The central part of the Royal Exeter Hotel was the first private house in Bournemouth. Built by Lewis Tregonwell, who is considered to be the founder of the town, the house had uninterrupted views of the sea with gardens that led down to the shore.

The Manor

Lewis and Henrietta Tregonwell were recovering from the death of their baby son Grosvenor, who had tragically died after a mix-up with his medicine. Lewis brought Henrietta to see the view from the heathland and she felt so cheered that she suggested building a summer residence here.

They moved into ‘The Manor’ in April 1812. Later the Tregonwells moved into a smaller thatched cottage, Portman Lodge, originally built for their butler. They lived there while renting out the bigger house to Elizabeth Anne, the Marchioness of Exeter. 

Transformation into a hotel

In the mid 1800s, following the deaths of the Tregonwells, The Manor became a school before being leased by Nicholas Newlyn, who opened it as ‘Newlyn’s Family Hotel’.

It was his son Henry, an experienced London hotelier, who upgraded it and turned it into a glamorous top end establishment. In 1887 he marked Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee by adding the square tower, with decorative crowns set on the four corners, and renaming the establishment ‘Newlyn’s Royal Exeter Park Hotel’.

In 1888, the glamorous Empress Elisabeth of Austria arrived with her entourage for a week’s stay, renting all the rooms to avoid public attention. She enjoyed her visit so much that she gave permission for the hotel to fly her standard every Sunday.

How to get here

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