We bid a fond farewell to the members of the #RoyalTour today – a wonderful group of people with a shared passion for that most iconic of Britsh luxury cars, the Aston Martin.
The group of 12 couples, drawn from as far afield as Aberdeen and Cornwall (and everywhere in-between), stayed with us at the Queens Hotel and toured the area visiting local attractions such as Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the Mary Rose Museum, Spinnaker Tower, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and the Goodwood Estate.
Organiser Jim Spry is a proud owner of a 1977 V8 Coupe and explained: “We are a group of friends who met through our shared passion for Aston Martin and we first met at the 100th anniversary tour in 2013.
“Since then we have organised annual get togethers and we have even been to New Zealand where one of the couples lives.”
The group spent the last night of their visit dining on board HMS Warrior and all agreed they had enjoyed their visit to the UK’s only island city.
“We’ve had a great time and really enjoyed staying at the Queens – the food has been wonderful,” said Jim.
When it came to creating the perfect entrance to our re-styled garden, we knew immediately who we should call on to make our set of gates.
The team at Peter Clutterbuck’s Design Blacksmiths are based just a stones throw from the Queens Hotel and their distinctive work can be seen across the city.
They were responsible for making the bandstand on Southsea seafront and the beautiful statue at Daedalus airfield as well as many other examples of gates and railings across the city and beyond.
Garden designer Lorien Loten, said: “We are so lucky to have Peter and the team on our doorstep and when it came to creating an eye-catching set of gates for the garden, they were number one on our list.
“They were able to interpret exactly what we wanted and turn the drawings into a reality,” she said.
The gate is being fashioned by hand from mild steel and it will take a month to complete the construction.
“Being so close to the Queens Hotel, it was nice to be able to create the gates for the garden. It’s such a lovely design by Nigel Searle and we really enjoy working on projects like this,” said John Duffield, who has been working on the gates with Patrick Mannerings.
Helping the Beatles to escape a throng of screaming girls by letting them access the Queens Hotel via the back entrance is just one of the fun memories Maureen Main has of her time as Head Housekeeper in the swinging sixties.
Six decades after she worked at the hotel, her daughter Vanessa arranged for her mum to take a trip down memory lane and have lunch at the place she remembered so fondly.
When the management team heard about Maureen’s close association with the hotel, they invited her back for afternoon tea and a tour that included visiting a refurbished bedroom and meeting Isis Spicer, who stepped into Maureen’s housekeeping shoes.
“I started working here at the end of 1961 until early 1964 when I left to get married and ended up taking on hotel management roles all over the country. I absolutely loved working at the Queens and the memories of my time here have never left me,”
recalled Maureen.
“The owners were called Mr and Mrs Harris and they had a suite of rooms on the first floor. Mrs Harris was a stickler for cleanliness and I remember her putting on her white gloves to check for dust – even running her fingers over the mattress springs to check they were clean,”
The hotel welcomed many stars through the door and Maureen had an autograph book where she collected signatures, sadly it is long lost but the memories remain.
Maureen happily recounted tales of meeting the Fab Four.
“They were such nice boys – so young and so polite. Outside on Osborne Road there were screaming girls of my age stopping the traffic trying to get into the hotel and my colleagues and I had to help Paul, John, George and Ringo to get into the back of the hotel unscathed – it was a magical time.
“Cliff Richard and the Everley Brothers also stayed
“I can remember when the comedy genius Tony Hancock stayed that he insisted on having all his meals in his room. He was a very private person and didn’t want to be around other people,” said Maureen.
Her weekly wage was only £4.50 but Maureen said she always felt rich and just loved the buzz of working at the hotel.
“There was always so much going on and living in-house up on the fourth floor, it sometimes seemed like I didn’t have a day off but I absolutely loved it.
“There was a lady called Mrs Hurt who lived at the hotel and she once gave me a blue dish as a gift and said she hoped I would have a happy life. Every time I look at it, I remember my time at the Queens,”
she said.
Returning to the hotel for her tour, Maureen was delighted to meet staff members and happily chatted about the good old days.
“The Queens Hotel truly is the grand old dame of Southsea. She has kept her authenticity and you can tell the team who are working here now really love to be associated with the Queens,”
she said.
If you used to work at the Queens Hotel and you have a story to tell, we would love to hear from you. Please email info@queenshotelportsmouth.com
The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Portsmouth have presented the Queens Hotel with a Freedom of the City certificate in recognition of the community work carried out during the first Covid lockdown.
This work saw the hotel cooking up to 600 meals a week and delivering them to vulnerable people. The hotel also welcomed frontline NHS staff who stayed at the hotel during the first wave of the pandemic.
Head chef at Gunwharf Quays Brasserie Blanc, Anghel Niko Nedelcu, joined forces with Queens Hotel Managing Director , Farid Yeganeh, to create up to 600 meals every week. General Manager, Chris Gilmore, and Head Chef, Paul Playford, from the hotel’s sister establishment, the Royal Beach, also joined them.
Thousands of pounds were donated to ensure the meals could be created for those most in need. Suppliers and city based companies such as PMC Construction and Southsea butchers, Buckwells, also donated to the cause.
Farid explained: “None of us could just sit back and wait. We wanted to help in a practical way and we are really enjoying cooking for our community.”
“The meals prepared at the Queens Hotel were really special. Receiving one was such a treat,” said Clare Martin, Director of Community Projects at Portsmouth Football Club.
Her team of volunteers worked with the strategic partnership of the HIVE Portsmouth to deliver meals and food parcels to the vulnerable.
“One person burst into tears when our volunteer arrived with food for them; they were so delighted.”
Commenting on the Freedom of the City honour, Farid added: “We are delighted to be recognised in this way for the work we did. We see ourselves as the hotel at the heart of Southsea and this has underlined that position.”
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We are really excited to be the home of Portsmouth and South Coast Business Week from April 25 -29.
The Queens Hotel will host the launch event, Shaping Portsmouth’s Business Leaders Conference and Facebook live sessions throughout the week with the Editor of Portsmouth News, Mark Waldron.
Our event spaces are perfect for gatherings large and small. We can host everything from boardroom meetings, training sessions, networking and conferences.
Head of Sales, Marketing & Events, Nicole Morris, said: “We look forward to welcoming the business community through our doors.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase what the Queens Hotel can offer when it comes to hosting business events.”
Aaron Butson, Assistant Principal for Work-Based Learning at HSDC and Chair of the Portsmouth Business Strategy Group, said: “The Portsmouth and South Coast business week returns this year with the aim of celebrating businesses across Portsmouth and the wider area.
“As Chair of Hampshire Chamber’s Portsmouth Business Strategy Group, I am absolutely delighted that this year we can do a whole timetable of live physical events right across the city. After last year when everything had to be online, what a delight to get people together once again.
“We are thrilled that the Queens Hotel is going to host Portsmouth and South Coast business week.”
If you are planning a business event, contact our events team at the Queens Hotel on events@queenshotelportsmouth.co.uk
Three time Paralympian Lauren Steadman celebrated her Tokyo 2021 gold medal win at the Queens Hotel. She was joined by friends, family and dignitaries who helped her on the road to success.
We welcomed Lauren and 130 guests for afternoon tea, including children from local schools. In the evening, we transformed the Elizabeth Room for a grand Masquerade ball for 150 guests.
Lauren explained how the idea for the celebration came about and why she chose the Queens Hotel.
“I was chatting with the alumni team at the University of Portsmouth and talking about winning the gold medal. I told them I hadn’t been able to celebrate with everyone, and they said they would love to get involved.
“The afternoon tea was an opportunity to celebrate what the city has done to enable me to get the gold.
“The Queens Hotel is right at the heart of the city. If you are going to choose a venue it has just the right element of grandness. We were able to transform the Elizabeth Room for the black and gold masked ball this evening.
“I have invited friends and family. It’s a chance to have some fun and put on a glamorous dress.
“It will be a night for everyone,” she said.
Please check our Instagram and Facebook for more photos and videos.
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Anyone walking past the Queens Hotel recently might have spied that something major is happening in our garden.
Being in the fortunate position of having such a glorious outdoor space for guests and visitors to enjoy, we wanted to make the most of our garden so everyone can fully enjoy it.
We have called on designer Lorien Loten from Garden Angel to work her magic on the grounds and her design will see the creation of 15 garden pods with Mediterranean style planting where you and your friends can unwind and enjoy special times. In 2001 Lorien created her own business with just 1 van and a couple pieces of equipment. Today, she is the proud owner of a successful business. We are thrilled to be working with Lorien, and we cannot wait to see the fruits of her labours in our garden.
Each of the pods will be booked via our events team and you can enjoy food and drink from our garden menu.
We will have more information to share in the coming weeks – keep an eye on our social media for updates.
To launch our year of regal events to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, we held ‘a right royal’ tea party for little princes and princesses to enjoy during the half-term break.
We welcomed 130 people to the hotel and if the squeals of delight were anything to go by, the young people who came along clearly loved to meet their Disney heroes including princesses Elsa, Moana and Belle.
The Queens Hotel already has a wonderful reputation for creating a fabulous afternoon tea experience but we really rolled out the red carpet so mums and dads could have a totally magical time with their little ones.
King Charles and our Fairy Godmother welcomed families and every child received a glittering tiara or crown.
As well as being a teatime treat, the afternoon was a feast for the eyes with balloon decorations and sparkles on the tables and a balloon feature wall for photos with the princesses.
While they tucked into sandwiches and cakes, the youngsters enjoyed activity packs on the table.
Events Manager Nicole Morris, said: “It was wonderful to see the children having such a great time and we look forward to having more events like this soon.
“The afternoon tea for princes and princesses was just the start of our year of events to mark the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and we will have more information circulating soon.”
Each child left with a goody bag and big smile on their face – thank you to all the families who came along.
When it comes to being bold with colour, Southsea stylist Roxanne Morris certainly isn’t afraid of making a statement.
While most of her time is taken up with styling for magazine shoots and music videos, Roxanne loves nothing more than working with businesses in her hometown to create colourful content for her social media.
She recently came to the Queens Hotel and used the public areas as a stunning backdrop for her own personal fashion shoot.
“I really want to encourage people to have fun with colour and to not feel daunted by it. I’m hoping that I can share ideas of how they can wear the clothes they already own and inspire them with a bit of a fashion boost,” said Roxanne.
Roxanne is a former accountant who decided to turn her back on figures in favour of a life of fashion. She ran ran Rokii in Albert Road for several years before taking the business online.
She has always loved colour and the psychology behind how colour makes us feel.
“I do have a few items of black clothing but I don’t wear it much. If I do, I use it as an accent. At one time, black was only worn for mourning. I think it’s a shame that so many women hide behind wearing black.
“Life is too short to always wear black. We’ve got a whole spectrum of colour out there and I want women to have fun with it,” she said.
Talking about returning to Portsmouth to live, Roxanne explained. “I love being able to spread my time between London and Southsea, especially as I became a mother and my daughter was 9 weeks old when we went into the first lockdown.
“I am 41 years old and I want to show women they can have fun with fashion whatever their age. I don’t use any filters – what you see is what you get.
“It’s important to make what you see on social media more real so people can relate to it.”
To launch our year of regal events to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, we’ve got a right royal tea party planned for you and your little princes and princesses.
It’s the perfect way to create a magical memory for you and your family this half-term. There will be plenty to keep your little ones amused.
The Queens Hotel already has a wonderful reputation for creating a fabulous afternoon tea experience. Now, we are rolling out the red carpet so parents can experience a magical time with their little ones.
On Wednesday February 23, King Charles will welcome you and your family. Our very own Fairy Godmother will ensure every prince and princess has a wonderful time.
She will be ably assisted by princesses Elsa, Moana, Rapunzel and Belle. Together, they will perform a coronation ceremony for each child as they arrive and will give out tiaras.
As well as being a teatime treat, the afternoon will be a feast for the eyes too. We will have balloon decorations and sparkles on the tables. We’ll also have a balloon feature wall for photos with the princesses and our very own Fairy Godmother.
While they tuck into sandwiches and cakes, the youngsters can enjoy activity packs on the table.
As if that wasn’t enough, each child will leave with a goody bag. Ask our events team about VIP packages for princes and princesses to enjoy a birthday party treat. Mums and dads pay £25 and £15 per child.
There will be two parties taking place from 12pm to 2pm and from 2.30pm to 4,30pm.
To book email events@queenshotelportsmouth.com