Blackpool's former Empress Hotel on the market for £1m after 'extensive' refurbishment into flats

The Empress Hotel on Exchange Street has been transformed into ten separate flats after the building spent a number of years derelict. It’s also now known as Empress House.

The whole building has now been put up for sale, with offers over £1m being considered.

A number of interesting architectural elements have been preserved in the interior and exterior of the building. These include the staircases, architraves and sash windows.

The Empress Hotel was built in 1847 and is included in the council’s local listings in recognition of its historic merit.

When it was built, it was almost on the seafront, providing a reminder of how the resort’s development has taken back land from the sea.

In its heyday the business boasted the likes of Prime Minister Edward Heath, American actress Mae West, Johnny Tarzan’ Weissmuller and political broadcaster and commentator Sir Robin Day.

The property had remained closed since June 2014 when the business ceased trading.

It sold for £180,000 at an auction in London in 2015 and it also went back under the hammer in 2018.

A number of squatters were removed from the hotel in January last year, when it was still derelict.

Blackpool Council had been made aware that a number of people had access to the building. The owner of the property attended and asked them to leave on Tuesday, which they did, and the building was secured.

Coun Lynn Williams, whose Claremont ward includes the Empress Hotel, has expressed delight in the building finally being renovated.

She said: “I had a guided tour of the building a few weeks ago with officers from the planning department and it looks brilliant.

“The main concern about renovating the Empress Hotel was the actual cost of doing it because it’s such an iconic looking building with the stonework and sash windows.

“All these features have been refurbished and it has been done in a very considerate and caring manner. The sweeping staircases are another way this has been done as well.”

The sale of the building is being overseen by SOMA Projects and is described as a ‘unique living proposition from its locally listed facades with prominent Victorian features.’