05/06/2026
Friday is the day for fun facts!!
The Grand Hotel in Scarborough is one of the town’s most iconic landmarks — a huge, dramatic Victorian building perched above South Bay, famous for its ambitious design, colourful history, and later decline.
It opened in 1867 as one of the largest and most luxurious hotels in Europe, designed by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.
The Grand was conceived in the 1860s when Scarborough was booming as a fashionable spa resort. A group of Yorkshire businessmen wanted a hotel so impressive it would rival Europe’s finest. Brodrick delivered exactly that:
A V-shaped building honouring Queen Victoria.
Four towers for the seasons
12 floors for the months
52 chimneys for the weeks
Originally 365 bedrooms, one for each day of the year.
At its opening, it was the largest brick building in Europe and a symbol of Victorian ambition.
From the late 1800s to early 20th century, the Grand was the place to stay in Scarborough.
It hosted:
Winston Churchill
Ramsay MacDonald
The future Edward VIII
It became central to Scarborough’s social scene, especially during the cricket festival, and even survived being shelled by German forces in 1914.
During WWII, the hotel housed RAF trainees and even had anti-aircraft guns mounted on its towers. After the war, it reopened in 1947 following refurbishment.
