Vintage Views with Aled Jones: The grand Alexandra Hotel pictured from the sea in 1906
A much grander scene than the seafront today! This magnificent building was demolished in 1976, because the roof and top floor of the structure had become unsafe.
This picture shows the Alexandra Hotel from the sea in 1906. It’s stood in four acres of pleasure grounds, sloping down to the beach. The site of the sprawling hotel is now occupied by luxury retirement apartments.
The Alex Hotel was opened in 1866 and once dominated the North Bay of Bridlington. The architect was William Baldwin Stewart of Scarborough who later designed Scarborough Town Hall (1869-70). The new hotel provided accommodation for 400 guests and was “one of the most beautiful of modern structures to be found in any of the sea-bathing places of the east coast.”
The hotel was built on Sewerby Terrace (later re-named Alexandra Drive) beside that previously existing row. The houses here were used as fine lodgings, each accommodating 12-15 guests.
This postcard, issued by the hotel’s owner as advertising to send out to prospective guests, carries the message: “May 31st, 1906. In answer to your telegram we are now quite ready for visitors and have still several Rooms vacant for Whitsuntide.”
The publicity card, which captures the beauty of the place in the Edwardian period, is signed with initials JG – attributable to John Graves, a proprietor of the hotel.
The establishment’s chief draw for guests is that it was here that they could enjoy hydropathical facilities such as seaweed baths and vapour baths.
Living up to its name, the Alexandra “Hydro Hotel” offered a curative health experience as much as a top luxury getaway.
It’s sad to think that one of the finest hotels in England was allowed to fall into a derelict state of repair - with no hope of the Listed protection its history and architecture so richly deserved. Not surprisingly, there was a public outcry when the Borough Council refused to intervene and save it.
Today, the steps down to the seafront and beach, still as impressive as ever, are all that remains of the Alex Hotel, once the jewel in Bridlington’s crown.