Secrets of Harrogate hotel where Sir Winston Church stayed set to be revealed in new exhibition

When it was first opened in 1900, the Majestic Hotel was the first modern Victorian hotel built to accommodate Harrogate growing spa trade.

Boasting a rich heritage with guests from high society including Sir Edward Elgar and Margaret Thatcher, the landmark hotel is now part of the Double Tree by Hilton group, which was the subject of a £15 million refurbishment in recent years.

But its fame endures, not only because of its large scale, iconic dome or whiff of Victorian elegance.

Unusually, the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa attracts attention because of its loo.

To be specific, the ground floor men’s wash room with its striking black-and-white checkerboard patterned tiled floor.

It has become routine for visitors to pose for photographs on the famous bench inside the luxury loos awash in gorgeous brown wood panelling.

Now the gents has inspired not only a new book by the world’s leading comic book writers and artists but a forthcoming exhibition.

The Secrets Of The Majestic will open at Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate on November 15 to coincide with the launch of the comic book art world’s Thought Bubble weekend at Harrogate Convention Centre.

The forthcoming exhibition will include historic material from the hotel, as well as original artwork from a new book of the same name.

The Secrets Of The Majestic is a new 76-page comic anthology penned by a generation of comic book writers with bespoke artwork.

Featuring comic stories by more than 40 top writers, The Secrets Of The Majestic is a 76-page comic anthology inspired directly by the hotel’s historic toilet facilities.

Such is the standard of the book, the opening story is the work of Marvel’s Kieron Gillen of X-Men and Hugo Award fame.

The roots of the idea go back to a visit to the loo by some of the artist attending Thought Bubble Festival Mid-Con Party at the Majestic in 2022.

Information: https://experiencethemajestic.com/