THIS IS THE BLOG OF COLIN JONES, RHYL TOWN COUNCILLOR: BODFOR WARD
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The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and not the views of the town council.
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Occasionally I get asked what was Rhyl seafront’s biggest hotel. In terms of external size I have no idea, but in terms of the number of rooms the biggest was said to be the Plastirion Hotel; the building is in East Parade nearly opposite the Sun Centre. The photograph above (TOP) shows the Plastirion today: a block of flats owned by Haigh Properties Ltd.
The other photo shows the seafront’s oldest surviving hotel: the two-star Westminster Hotel on corner of East Parade and Church Street. The Westminster opened in 1878 more or less opposite the Victoria Pier (later renamed Rhyl Pier) which opened just over a decade earlier. The hotel was a luxurious place where civic functions and other grand events took place.
In the late 1970s the Westminster opened a night club in the basement and many townspeople remember this as ‘Catz’. The old hotel had become rather run-down when the present owners Carol and Peter took over a few years ago; since then it has steadily improved. When I walked into the reception area/lounge bar a few days ago the room looked fabulous.
The Westminster's phone number is (01745) 342241.
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Below: an Internet auction item in 2018 – a rusty old sign from the Westminster!
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