St George’s Hotel is one of the defining buildings on Llandudno’s seafront. It stands at the western end of the promenade close to the pier and the Great Orme, which is the position any hotel of ambition would have chosen, had the estate allowed the choosing.

The original St George’s opened in the 1850s as Llandudno was establishing itself as a planned resort. Its position (facing the bay, close to the pier and within walking distance of almost everything) meant it received guests of quality and expected both parties to behave accordingly.

Historic hotels are never just places to sleep. At their best, they are part of the promenade theatre: arrivals, dinners, windows, sea views and the faint suggestion that someone interesting has just used the wrong staircase.

Notable guests have included Bismarck, Queen Elisabeth of Romania (the poet and author Carmen Sylva) and various figures of Victorian and Edwardian public life. Whether this improves a night’s sleep is a philosophical question, but it does improve the after-dinner conversation considerably.

The building has been altered and updated since its mid-Victorian opening, as all working hotels inevitably are. The original bones remain in the position and proportion; the modern interior reflects the requirements of a functioning hotel rather than a museum piece.

Of course, every old hotel must wrestle with modern expectations. Heritage is delightful until the lift, heating or bathroom fails to meet the standards of someone who has read too many reviews and not enough history.

The seafront position remains the primary asset. From a room facing the bay, one can see the pier, the crescent of North Shore, the Little Orme closing the eastern end and the open sea beyond. This view has not changed in substance since the hotel first opened, which is more than can be said for the rates.

One should admire the landmark without assuming every old room contains romance. Some contain plumbing. Some contain memories. Some contain both, which is often how trouble begins.

As a landmark it is indispensable. The seafront without St George’s would be like the bay without the pier: still a bay, but missing its argument.

St George’s earns its place because it explains Llandudno’s ambition. This was not merely a coastal village taking in guests. It was a resort announcing itself, and expecting the right people to notice.