From Edwardian splendour and celebrated guests to a bold Art Deco-inspired revival, this city-centre landmark is beginning a glamorous new chapter.
A Leicester Landmark
Step out of Leicester railway station and head towards the city centre, and it is not long before The Grand Hotel makes its presence felt. Rising above the corner of Granby Street and Belvoir Street, its richly detailed façade and distinctive “wedding-cake” crown belong to an age when a grand hotel was meant to announce a city’s confidence.
Opened in 1898, the hotel was designed as a statement of luxury. Guests entered a world of sweeping staircases, marble, onyx pillars and glittering chandeliers, while the magnificent King’s Hall hosted balls, banquets, concerts and civic occasions. Early admirers reportedly hailed it as the finest hotel in the Midlands — a fitting symbol for a prosperous, ambitious Leicester.
Famous Footsteps
Part of the pleasure of exploring a historic hotel is imagining the people who crossed its threshold before us. The Grand’s roll-call includes Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill, who stayed here in 1909 while he was a Liberal MP and President of the Board of Trade. Their visits placed the hotel firmly on the map of British public life.
Pioneering aviator Amy Johnson also graced The Grand’s social scene. In 1930, she was among the distinguished guests at the Leicester Aero Club’s annual ball, held in the King’s Hall. That appearance came in the year she became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, lending an extra spark of modern adventure to an already glamorous occasion.
Heritage, Reimagined
Today, The Grand has undergone a major transformation, bringing its storied past into conversation with contemporary hospitality. The refreshed interiors draw on Art Deco glamour and Leicester’s theatrical heritage: bold patterns, polished finishes and jewel-like details create a sense of occasion, while modern comforts keep the experience firmly rooted in the present.
This is not a reinvention that erases what came before. The landmark architecture and the drama of the King’s Hall remain central to the hotel’s identity, now complemented by individually designed rooms and the O.W. restaurant and bar, named for the hotel’s original visionary, Orson Wright. The result is a thoughtful balance: heritage as a living atmosphere rather than a museum piece.
Why Heritage Travellers Should Visit
For the heritage-minded visitor, The Grand Hotel offers more than an elegant place to stay. It provides a window onto Leicester’s civic ambition, social life and love of spectacle across more than a century. You can admire the ornate exterior, picture Churchill arriving in the age of steam, imagine Amy Johnson entering a glittering ballroom, and then settle into surroundings shaped for today.
The Grand’s appeal lies in that meeting of eras. Its famous guests may belong to history, but the hotel itself is still evolving — confident, characterful and ready to welcome a new generation of travellers through its doors.
Official website: https://www.thegrandhotelleicester.co.uk/
