Zetland Hotel

The Zetland Hotel is located on the north east coast of England at Saltburn by the Sea, North Yorkshire. It was designed by William Peachey, architect to the Stockton & Darlington Railway. The seaside resort of Saltburn was developed by Henry Pease who was a director of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

It is said that he built the town from scratch after having an apparition of a heavenly city above the cliffs. Henry Pease established the Saltburn Improvement Company to help create his vision of the town which is largely unchanged today. The town is clad in hundreds of tonnes of distinctive white bricks made in a factory in Durham and transported to Saltburn via railway, both owned by the Pease family. The Zetland Hotel was said to be the jewel in his crown. Teddy's Nook is the house that he had built for his own occupation, close to the hotel.

On 2 October 1861 the foundations were laid for the hotel by Lord Zetland. The specification included that white fire bricks had to be used with Westmorland slate on the roof. A glass canopy from the station platform to the rear entrance of the hotel had to be constructed to protect the guests from the elements. The Zetland Hotel was one of the world's earliest purpose built railway hotels with its own private platform (the very first was built in Derby). The hotel was opened, again by Lord Zetland on 27 July 1863.

Early tariffs indicate that room rates ranged from 2s 6d for a regular bedroom to 4s 6d for an extra large bedroom.

In addition the hotel boasted lawn tennis courts facing Dundas Street. Also featured were hot and cold sea and fresh water baths. The hotel proved to be extremely popular and in 1876 magistrates granted an extension of opening hours from 10.00pm to 11.00pm to encourage trade. Alcoholic drinks however, were still not allowed for consumption on the open terraces. In 1882, John Richardson was fined 5/- for drinking a glass of beer outside the hotel. The manager of the hotel, Mr Verini, was also fined 5/- for supplying him.

From a visitor’s handbook of 1863, the Zetland Hotel was described as

... in the Italian Style... of firebricks... The front and sides have spacious terraces, with perforated balustrades of terra-cotta, surmounted with vases of flowers: and a neat balcony runs along the whole front of the middle storey. A semi-circular tower rises in the centre of the front, which is used as a telescope room, and is provided with another balcony; and both from the top of this tower and the balcony the view is gorgeous. The hotel contains about 90 rooms, comprising about 50 bedrooms, a large dining and coffee room, a ladies' coffee and drawing room, reading room, smoking room, billiard room etc.

— George Tweddell, Saltburn by the Sea

However, by the early 1970s the number of visitors to the town had dropped substantially. Many hotels struggled to survive and had to close. Eventually, the Zetland Hotel also closed and was converted into apartments in 1989. The station platform, canopy and railway buffer however, can still be seen. The building is now known simply as 'The Zetland'.