About The Bulkeley Hotel
The Bulkeley Hotel is one of Anglesey's most cherished landmarks – a Grade I listed Georgian building standing proudly in the heart of Beaumaris since 1832. With nearly two centuries of history, the hotel combines the grandeur of a bygone era with the warmth and comfort of a truly welcoming stay.
HISTORY PACKA Hotel Built for a Princess
The story of The Bulkeley begins in 1829, when Sir Richard Bulkeley, a wealthy Anglesey landowner, commissioned the construction of a hotel with a very specific purpose – to provide a residence fit for royalty on the Isle of Anglesey.
Built during the golden age of hospitality, no detail was overlooked. Every element — from its commanding position on the Beaumaris Green to its elegant bay windows facing the Menai Strait — was conceived to impress a future queen.
The Royal Visit
The hotel opened in 1832, and on 6 August of that same year, the moment for which it had been built had arrived. Princess Victoria – accompanied by her mother, the Duchess of Kent – paid her royal visit to the stunning Isle of Anglesey.
The Victoria and Regency Suites were designed expressly for this occasion, and today they remain among the hotel's most special rooms, offering guests panoramic views from three elegant bay windows overlooking the Snowdonia mountain range and the Menai Straits – just as Princess Victoria herself would have enjoyed.
The Architecture
The hotel was designed by Joseph Hansom, a prolific English 19th-century architect, perhaps best known beyond architecture for inventing the Hansom Cab. This iconic carriage dominated the streets of Victorian Britain.
Hansom created an elegant Neo-classical residence that stands as a fine example of Georgian architectural style – a movement defined by its grandeur, symmetry and simple geometric elegance, conceived as a deliberate reaction to the decorative excesses of the earlier Rococo period.
The stone used in the hotel's construction was sourced from the nearby Penmon Limestone and Granite Quarries, just along the Anglesey coastline – the very same quarries that had supplied stone for Thomas Telford's celebrated Menai Suspension Bridge across the Menai Straits. Those quarries had been worked since the 16th century, with the stone shipped out along the coast.
The Bulkeley Today
Nearly 200 years on, The Bulkeley Hotel retains all the charm and character of its remarkable past. The building's period features, high ceilings, sash windows and Georgian proportions remain lovingly preserved. At the same time, the hotel has grown to offer 43 en-suite bedrooms, a fine restaurant, a traditional coffee lounge, real ale bars and lounges with log fires.
Situated directly opposite the beach and pier in the heart of Beaumaris, with Beaumaris Castle, a 13th-century World Heritage Site, just yards away, the hotel remains the beating heart of this quaint and historic town.
Guests today enjoy the same breathtaking views of the Menai Strait and Snowdonia that have captivated visitors for generations.