Former Portsmouth Royal Marines Museum to become Five-Star Hotel

04 December 2020

A building that once housed the Royal Marines Museum in Portsmouth is set to be converted into a five-star hotel.

The 150-year-old building in Eastney has been sold for an undisclosed sum to Grand Hotel Excelsior International, which has plans to convert the listed building into a hotel.

The Royal Marines Museum, which is part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), was housed in the former officers’ mess on the Eastney Barracks site from the early 1970s until 2017 when the museum deemed the building was no longer suitable.

In its place, plans were unveiled to convert the Action Stations building in the historic dockyard into an attraction designed to commemorate the corps’ history for modern audiences.

Proceeds from the sale of the building have been split between the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Royal Navy itself.

New owners Grand Hotel Excelsior International said it would transform the Eastney building into a ‘luxury’ hotel while preserving the site’s ‘historic attributes, appeal and timeless décor’.

And the chain also confirmed the Yomper statue would remain by the new hotel’s entrance, finally ending speculation about its future.

Spokeswoman Helen Hubbard added: ‘The property will remain an important part of the community and serve the public through hosting weddings, conferences, and gala events. It will bring economic benefit to the area by encouraging visitors and offering employment opportunities.’

The former museum dates back to 1865 when it was built as officers’ quarters and mess, and was used as the Royal Marines Museum from 1972 until 2017

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