William Bailey, the former owner of the Isle of Wight’s The Royal Hotel, which he ran for some 30 years, has died.
William came from a well-known family of hoteliers who had been managing important hotels on the Isle of Wight since 1947.
He purchased The Royal Hotel in 1994 when it was in a run-down state and, with the support of his family, transformed it to re-establish its status as the Premier large 4-star hotel on the Island, gaining and maintaining 2 AA Rosette and Michelin awards for the restaurant over decades.
It was in November last year that William sold The Royal to Mohamed Bathich, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Mohamed has said:
“William highly valued the team at the hotel, and it is a sign of his commitment to their welfare that so many of the team have been at the hotel for many years – some from shortly after he bought it. Few hotels can claim such loyalty and such a dedicated commitment to high standards of service from their teams. It was this achievement by William that so attracted me to purchasing the hotel.”
A spokesperson for The Royal has added:
“The thoughts of all at The Royal Hotel are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
Article continues below this advertisement “William was a significant figure on the Island and was highly valued as a friend, as well as an employer, by all at The Royal Hotel who knew him. He will be deeply missed”.
William passed away on Tuesday afternoon (25th February) after a very short illness.
Very sad news.
The Royal Hotel is the best hotel on the Island by far,
such a beautiful location.
R.I.P Mr Bailey