The Queens Hotel on City Square has welcomed generations of visitors including Princess Grace of Monaco, Cary Grant and Nelson Mandela. It was built using two million bricks and 40,000 cubic feet of Portland Stone and opened in 1937 and is thought to be the first ever hotel with en-suite facilities. It underwent a major refurbishment in 2021, receiving a £16 million makeover that included a transformation of the hotel's rooms, event spaces, and ground floor. These photos, the majority plucked from the YEP archive, showcase how the 232 bedroom hotel has been at the heart of the city’s hospitality down the decades. READ MORE: Memories of the Leeds landmark which points the way LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia
7. 1940s
This is Leon Gould, who was a violinist at the Queens Hotel during World War Two. | YPN Photo: YPN
8. 1950s
This view from August 1957 looks across City Square from outside the Post Office. On the left is part of the Queens Hotel with the north entrance to Leeds City Station on the right. | YPN Photo: YPN
9. 1970s
Young Joanne Mackman meets Princess Grace and Prince Rainier who stayed at the Queens Hotel in October 1972. | YPN Photo: YPN
10. 1970s
Three big stars of the silver screen, David Niven, Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks Junior exchange memories at a Roaring Twenties Ball held at the Queens Hotel in October 1974. | YPN Photo: YPN
11. 1970s
Cricket legend Geoff Boycott with his two brothers, Tony, left, and Peter, right at the Queens Hotel when the Variety Club held a dinner in his honour. Pictured in October 1977. | YPN Photo: YPN
