.
    • Plans of the Island Site and Regent Palace Hotel and Annexe, together with copy leases.
    • Historical material compiled by Mr Leigh Smith, Managing Director, including copies of book and journal extracts relating to the hotel, newspaper articles, and original menus from related restaurants.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

These records are arranged as follows:
LMA/4549/01 OPERATIONS;
LMA/4549/02 STAFF;
LMA/4549/03 MARKETING AND ADVERTISING;
LMA/4549/04 PREMISES;
LMA/4549/05 HISTORY.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the City of London.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

See J Lyons and Company Limited collections (ACC/3527, ACC/3811,LMA/4004, LMA/4018, LMA/4183, LMA/4258, LMA/4271, LMA/4306).

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area