Official Launch for New Look Sheerness Hotel

The Royal Hotel in Sheerness was officially reopened following a £110,000 refurbishment on Wednesday, September 30.

The historic hotel, which dates back to the 19th century, is owned by Shepherd Neame, which contributed more than £30,000 to the project. The remainder was funded by Kevin Burgess, who runs the hotel, and his business partner Mike McAllister. 

Work included fully redecorating the ground floor bar areas, function room and restaurant, which all have new flooring and furniture. The kitchen has been fully refurbished, along with the toilets. The building’s exterior has also been repainted, with new signage.

The hotel has 12 bedrooms, and six have been completely redecorated with new furniture, with the rest are due to be completed before Christmas.

Preparations are also underway to reopen the hotel’s restaurant in a couple of weeks, with a new look and a new menu.

Three new chefs have been appointed, and it will be open from 12noon every day, offering a selection of traditional pub classics using locally sourced produce. There will also be a carvery available from Monday to Saturday, priced £4.95.

Kevin, who lives in Queenborough and has been running the town’s Flying Dutchman pub for the last 18 months, took on the Royal Hotel on in April. He said:

The Flying Dutchman has been a great success, so we were looking for another project, and thought this hotel had a lot of potential. It is the only hotel in Sheerness town centre, so it is perfectly placed for people to explore the area, and it is a beautiful historic building, it just needed a bit of work to restore it to its former glory. We have already received some great feedback from customers, who like the hotel’s smart new look, and are really looking forward to opening the restaurant.

Local dignitaries and residents were invited to the official opening event, with the first pint pulled by Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame also attended the launch event.

Jonathan Neame said:

We are delighted with the Royal Hotel’s new look. It is contemporary while retaining the historic building’s unique character and atmosphere. We are confident that it will prove a popular destination for locals and visitors to eat, drink and stay, and offer a boost for the town.

For more information visit the pub's website or call 01795 662626.