From inception in 1865, up to the present day, The Royal has continuously been a hotel catering to visitors of the Cowal Peninsula.
A traditionally built Victorian town house hotel, The Royal originally accommodated wealthy Greenock and Glasgow merchants, who would use the newly developing fast steamers of the mid-1800s to visit this beautiful ‘secret’ coastline. Today, the building has been significantly refurbished and upgraded, but retains the first class hospitality that lies within it's DNA.
When you visit The Royal, you will see its historic name in the mosaic tiled floor at the hotel's entrance. This floor was laid during World War II by Italian prisoners of war, leaving a snippet of history for future guests to admire. For another glimpse through time, guests are often treated to the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world – the PS Waverley – gliding down the Kyles of Bute.