The Imperial Hydro (later Majestic) Hotel St Anne’s on the Sea
The hotel opened in 1910 and was re-named the Majestic in 1920. It was demolished in 1975
ABRIDGED PROSPECTUS – The company has been formed to acquire for an under-lease term of 999 years from 1 March 1874 a plot of land containing 8,756 square yards, at a yearly rental of £87, bounded by Clifton Drive North, St Anne’s Road West, and the North Promenade, St Anne’s on the Sea, and to erect and equip thereon the building to be known as “The Imperial Hydro Hotel, St Anne’s-on-the-Sea.”
The site acquired by the Company was at the corner of St Anne’s Road West and the North Promenade, close to the pier and within easy distance of the railway station and golf links. It had been set apart for an hotel by the St Anne’s Building and Land Company and had a frontage of 364 feet towards the North Promenade and 226 feet towards St Anne’s Road West. The proposed hotel comprised a splendid reception hall; a central hall or lounge; large dining hall with seating for about 250 persons at separate tables; private sitting rooms, reading and writing rooms, drawing room; billiard room and smoke-room; ballroom and theatre with a stage and three dressing rooms; also a complete suite of hydropathic baths. There was to be bedroom accommodation for about 250 guests. Separate lavatories, wc’s and bathrooms were provided on each floor.A special feature was the roof garden on the flat roof with extensive views over land and sea. There was also to be a sea-water swimming bath, 36 feet by 24 feet, which was to be opened to the public during parts of the day
IMPERIAL HYDRO. ST. ANNES-ON-SEA. - Plans have been adopted for the construction of a magnificent hydro at this Lancashire watering place. The site is at the corner of St. Annes Road West and the North Promenade. It has a frontage of 214 feet towards St. Annes Road West. and a frontage of 352 feet towards the North Promenade. It has an area within its own boundary of 7,481 square yards. Situated as it is. close to the Pier. and within easy distance of the railway station and the golf links, with its greatest length fronting the sea and facing south-west. It will be seen that it is admirable in every respect. The building line towards North Promenade is placed 75 feet from the public footpath. and towards St. Annes Road West 60 feet. ensuring ample space for tennis courts, ornamental grounds, etc. [Irish Times - Wednesday 5 February 1908
NEW ST. ANNES HYDRO - We understand that the directors of the above-named hydro have placed the contract for its erection in the hands of Messrs Tinline. The cost will be upwards of £21,000 and the hydro is expected to be ready for opening about next Easter. The architects are Messrs. D. and J. Mould. of London and Bury. Messrs Tinline have also secured the contract for the Red Lion Hotel, Rochdale. [Bury Times - Saturday 29 May 1909 page 12]
IMPERIAL HYDRO HOTEL. ST. ANNES - The building has a frontage of 214 feet towards St. Annes Road West, the frontage to the Promenade will be 352 feet. and the area will be 7,481 square yards. The Hydro will possess many advantages over well-established hydro’s paying dividends of 15 to 3D per cent. There will be ample apace for Tennis Courts and ornamental grounds, and an agreement had been come to by which the refusal of the adjoining is secured to the Company for five years. The main entrance will be in St Annes Road West and will be approached by a flight of steps 10 feet wide. under a glazed awning giving access to a corridor 10 feet wide, from which the manager’s rooms and office will branch off, and the reception and central hall will give access to all the rooms and staircases on the ground floor. The central hall or Lounge is 71 feet long by 42 ft. 6 in. wide and has an arcade of columns on all four sides, and it will be lighted from each end and from the top. The central portion will run through three floors as a circular well in the centre 11 feet in diameter, gives light to the basement hall, and an arcade balcony runs around it at the first-floor level on to which all sitting rooms and bedrooms on this floor will have an entrance. The height of the central hall will be 28 feet from the ground floor to the ceiling and from the basement floor this height will be 40 feet to the ceiling.
The dining hall will be placed at the end of the lounge furthest from the main entrance. It will have an extreme length of 80 feet and an extreme width of 54 feet with two fine bays in addition and well-lighted from two sides, most of the windows facing the sea. About 230 persons will be able to dine at once at appropriate tables. A servery and still room will adjoin the dining hall. The orchestra will be placed in a gallery over the end of the dining hall. The billiard and smoke-room will have ample room for two tables being 37 feet by 32 feet and cut off from the central hall by well-lighted corridors, with bar attached. The ballroom and theatre will have its main floor in the basement. The dimensions will be 80 feet by 46 feet with a stage measuring 38 feet by 19 feet in addition. The stage will be provided with three dressing rooms. Its height from main floor to ceiling will be 30 feet and the width of the stage opening 22 feet. There will also be two spacious sitting rooms, or they can be used as part of the lounge, and the reading and writing vroom is entered from the reception hall, while the drawing room will be next to the reading room with dimensions of 40 feet by 20 feet.
The hydropathic section of the hotel has been carefully arranged and will be entered from the central hall on the basement floor, adjacent to the lift, stairway to ground floor, and promenade entrance, well away from the entertaining rooms and yet accessible to all. There will be hot rooms of graded temperatures, shampooing room, with slabs douches, needle baths, lavatory and cooling rooms. The plunge bath is ti be 12 yards long.
Every care has been taken to obtain the maximum number of bedrooms of varying sizes. The largest rooms will measure 20 feet by 13 feet 6 inches, with bay in addition, and the other rooms measuring 16 feet by 13 feet, 16 feet by 12, and 10 by 9. Some of the rooms have been arranged en suite. On the first floor will be 32 bedrooms, second floor 37; third floor 37 with an equal number on the fourth floor, making a total number of 143. Each floor will have four sitting rooms and three bathrooms. The grand staircase, which will be seven feet wide, and another 4 feet 6 inches wide, will be fireproof and the lift for visitors will give access to all floors, including basement and the roof from the reception hall.
Provision will be made for a second-class bar entirely cut off from the hotel proper, with an entrance outside the hotel grounds and measures 30 feet by 16 feet. On the basement floor provision is provided for spacious kitchens, sculleries, wine and beer cellars, ice house, meat and game larders, plate closet, dairy, fish cellars, etc. with the usual apparatus for conveniently conducting the work of such an establishment, with chef’s room and separate male and female sitting rooms.
A great feature of the hydro will be the flat roof gardens, access to which will be gained by two lifts and three staircases. The total length will be about 270 feet by 34 feet wide. Here it is intended to provide for trees and plants in vases and a band stand. In the centre of the roof will be a spacious pavilion with glass roof, the whole forming an ideal winter garden as well as shelter during inclement weather.
The whole building will have ample provision made for lighting, ventilating and warming, but no bedroom will be without a fireplace. An endeavour has been made to produce a homely and inviting appearance, with freedom and cheerfulness as well as to combine economy with effectiveness. [Fleetwood Express - Saturday 08 February 1908 page 5]
Reference Manchester Guardian 12 February 1908 page 6 – prospectus
Reference Fleetwood Express - Saturday 8 February 1908 page 5 with illustration
Reference Bury Times - Saturday 29 May 1909 page 12
Reference Irish Times - Wednesday 5 February 1908
