This building was constructed in two stages, the first part in 1955, followed by the complete redevelopment of the Brougham Street section beginning in 1958. The project was undertaken by Taranaki Brewery & Cordials Ltd. and when complete was understood to have cost about £100,000. (New Plymouth Photo News 10 June 1960)
The "Royal" name has been associated with hotels in New Plymouth as far back as 1852. The first Royal Hotel was located on the corner of Devon and Liardet Streets and owned by Edward Cudlipp. William Cottier bought the hotel in 1865, however it burnt to the ground soon after. The present location on the corner of Brougham and Ariki Streets was first home to the Taranaki Inn established in the late 1840s. It was renamed the Taranaki Hotel by Gottlieb Roch in 1874 and then in the early 1900s it became the Royal. During its life it has been the victim of several fires and, because of its proximity to the Huatoki Stream, floods. (Early Days in Taranaki, Fred B. Butler, 1942)
In 1998 the hotel closed for a year, before the owner David Stones reopened the bar as a sports bar - later named Icons. A separate business, a café, was planned for the vacant corner shop. Over the subsequent years a number of different businesses have occupied this corner location.
At present (2023) there are several businesses located in the building - Icons Sports Bar, The Good Home Restaurant & Bar (opened December 2011), The Rooftop Bar & Cafe and Ariki Backpackers on the first floor.
Related documents:
No hunger pains after Royal meal (Taranaki Herald 31 October 1985)
Patrons flee hotel fire (Daily News 12 May 1986)
Royal revamp (Daily News & Ragtime 1993)
Beefing up tourism on the menu for award-winning city couple (Taranaki Daily News 31 March 2003)
Rooftop bar's brews, views, food an open-air hit (Taranaki Daily News 3 October 2020)
Please do not reproduce these images without permission from Puke Ariki.
Contact us for more information or you can order images online here.
