News / Hotels
Bristol hotel celebrates 50th anniversary
A hotel which was once the largest in Bristol is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre has welcomed many famous faces over the years, including Princess Diana, Muhammad Ali, Margaret Thatcher and Terry Wogan.
The hotel on Redcliffe Way marked its golden milestone with a celebration reception, at which a cake was cut by Peaches Golding, the lord lieutenant of Bristol, using her ceremonial sword.
DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary – photo: Focus Hotels
Speaking at the event, general manager Imran Ali said: “Ultimately, the hotel is just bricks and mortar. It’s the team members who are the soul of this business.”
The hotel’s team have more than 350 years’ experience between them, with the current longest-serving staff member having been there for 36 years.
Ali added: “We are proud to have reached this milestone and very much look forward to being a major part of Bristol’s hospitality sector for many, many, years to come.”
Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher visited the hotel in June 1981 – photo: George Gallop Archive with permission from Knowle West Media Centre
Muhammad Ali checked in the hotel in 1979 – photo: George Gallop Archive with permission from Knowle West Media Centre
Princess Diana attended a dinner at the hotel for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in 1985 – photo: George Gallop Archive with permission from Knowle West Media Centre
The hotel, which is managed by Focus Hotels, first opened its doors as the Dragonara Hotel in April 1973.
When it first opened, it was Bristol’s largest hotel and soon established itself as a key venue in the city’s social scene, hosting many international events.
In the 1970s and 80s, it hosted casino nights and beauty contests, as well as social meals in its restaurant housed in a 17th-century glass kiln.
In 1982, the hotel was the place where Bristol City FC’s Ashton Gate Eight agreed to tear up their contracts in order to save the club.
Main photo: DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre
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