Originally named The Foy Boat, the Pier Hotel. Evidence for the change of names comes in the form of the name of the licensee for The Foy Boat being listed as William Hudson between 1828-51 and the Licensee of the Pier Hotel being listed as William Hudson 1844-58.<1>

From the Kentish Gazette, 25 February 1845. MARGATE.
Town-Hall. Feb. 19. before T. Blackburn the younger, and George E. Hannam, esqrs. and the Rev. Geo. Wilson Sicklemore, clerk.
Ambrose Jutton, of this place, police constable, charged with unlawfully assaulting Mr. J. Hudson, (son of the proprietor of the "Pier Hotel"), and was adjudged to pay a fine and costs amounting to £1.<1>

In 1878 the Duke’s Head and the adjacent Pier Hotel were combined to become the Grand Hotel.<2>

The Grand Hotel 1878 - 1890
The "Grand Hotel" totally destroyed. (1890)
'One of the largest fires known in Margate for several years occurred on Thursday morning when the Grand Hotel" was entirely destroyed; very little of the contents being saved.'<2>

Metropole Hotel 1890 - 1939/45?
Built on the site of the Grand Hotel, after it's demolition after being destroyed by fire.<3>

Murder at the Metropole Hotel.
On an October day in 1929 Sidney Fox and his semi-invalid mother, Rosaline, 63, booked into the Metropole Hotel without any luggage.
Later that month Sidney travelled alone to London to arrange ‘violent external death and injury’ insurance totalling £3000. The insurances were valid until midnight on the 23rd October.
At 11.40pm on the 23rd October, Sidney raised the alarm, saying that his mother’s room was on fire.
Although rescued from her room by the hotel’s guests, she died at the scene.
Sidney was tried for her murder and found guilty and was hanged at Maidstone Prison on the 8th April 1930, the last person to be hanged there.<4>

Ordinance Survey, 1872, Margate - Kent XXV 4_17 (Map). SKE56389.

<1> Dover Kent Archives, 2024, Pier Hotel, Margate (Website). SKE57140.

<2> Dover Kent Archives, 2024, Grand Hotel, Margate (Website). SKE57207.

<3> Dover Kent Archives, 2024, Metropole Hotel, Margate (Website). SKE57208.

<4> The Isle of Thanet News, 2024, Metropole Hotel Murder, Margate (Website). SKE57209.