Belmond Reid's Palace

Last updated
Belmond Reid's Palace
Reid's Palace Hotel, September 2009.jpg
View looking up to the main hotel building from the swimming pool.
Belmond Reid's Palace
General information
Location Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Coordinates 32°38′26″N16°55′27″W / 32.64056°N 16.92417°W / 32.64056; -16.92417
OpeningNovember 1891
Owner Belmond Ltd.
Management Belmond Ltd.
Design and construction
Architect(s) George Somers Clarke & John Thomas Micklethwaite
DeveloperWilliam Reid
Other information
Number of rooms128
Number of suites35
Website
www.reidspalace.com

Belmond Reid's Palace (a.k.a. Reid's Palace) is a historic hotel located to the west of Funchal Bay in Madeira, Portugal, in an imposing position looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. [1] [2] The hotel has sloping gardens. [3] The hotel's complex include more than 40,000 square meters of space designed as a subtropical botanical garden.

Contents

Early colour photograph of Reid's Hotel and the surrounding landscape from Funchal, Madeira, by Sarah Angelina Acland, c. 1910 Reid's Hotel and Surrounding Landscape, from Funchal, Madeira, by Sarah Angelina Acland, c.1910.jpg
Early colour photograph of Reid's Hotel and the surrounding landscape from Funchal, Madeira, by Sarah Angelina Acland, c.1910

History

William Reid, the son of a Scottish crofter, originally arrived in Madeira in 1836. [4] He hired out quintas to wealthy invalids and moved on to hotels, but died before his Reid's hotel was completed. [5] [6]

The hotel was designed by the architects George Somers Clarke and John Thomas Micklethwaite. [1] Reid’s two sons, William (Willy) and Alfred, brought their father’s project to fruition and the doors to Reid's Palace opened in November 1891, [7] as the New Hotel, later became the New Palace Hotel, then Reid's Palace or just "Reid's". [8] It was a luxury retreat combining Edwardian elegance with the latest comforts of the day. [5] [7]

The pioneer colour photographer Sarah Angelina Acland (1849–1930) stayed at the hotel during the early 20th century and took many photographs in and around the location of the hotel. [8] The hotel had a darkroom for use by guests.

Famous guests over the years have included General Fulgencio Batista, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, David Lloyd George, Worshipful Brother James Thompson and Lady Lynne Thompson, deposed emperor Karl von Habsburg, Józef Piłsudski, Roger Moore, Gregory Peck, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, the missionary Albert Schweitzer, and dramatist George Bernard Shaw. [4]

The Cinema Museum in London has film from 1936 of the hotel and its guests. [9]

Reid's is particularly known for its tradition of serving afternoon tea on the terrace. [10] [11]

The hotel was acquired by Orient-Express Hotels Ltd., which changed its name to Belmond Ltd. on 10 March 2014. At that time the hotel changed its name to Belmond Reid's Palace. [12]

Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) purchased Belmond Ltd., the 40-year-old company that owns (inter alia) Belmond Reid's Palace, [7] in a €2.8 billion deal which closed in April 2019 in a $3.2 billion final transaction. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Orient Express was a long-distance passenger luxury train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe, with terminal stations in Paris in the northwest and Istanbul in the southeast, and branches extending service to Athens, Brussels, and London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Town, Oxford</span> Human settlement in England

Park Town is a small residential area in central North Oxford, a suburb of Oxford, England. It was one of the earliest planned suburban developments in the area and most of the houses are Grade II listed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rundle Street</span> Street in Adelaide, South Australia

Rundle Street, often referred to as "Rundle Street East" as distinct from Rundle Mall, is a street in the East End of the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs from Pulteney Street to East Terrace, where it becomes Rundle Road through the East Park Lands. The street is close to Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Rundle Park, Rymill Park, Hindmarsh Square and North Terrace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons</span> Restaurant in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons is a luxury hotel-restaurant in the village of Great Milton near Oxford, in Oxfordshire, England. It is situated in a 15th-century manor house, near a church that was visited by Oliver Cromwell, In March 2014 the company owning the restaurant introduced a new brand name, Belmond and the hotel changed its name to "Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons". In December 2018 Belmond was acquired by LVMH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardens, Cape Town</span> Inner-city suburb of Cape Town in Western Cape, South Africa

Gardens is an affluent inner-city suburb of Cape Town located just to the south of the city centre located in the higher elevations of the "City Bowl" and directly beneath Table Mountain and Lion's Head. It is home to several national museums such as Iziko South African National Gallery and the Iziko South African Museum. The University of Cape Town also houses its Fine Arts department in the suburb, at Michaelis School of Fine Art. Company's Garden, South Africa's oldest garden, a public park and heritage site is a focal point of the suburb. The area is also home to the oldest synagogue in Southern Africa, the Old Shul and its successor, the Gardens Shul, "The Mother Synagogue of South Africa."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Limited</span> Hotel and leisure company

Belmond Ltd. is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide. In 2015, the company had 35 deluxe hotels, 7 tourist trains, 3 river cruises and restaurants in 22 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Hotel Cipriani</span> Building in Venice, Italy

The Belmond Hotel Cipriani is a deluxe hotel on the island of Giudecca in Venice, northern Italy. It is reached by hotel launch from St Mark's Square, a five-minute journey across the lagoon. Long considered one of the leading luxury hotels of the world, its room rates begin at USD $1,400 per night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Villa San Michele</span> Luxury hotel in Florence, Italy

The Belmond Villa San Michele is a hotel situated on the hill of Fiesole overlooking Florence, Italy. It is named after the church of St Michael the Archangel. Today it is owned by Belmond Ltd. and is operated as a luxury hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inn at Perry Cabin</span>

Inn at Perry Cabin is a hotel in St. Michaels, Maryland, USA. The building dates back to the colonial era and the site was one of the original land grants from the English Crown to the New World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Hotel Splendido</span> Hotel in Portofino, Italy

The Belmond Hotel Splendido is a hotel in Portofino, Italy. The site was formerly home to a Benedictine monastery which was ransacked so many times by Saracen pirates that the monks abandoned it in the 16th century. The four-storey high building subsequently fell into disrepair. In the 19th century the property was purchased by Italian aristocrat Baron Baratta, who renovated and converted it into a family summer house. In 1901 the building was purchased by Ruggero Valentini who transformed it into a hotel which opened in 1902. Since its inception, the hotel has played host to various famous people and noble families. The 1950s witnessed the discovery of Portofino by American visitors who made the hotel their accommodation of choice. Among the visitors from this time to the present have been the Duke of Windsor, Winston Churchill and Rex Harrison.in 1952, Clark Gable in 1953, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Groucho Marx and Ava Gardner in 1954, Fredric March in 1955, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in 1967. Christopher Plummer in 1971. Italian President of Republic Giuseppe Saragat in 1971. The whole Families of Counts Agusta in 1965. Valentina Cortese 1965.

Belmond Hotel Caruso is a hotel located in the hill town of Ravello, near Amalfi in southern Italy.

<i>John Ruskin</i> (Millais) Painting by John Everett Millais

John Ruskin is a portrait of the leading Victorian art critic John Ruskin (1819–1900). It was painted by the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais (1829–1896) during 1853–54. John Ruskin was an early advocate of the Pre-Raphaelite group of artists and part of their success was due to his efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Angelina Acland</span> English photographer (1849–1930)

Sarah Angelina "Angie" Acland was an English amateur photographer, known for her portraiture and as a pioneer of colour photography. She was credited by her contemporaries with inaugurating colour photography "as a process for the travelling amateur", by virtue of the photographs she took during two visits to Gibraltar in 1903 and 1904.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funchal Bay</span>

Funchal Bay is a large bay opposite the main city of Funchal on the island of Madeira, located in the North Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Morocco in north Africa. Funchal has its harbour within the bay.

Belmond El Encanto is a hotel in Santa Barbara, California. It was established during the early 1900s as the El Encanto Hotel, when it was popular with artists of the plein air school, celebrities and the "carriage trade" from the East Coast. Guests during the early days of Hollywood included Hedy Lamarr, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.

Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo is a hotel located at the centre of Taormina in Sicily, adjacent to the Greek Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel</span> Luxury hotel at the centre of Cape Town in a garden estate

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is a luxury hotel situated in the Gardens neighbourhood in inner-city Cape Town in a garden estate overlooked by Table Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid</span> Hotel in Madrid, Spain

The Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid is a historic five star Belle Époque hotel in Madrid, Spain at No. 5 in Retiro district, next to the Prado Museum. Opened in 1910, it is owned and managed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. The hotel's façade is a listed national monument.

Belmond Jimbaran Puri is a resort hotel located directly on the beach at Jimbaran Bay in Bali, Indonesia. Jimbaran is a fishing village and tourist resort, close to Ngurah Rai International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmond British Pullman</span> Private luxury train service

Belmond British Pullman is a private luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain. Until 2023, it also served as the British leg of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) service between London and Venice.

References

  1. 1 2 Denby, Elaine (1998). Grand Hotels: Reality & Illusion; An Architectural and Social History. Reaktion Books. p. 183. ISBN   978-1861891211.
  2. Gubler, Fritz (2008). "Getting Away from it All: Reid's Hotel". Great, Grand & Famous Hotels. Great, Grand & Famous Hotels. p. 183. ISBN   978-0980466706.
  3. Luckhurst, Gerald (2010). "25: Reid's Palace Hotel". The Gardens Of Madeira. Frances Lincoln. pp. 148–157. ISBN   978-0711230323.
  4. 1 2 Rice, Christopher; Rice, Melanie (2005). "Reid's Palace Hotel". Madeira. Globetrotter Travel Guides (2nd ed.). New Holland Publishers. p. 155. ISBN   978-1845372361.
  5. 1 2 "Reid's Palace". cosmopolis.ch. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  6. "Reid's Palace – A Belmond Hotel". Taste of Portugal. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Rees, Paul (17 December 2018). "Madeira - Arnault Buys Belmond Reid's Palace Hotel In €2.8 billion Deal". Algarve Daily News. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  8. 1 2 Hudson, Giles (2012). Sarah Angelina Acland: First Lady of Colour Photography. Oxford: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. pp. 248–249. ISBN   978-1-85124-372-3.
  9. HMO325. "Cinema Museum Home Movie Database.xlsx". Google Docs. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-06-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. "Madeira: Coming late to the first tea", 17 Sept 2001. Accessed 15 August 2014
  11. "Guide to Madeira", Conde Nast Traveller Accessed 15 August 2014
  12. "Orient-Express Hotels LTD. To launch Belmond brand". Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  13. Travis Hoium (14 December 2018). "Why Belmond Ltd's Shares Jumped 40% Today". Fool.com. Retrieved 9 July 2022.