The Rock Hotel, also known as Rock Hotel, is a historic hotel in the

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. It has been described as "one of the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

's most famous hotels," and as "an institution in Gibraltar and the Mediterranean." Built in 1932 by

John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, the hotel is set in a 3.6-hectare (8.9-acre) landscaped garden and contains 104 rooms. It is located in a large white

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

building along

Europa Road Europa Road is a major road in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It begins near Trafalgar Cemetery and Trafalgar Road and connects the centre with the southern tip of the territory at Europa Point. Along its way the road passes The R ...

, overlooking the

Gibraltar Botanic Gardens The Gibraltar Botanic Gardens or La Alameda Gardens are a botanical garden in Gibraltar, spanning around . The Rock Hotel lies above the park. History In 1816 the gardens were commissioned by the British Governor of Gibraltar George Don (Brit ...

History

Early years

The Rock Hotel was built by

, and began operation in 1932. In the years after it opened, the hotel was managed by Rudolph Richard and earned a reputation as one of the finest hotels in Europe. During the 1930s and '40s, the hotel provided visitors with a first-hand perspective on the area's military activities. During the

Second Italo-Abyssinian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Italy against Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Ita ...

, visitors could watch as Britain's Royal Navy engaged in manoeuvres off the coast of Gibraltar. American journalist

Westbrook Pegler Francis James Westbrook Pegler (August 2, 1894 – June 24, 1969) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. journalist described as "one of the godfathers of right-wing populism". He was a newspaper columnist popular in the 1930s and 1940s for his opposit ...

stayed at the hotel and took movies from his balcony of the British fleet engaged in exercises. In November 1935, Pegler reported that the hotel's management instructed guests to leave the full-length glass doors open while a new gun on , the largest warship afloat at the time, was tested. He noted that the hotel's balconies "afford a fine view of the pageant of peace" and described "a mighty thump that popped eardrums and rattled glasses on the bathroom shelf" of his room at the Rock Hotel. In July 1936, the hotel sustained minor damage during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

. A shell from a Spanish warship attempting to shoot down a rebel aircraft exploded over the city, causing a small landslide in which rocks and fragments struck the hotel's fire escape ladders. Also in 1936, a rebel plane reportedly dropped a

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

that damaged the hotel. Great North Road map

During World War II, military officials stayed at The Rock. Guests dealt with noise from the construction of war tunnels. In September 1941, an American war correspondent described his stay at the hotel: "I dropped off to sleep in a comfortable room at the Rock hotel to the thunderous lullaby of the dynamite blasters. The next morning, after a breakfast of bacon, tomatoes, toast, butter, orange marmalade and coffee – a remarkable breakfast for wartime Europe – I set off on a tour of the passages."

Post-World War II

Until his death in 1947, the hotel was owned by John Crichton-Stuart, the Marquess of Bute. The hotel had declined by 1950 when B. Vispaly, who had previously worked at the

Hôtel Meurice Le Meurice () is a Brunei-owned five-star luxury hotel in the 1st arrondissement of Paris opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre on the Rue de Rivoli. From the Rue de Rivoli, it stretches to the Rue ...

in Paris, was in charge. In April 1951, the hotel sustained damage in the

explosion of the RFA Bedenham RFA ''Bedenham'' was a naval armament carrier of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary that exploded while docked in Gibraltar on 27 April 1951, killing 13 people and causing a great deal of damage to the town. Cause of the explosion The ''Bedenha ...

, an incident in which a 1,000-ton British munitions ship blew up at the Gibraltar naval base. The Rock Hotel has hosted numerous internationally renowned celebrities and a number of celebrity weddings. In April 1962,

Sarah Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch, prophet, and major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pious woma ...

, the 47-year-old actress daughter of Churchill, was married to Thomas Touchet-Jesson, 23rd Baron Audley, in a civil ceremony at the Rock Hotel. Also in 1962,

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

and

Diane Cilento Elizabeth Diane Cilento (2 April 1932 – 6 October 2011) was an Australian actress. She is best known for her film roles in '' Tom Jones'' (1963), which earned her an Academy Award nomination, '' Hombre'' (1967) and '' The Wicker Man'' (1973). ...

stayed at The Rock Hotel after a marriage ceremony in Gibraltar.

Management

Since 1959, the hotel has been operated by the

Bland Group The Bland Group Ltd. is made up of a number of small and medium-sized operating company, companies based in Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Morocco. History During 1810, English merchant Marcus Henry Bland arrived in Gibraltar, shortly therea ...

. The Bland Group was founded in 1810 as a shipping agency and later provided a passenger service and transported supplies for Gibraltar's military garrison. Joseph Gaggero acquired the company in 1891, and it has been run by the Gaggero family since that time. In 1971 James J. Bossino was promoted to general manager by Joseph Gaggero. He was to become not only the first Gibraltarian Manager but the youngest at 33. During his 23 years at the helm of the Rock Hotel, James Bossino saw the expansion of the hotel with an extra wing built to the north of the property along with two extra floors, two penthouse suites and a conference room. He then led the hotel through the very difficult economic and social siege that was the closed frontier period between 1969 and 1982/84 by successfully steering the institution that was the Rock Hotel. He also recruited, at the time, the very loyal Moroccan workforce. Some of his team continue to work there to this day. He later went on to launch a second major refurbishment in 1987. James Bossino retired from the Rock Hotel in 1994. In 1997, Stephen Davenport, previously of Wood Hall Country House Hotel,

Linton, West Yorkshire Linton is a village in the civil parish of Collingham, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. It is south-west of Wetherby on the north bank of the River Wharfe, Collingham is on the opposite bank. History Li ...

, became general manager of The Rock. He launched a £1.2 million refurbishment programme at the hotel soon after arriving. Stephen Davenport has now retired and Charles Danino has taken over.

Facilities

The hotel is set in a landscaped garden with

geranium ''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, with the gre ...

s and a

wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and nor ...

-covered terrace. It is decorated in a colonial style and has 97 rooms, including some suites, junior suites and penthouses. In the 2009 guide book, "Frommer's Seville, Granada and the Best of Andalusia," the author described the hotel's Terrace Restaurant as the "single finest dining room on Gibraltar". According to the hotel's web site, Moorish, Iberian and British styles of cooking predominate at the hotel's restaurants, which are led by head chef Alfred Rodriguez, who has been affiliated with the hotel since 1973.

Gallery

File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 09.JPG, File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 08.JPG, File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 07.JPG, File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 04.JPG, File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 05.JPG, File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 02.JPG, File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 01.JPG, File:The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar 03.JPG,

Notes and references

Notes References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock Hotel, The Hotels in Gibraltar Hotels established in 1932 Hotel buildings completed in 1932 Bland Group Art Deco architecture 1932 establishments in Gibraltar