The Queens Hotel on City Square has welcomed generations of visitors including Princess Grace of Monaco, Cary Grant and Nelson Mandela. It was built using two million bricks and 40,000 cubic feet of Portland Stone and opened in 1937 and is thought to be the first ever hotel with en-suite facilities. It underwent a major refurbishment in 2021, receiving a £16 million makeover that included a transformation of the hotel's rooms, event spaces, and ground floor. These photos, the majority plucked from the YEP archive, showcase how the 232 bedroom hotel has been at the heart of the city’s hospitality down the decades. READ MORE: Memories of the Leeds landmark which points the way LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia
2. 1930s
The construction site for the Queens Hotel is pictured in this aerial photo from July 1936. The aerial view shows Park Row, Bishopgate Street, Wellington Street and Post Office Road. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net
4. 1930s
Prices started at 10s 6d for a single room with bath when it opened in 1937. | YPN Photo: YPN
6. 1940s
Leeds City Tramways Shelter outside the Queens Hotel on a grey December day in 1946. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net