The Midland Hotel, Bradford: Incredible transformation of Victorian Ballroom

The French ballroom which is upstairs in The Midland Hotel Bradford has played host to many weddings, banquets and conferences since it first opened in 1890. - not to mention entertaining iconic guests including Laurel and Hardy, George Formby and a string of prime ministers.

In recent years, parts of the hotel didn’t live up to its incredible history, namely the two grand ballrooms The French which is now fully refurbished and the downstairs Princes Ballroom which is undergoing a transformation.

A recent post on The Midland’s Facebook page read: ‘Our French Ballroom Reno has been a long time coming - it's finally complete.

‘Over the years our stunning ballroom has been host to weddings, conferences, luncheons and more.

‘This reno has given the the Ballroom the much needed TLC it deserved we can't wait to host even more events in the future.’

The magnificent architecture of The Midland Hotel, a Grade II-listed building in Forster Square, stands the test of time. It was built in 1885 by the Midland Railway Company, a landmark of their northern presence. It was originally built as a commuter hotel and an ornate passageway would connect the hotel to the station’s platforms.

This passage still exists but just as a nod to the hotel's history as the station has now moved from its original location.

Since the renovation of the ballroom a month ago, it has already been used for a variety of events from a 1950s dance to hosting conferences.