Royal Albion Hotel: Building 'dangerously unstable' after fire

The Royal Albion Hotel is in a state of collapse, the leader of Brighton and Hove council says

A fire at a 200-year-old hotel in Brighton has left the building "dangerously unstable".

The blaze at the Regency-style Royal Albion Hotel - which overlooks Brighton Pier - broke out on 15 July.

About 100 people were forced to leave the surrounding area and find alternative accommodation.

Bella Sankey, the leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: "The scale, seriousness and complexity of the huge operation was astonishing."

Following a visit to the site, she said: "The ruined section of the hotel is dangerously unstable and the team are having to demolish a structure which is already in a state of collapse.

"It's vital that people keep away from the area while the area is made safe and secure," she added.

"I was really impressed by the professionalism and skill shown by the team on the ground in managing the demolition.

"They have a plan in place to make sure they remove the sections that are the most vulnerable and unsafe while doing everything they can to salvage and scan heritage features."

The history of the Royal Albion Hotel

The oldest, and least damaged part of the hotel was the original Albion Hotel, built in 1836. This part is Grade II* listed.

The western section dates from the late 1850s and was known as the Lion Mansion Hotel. This is Grade II listed.

Between the two hotels were two lodging houses built in the mid-1840s. In 1938 they became Louis Tussaud's Waxworks. When this closed in 1979, the building was restored with a similar appearance to the original and, like Lion Mansion, was absorbed into the Royal Albion.

Source: Regency Society of Brighton and Hove

The Regency Society of Brighton and Hove described the building as of "unusual significance", given its prominent location in the city.

Sussex Police launched an investigation into the fire at the 219-bedroom hotel.

Part of the building is Grade II*-listed by English Heritage and suffered a previous fire in November 1998.

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