The next chapter of one of Newcastle’s most iconic civic buildings is about to begin, as Hotel Gotham Newcastle prepares to open the doors to its former Police Station on 12th November 2026, following a restoration that celebrates its history and preserves its distinctive original features.
Courtroom One in Hotel Gotham Police Station
Following the successful opening of the former Fire Station in late 2025, the second phase of the five-star Hotel Gotham Newcastle will see the Grade II-listed Police Station on Pilgrim Street transformed into 30 luxurious bedrooms, including eight suites, alongside spectacular new event and social spaces within its historic courtrooms.
Steeped in character and packed with original features, the Police Station has been carefully restored to celebrate the stories, people and proceedings that once filled its corridors – all reimagined through Hotel Gotham’s signature blend of Art Deco glamour, theatricality and modern luxury.
At the heart of the new opening are the building’s original courtrooms, which will be transformed into striking event spaces while retaining many of their defining features. Courtroom One retains its raised judge’s dais and original wall panelling, with its dock and witness box reinstated within the room. Refurbished chandeliers offer a further reminder of the building’s former life.
The courtrooms will also provide a distinctive setting for weddings and private celebrations.
A sympathetically restored terrazzo staircase leads guests up to the courtroom level and its terrazzo lobby, where further elements of the Police Station’s history have been retained and reimagined as part of the transformation.
The Judge’s Chambers still feature their original wall panelling, while three former prisoner holding-cell rooms retain their glazed tiled walls, preserving a distinctive reminder of the building’s past.
The history continues into the bedrooms, where selected guestrooms incorporate original features from the Police Station, including sections of former gallery seating from Courtroom One that have been repurposed to create striking feature walls.
For those wanting to get even closer to the building’s story, the ground floor will also feature a museum open to the public on selected days.
The museum will showcase original features including the former gun-safe door and the prisoner cell-corridor gate. Period photographs, architectural drawings and interpretation boards will explore the many chapters of the site’s history, from its carved emblems and the story of Chief Constable Crawley, to Newcastle’s Mounted Police and the horses once stabled on site.
Visitors will also be able to discover more about daily life within the former Fire Station, including its reading rooms and staff flats, alongside stories of some of the characters who passed through the Police Station during the 1930s.
Chris Thompson, General Manager at Hotel Gotham Newcastle, said: “Opening the Police Station feels like completing the story we started when Gotham first arrived in Newcastle. This building has an incredible history, and we’ve been very conscious of making sure that history isn’t hidden away – it’s part of the experience.
“We wanted this phase to feel connected to everything guests already know and love about Gotham, while having an identity of its own. The Fire Station was the first chapter, but this opening brings the two buildings together and gives guests even more of Gotham to discover. It’s dramatic, it’s full of personality and, most importantly, it still feels unmistakably Newcastle.”
The Police Station opening will add 30 bedrooms to Hotel Gotham Newcastle, bringing the hotel’s total to 87, alongside three new event spaces and further facilities connected to the hotel’s private members’ club.
For more information about Hotel Gotham Newcastle, visit https://www.hotelgotham.co.uk/newcastle
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