£1,000,000 HOTEL

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1933, Page 7

£1,000,000 HOTEL

LARGEST IN EUROPE. . . .. Alt ENGLISH PROJECT. . ’ ... '. '•''■■■ '"it'-’ ’ j The building of the huge hotel at Blackpool—the largest in Europe—is expected to begin in the , spring, says the Manchester Guardian. It will take; about two years to complete. The hotel, the name of which is not yet selected, will ■ have 2500 bedrooms, which is more than twice the number in any hotel either „• built or in prospect in London. The hbtel will be built on a site on the North Shore, with one entrance from the sea front, the Queen’s Drive, and another from Warbreck Road behind. Itr will occupy seven acres, of which two acres will be devoted to gardens and ornamental grounds. Adjoining :t on the north will be the new baths which the Blackpool Corporation is to buiid, 1 covering two acres, with a separate entrance and access from the hotel. These haths will be on a most elaborate scale, with a swimming bath 230 feet long and 115 feet wide, and the equipment will include Aix-les-Bains baths, plombieres hydropathic baths and ultra-violet ray and radiant-heat treatment, There will also be a sun-bathing solarium. The elevations of the hotel and baths have been designed on modem lines, of architecture, and it.is claimed that it will be one of the most striking buildings in the country, an outstanding fea- . ture of Blackpool, and a landmark for many miles around. The planning of the hotel is: unique inasmuch as by a system of wings at grading angles there will be no internal courtyards and the great majority of rooms will have an aspect to the sea.. The building will be constructed in. steel and concrete and faced with coloured glazed faience. The public rooms are designed spaciously and are to be of adequate size to accommodate the large population of the hotel. They include a conference hall, with specially arranged administrative and secretarial depart?, ments, and thus the hotel will possess one of the most complete assembly halls for meetings and conferences inxthe country. Special rooms are t 0 .be/s9t apart for business interviews, with elaborate telephone, telegraphic, and dictaphone facilities, and a staff of trained shorthand typists. There will be large dining-rooms, restaurant, cafe, cafeteria, t ballrooms, and so on. ■- One feature of the public rooms will •. be that in the off-season', when the full •' accommodation available is not required, they can be restricted by /the use of temporary divisions. There will be provided in the hotel a bank, a post,? office, and cable, shipping and travel and information bureaux. On the promenade side there will be a sweeping drive giving access to hotel, with special entrances to the gar-.... age, which will be a sunken one under- v. neath the ornamental gardens, with accommodation for from 400 to 500 cars. There, will be special entrances for pedestrians along avenues with kiosks, fountains, and so on. For people entering from the Warbreck Road side there; will be ample provision of luggage and passenger lifts, with various offices, and be-.< yond these comes the lounge. The and ball rooms are towards the sea. The entrance on the Warbreck Road, owing?/, to the slope of the land, will be 20 feet higher than that from the promenade. The building will be 200 feet high, and with a sort of central tower with a pyra-.?;. midaT roof. ' . ' . The floor area of the rooms is between 27 and 30 acres. The restaurants and. dining-rooms will cover about a third of an acre, and will seat between 4000 and 5000 people. The ballroom will coyer „ , about the same space, and will be the largest dancing space in Europe. There will be a cinema in the hotel which wi.u .. hold 2500 people. The 2500 bedrooms will ‘ be arranged in 10 floors, bedroom will have wireless. Another feature of the bedroom accommodation is the ample supply of shower baths. ? There will be four miles of corridors, 75 miles of hot water pipes, 100 miles of electric cable, and 1,500,000 brictcs wi be used in the construction. About 4OTU work people will be employed, either directly or indirectly, on the building. An important part is that popular; prices Will be charged. It is expected t that the charge'.for bed and. breakfast will be . from 5s to 7s 6d a night... /The. hotel will cost more than a nuLion ~ pounds. ' .. ~ ' w .e: The owners of the site on the North. . - Shore are the Harvey Estates, Ltd., of which Sir Arthur du Cros. is the chairman, and Mr. W. Craven J? Ellis, M.P., the secretary. The architects,, for the hotel are Mr. Herbert W. Matthews, F.R.1.8.A., and Mr. F. J. F.R.1.8.A. Mr. Francis Wood, the borough engineer, of Blackpool, will be responsible for the corporation baths. Summer is .ifcth us. Drink Sykes’. Umon Squash. The taste is delicious. ■