Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2014 | Page 116

The Royal retains its popularity
The Royal Hotel is one of Ventnor’s most
prominent buildings, and a popular haunt
for locals and visitors alike.
The Royal was built in 1832 as an Inn to
accommodate visitors seeking to benefit
from the special climate and air that
Ventnor was well known for.
Originally called Ventnor Hotel, the Royal
was run by John Fisher from 1833 to 1841.
In 1844 the hotel was kept by a Mr Keatly,
and Queen Victoria took refreshment there
before visiting Steephill Castle. Between
1873 and 1885 the Royal underwent
extensive refurbishment, including part of
the building being raised one storey higher
on the left wing, which gave an addition
of fifteen large bedrooms, a reading room
and public dining room. The interior was
thoroughly modernised and refurbished.
The Royal then changed hands a number
of times in the late 1800s and early 1900s,
and continued to flourish until Dr.
Beeching axed the railways on the Island,
and visitors became fewer and fewer, So in
1982 it was decided to close the hotel for
the winter period, apart from the Christmas
festivities. This was the first time in 150

years the doors had been closed.
William Bailey bought the hotel in the
summer of 1994, and after putting in a lot
of hard work the Royal has gradually been
turned back into the beautiful and majestic
‘Royal’ hotel it once was. It has undergone

extensive refurbishment and become one of
the Island’s top hotels, carrying two AA Red
Rosettes for outstanding cuisine and various
awards for quality and service. It was also
the first hotel on the Isle of Wight to be
awarded four stars from the AA.