Tom, 30, moved into the Grosvenor Hotel one day when he pushed at a key card door - and it opened. Tom, 30, moved into the Grosvenor Hotel one day when he pushed at a key card door - and it opened.
Tom, 30, moved into the Grosvenor Hotel one day when he pushed at a key card door - and it opened.

In pictures: A squatter’s life inside the once grand Grosvenor Hotel near Bristol Temple Meads

Tom was able to get in when he found a door to the hotel open - and now he’s created a home inside

These images show the inside of what was once one of the grandest hotels in Bristol - which is now lived in by a squatter all on his own.

The Grosvenor Hotel was opened in 1875 and was the work of architect S C Fripp, who had worked as Brunel’s assistant on designing the nearby Temple Meads station.

At its peak, the 70-bedroom hotel served as a grand place for people arriving by train to the city.

But following closure, the hotel is now a shadow of itself with rotting furniture filling the rooms and graffiti covering the walls.

However, for Tom, who found a door to the hotel open, the place is home.

He has created a living room with a sofa, a table and a few chairs and has cleared some of the junk off the floor - and is even painting a few of the walls.

He said: “You can tell this place used to be the real crème de la crème.”

“This is a wonderful building, there’s loads to it that I really enjoy,” he added.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.