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
19. 1980s
February 1986 and the popularity of the Queens Hotel as an eating out rendezous point was enhanced thanks to the opening of the Ridings Roast Rooom. | YPN Photo: YPN
20. 1980s
The staff and goods entrance. The Hotel boasted a staff of around 14o in the early 1980s. | YPN Photo: YPN
21. 1990s
Commissionaire Kelly Sutton was turning heads at the Queens Hotel in February 1993. The 19-year-old Londoner had been appointed door person, working in top hat and tails. Part of her new job, alongside senior doorman Keith Brookes, would also be to look after guests' cars and luggage. | YPN Photo: YPN
22. 2000s
Tony Blair making a surprise visit at the YEP's Women of Achievement Awards a tthe Queens Hotel in May 2001. | YPN Photo: YPN
23. 2000s
An appreciative audience at a fashion show staged at the Queens Hotel in aid of Breast Cancer Research Action Group in April 2006. | YPN Photo: YPN
24. 2000s
Pictured on reception in August 2007, where she started at the Queens Hotel is Alison Bramall, assistant conference and events manager . | Gerard Binks Photo: Gerard Binks