Hotel Royal, Aarhus

Hotel Royal
Front facade of Hotel Royal
General information
Type	Hotel
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Location	Aarhus, Denmark
Coordinates	56°09′27″N 10°12′35″E / 56.15747°N 10.20984°E / 56.15747; 10.20984Coordinates: 56°09′27″N 10°12′35″E / 56.15747°N 10.20984°E / 56.15747; 10.20984
Completed	1901
Technical details
Material	Brick
Floor count	5
Design and construction
Architect	Thorkel Møller Eggert Achen

Hotel Royal is a historic hotel in the heart of Aarhus, Denmark, in the central Indre By neighborhood. It overlooks Aarhus Cathedral and the large Store Torv square. The hotel is among the highest ranked hotels in Denmark with a history as the most prestigious in the city.

The hotel, which today has 64 rooms, was founded in 1838 by the innkeeper Niels Larsen from Odense. The new hotel was constructed from two existing buildings overlooking Aarhus' central square. It quickly established a reputation for luxury with clients including royalty, politicians, writers, film stars and singers. It became the foremost hotel in the city and the place for local high society to socialize.

The hotel was constructed in 1838 from two existing buildings in Neoclassical style. One of the two buildings was the King's House (Danish: Kongens Gaard) which was the inspiration for the name of the hotel. At the time there was only one other place for lodging in the city and Hotel Royal quickly became a popular destination. In 1881 the hotel was expanded with an extra floor and the facade was renovated in 1865 and 1868. In 1902 a new building was added by designs of Eggert Achen and Thorkel Møller. The new building faces Store Torv and Bispetorv and replaced half of the hotel.

The original owner and founder of the hotel was the innkeeper Niels Larsen from Odense. Niels Larsen died in 1838 and left the hotel to his son Frederik Larsen who managed it until 1873 when he sold it to his brother Carl Larsen and the restaurateur Anders Vincent. In 1876 Carl Larsen became the sole proprietor but in 1894 he sold it to his brother's son Viggo Frederik Sofus Larsen. The hotel stayed in the family another 3 years until it was sold to a commercial entity in 1897.

The hotel catered to the upper-classes and from the beginning offered a number of services. When horses were the preferred means of transportation the hotel had stables, when the first rail connection to Randers was opened in 1862 the hotel acquired a horse drawn bus to shuttle guests between the railway station until 1907. When cars became popular fueling and cleaning services was offered.