Metropole & Grand Hotels - Metropole Road East, Folkestone, UK - Victorian Style Architecture on Waymarking.com

Both hotels are the western extremity of Folkestone at the end of The Leas promenade. Both hotels command fine views to sea across the English Channel.

The hotels are Grade II listed buildings and English Heritage (visit link) has this entry for the Metropole:
"1. 5281 Metropole Road East, Folkestone. The New Metropole Including the Fountain in the garden to the north and surrounding wall. TR 23 NW 10/207 13.11.73. II GV 2. Begun in 1895. Designed by T W Cutler. The sea front elevation is a rich example of what could be called the seaside Metropole Hotel style. 4 storeys and attics. 35 windows in all. Red brick, ground floor rusticated stone. Stone cornices and balconies. Slate roof. At each end and in the centre are projections of 5 windows each. The end projections are surmounted by shaped Dutch gables with scrolls flanking them. The centre has a dome with a cupola of 8 columns surmounting it, complete with ball finial and weathervane. All 3 projections have balconies, the centre ones recessed. Similar balconies centrally placed between the projections and 3 dormers on each side. Projecting beyond the ground floor towards the sea is a large conservatory or winter garden of 6 large windows on each side of the entrance of which the 2 centre windows project still further. Glass canopy between over the doorway with anthemion motif antefixae. Behind on the north side are 2 long projecting wings, the west one much longer than the east one. In the garden beyond these wings is a contemporary fountain comprising a bronze cherub holding grapes and supporting the bowl of the fountain. The New Metropole is surrounded by a low brick wall having tiled coping and cast iron finials in the shape of torcheres. Rusticated square gain piers with bands of red brick and tiles and ovolo moulding."


English Heritage (visit link) has this entry for the Grande:
"1. 5281 Metropole Road East, Folkestone. The Grand Hotel Including surrounding wall. TR 23 NW 10/208 13.11.73 II GV 2. Built between 1899 and 1903 by Daniel Baker of Folkestone, who also designed the building. It has the date 1900 on it. In similar style to the New Metropole but simpler. 5 storeys and attics red brick with stone dressings and cornice above the ground floor. 4 asymrnetricaiiy placed bays rising from the ground to 3rd floors. Gables above the end window bays. Mansard roof with 2 dormers each between. Higher central portion with dome and simple cupola of 4 columns. The best feature of the building is perhaps the projecting ground floor conservatory with octagonal projections at its ends having ogee domes and a central projection with a pediment and 2 bays each between. The east front has 22 windows, 5 similar bays and 2 central pediments between. Group value with the New Metropole. Low wall of stone rubble with tiled coping and piers with tiled caps."