Britannia reveals details of plans to restore fire-damaged Royal Albion Hotel

Britannia Hotels has revealed plans to restore and extend the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton, which was severely damaged by fire in July 2023.

The Grade II* hotel has been closed since the fire, which is believed to have been caused by a discarded cigarette.

It required the western wing of the Regency-style building, which is opposite Brighton Palace Pier, to be demolished due to structural instability. 

Britannia has now submitted plans to restore 73 windows in the hotel’s eastern wing. It has said the windows will honour the building’s 200-year history while sensitively bringing it up to modern standards of comfort, energy efficiency and performance. 

As well as restoring damaged areas of the eastern wing Britannia has said it will look to build a new hotel building on the site of the western wing.

Paul Streets, director of Britannia Hotels Group, commented: “Our progress for the transformation of the Royal Albion Hotel continues with this next phase of our plans. These proposals have been carefully developed with specialist heritage advisors to ensure the building’s historic character is preserved, while introducing new high-quality windows that significantly improve comfort and energy performance for our future guests.

“Since 2023, our focus has been on working closely with the council and conservation experts to bring forward a sensitive and deliverable scheme. This application represents a key step in our wider ambition to restore the hotel and create a revitalised destination that reflects the hotel’s long-standing place in Brighton’s seafront as well as its future potential.”

Britannia operates 64 hotels across the country including Blackpool’s Metropole hotel and the Adelphi hotel in Liverpool. It has been named the worst hotel chain for twelve consecutive years in the Which? hotel chains survey.

The Royal Albion hotel was built in 1826 on the site of the house of Dr Richard Russell, the promoter of sea-bathing who helped build Brighton’s popularity as a holiday resort.

It was reported yesterday that Britannia would be prosecuted in relation to incidents at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, following a health and safety investigation.