Birmingham New Street Station: lnwrbns_str1864

View of the Queen's & North Western Hotel viewed from Stephenson Place showing the General Enquiry Offices at the front by the main entrance in 1885. The large lamps sited above each column are still evident in this view indicating that the coloured photograph was taken after this photograph. The building to the right of the gates was the LNWR's General Enquiry Office operated by H Gaze & Sons whose advertising on the doors and windows describe themselves as Tourist Agents. Above the windows which are covered at the bottom by posters advertising excursions and places to visit including Derby, are the words Parcels and Excursion Office.

Due to the lack of space at the new station the hotel had to be built on the land designated for the station building and was originally referred to as the Grand Central Hotel. As with the station it was designed by J W Livock. Richard states that when built the hotel was given the name the Queen's Hotel after both the nearby Queens Street and to perpetuate the name of the hotel at Curzon Street, which it replaced. In June 1872, the hotel name was changed to the North Western (Queen's) Hotel in response to a threat of new hotel being built opposite adopting the LNWR name. This hotel eventually adopted the name the Midland Hotel although it had no association with the Midland Railway. Soon afterwards the LNWR hotel adopted the name the Queen's & North Western Hotel which it carried until 1928 when it was changed to its original and simpler name of the Queen's Hotel.

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