The Belmont Hotel in Leicester's De Montfort Street is
celebrating 75 years of independent ownership by the Bowie family
in June 2009.
Built in 1861, The Belmont started its life as an infant school
and became a Young Women's Christian Association House and a
government office during the first world war. In 1934 Mrs
Rachel Bowie from Edinburgh bought the property and started a
commercial 12 bedroom hotel offering bed and breakfast for six
shillings or high tea, bed and breakfast for eight and six!
When Rachel's son James became engaged to Olive Elcock a few
years later, she returned to Scotland leaving James and Olive to
run the hotel. Over the course of many years, they invested
and developed the business, buying houses next to the Belmont so
increasing capacity. Their eldest son James took over the
running of the hotel in 1970 and was joined in the business by his
son James in 2007. The Belmont Hotel now consists of the
original Belmont House and the next seven buildings along New
Walk.
Project Manager James Bowie commented: '75 years is an
amazing milestone in the history of any company, The Belmont Hotel
has been and continues to be at the heart of the business and
social community of Leicester and we are particularly pleased to be
able to share our celebrations with four generations of the Bowie
family.'
The Belmont Hotel commands a reputation for service excellence
as one of the few family owned and run hotels of its type. To
celebrate its 75th anniversary, it is running a series of special
promotions during specific dates in June including drinks for 75p,
meals for £7.50 and a limited number of bedrooms for
£7.50 per night.