Beginnings The site itself is connected with the life and career of
Richard Russell, a doctor who advocated sea water as a cure of ailments. After Russell's death in 1759, Old Steine developed as the centre of fashionable life in Brighton. Russell House, as it became known, was used as lodgings for visitors such as
the Duke of Cumberland, and later became an entertainment venue with activities such as a puppet theatre, a
camera obscura and resident jugglers. In the 1820s, it passed to entrepreneur John Colbatch, who demolished it in 1823. The local authorities tried to arrange for the land to be kept as open space, but negotiations collapsed and Colbatch began planning the construction of a hotel. The hotel was built on a corner site at the point where Old Steine met King's Road, and like Russell House the main façade faced away from the sea, towards Old Steine. The four-storey structure opened on 5 August 1826. The venture was immediately successful, and a stylistically similar five-storey extension was added to the west in about 1847. At the same time, the name was changed from the Albion Hotel. The hotel fell into disrepair in the late 19th century, and was closed in 1900. Harry Preston, owner of the nearby Royal York Hotel, bought it in 1913 for £13,500 (£ in ), and quickly restored its fashionable reputation. The building was completely refurbished, additions were made, and well-known literary figures, artists and entertainers regularly stayed. The extensions carried out around this time, in the
Edwardian style typical of the period, included a sea-facing lounge at the rear of the hotel, and were carried out by Brighton architectural firm
Clayton & Black. In 1856, another hotel had been built west of the Royal Albion on land previously occupied by Williams's Royal Hot and Cold Baths, an indoor bath-house. The Lion Mansion Hotel was architecturally similar to the Royal Albion, and rose to four storeys. It was later known as the Adelphi Hotel. and flames were immediately sucked up a vent to the top floor. The fire spread quickly, assisted by strong winds, and all 160 people in the building were evacuated. The
Public and Commercial Services Union had to cancel their annual conference, due to be held that day, because of the disruption caused to its delegates, most of whom were staying at the hotel. The fire continued to burn throughout the night and had reached the ground floor by 1:10 p.m. the next day. Concerns over
asbestos being released were raised as the hotel collapsed. The Old Steine was reopened at 5:40 p.m. on 17 July as demolition crews arrived, however they were stopped due to complaints from a heritage group about preserving the
Grade II listed façade. The effects of the large amounts of smoke from the blaze were worsened by wind as around 100 people in the surrounding area were evacuated. One resident described how their home was "covered in soot and smoke damage" and said that their kitten had to be put on oxygen due to smoke inhalation. At its height, 15 fire engines were at the scene. The only injury from the fire was smoke in a person's eyes. Demolition of the gutted western side began on 19 July, but stopped two days later when more smoke was seen. The
A259 road, which runs in front of the hotel, was closed during the demolition: the westbound carriageway reopened on 3 August, however the eastbound carriageway remained closed until 26 August. In October 2023, following an investigation by the ESFRS, the cause of the fire was determined to likely be a discarded cigarette. In August 2024 it was revealed that the hotel had passed a fire safety audit in September 2022, which noted the site's "preventative and protective measures" and "effective emergency plan and policy", with staff praised for their "professional and pro-active attitude towards their fire safety responsibilities". A report on the blaze said that its fast spread was due to hidden voids,
lath and plaster construction of walls, aged and dry timber in the window frames and wind direction and speed. ==Architecture==