MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE ROYAL BELL, BROMLEY
ADVERTORIAL
in THE HOT SEAT:
MARK GOLDBERG
MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE ROYAL BELL, BROMLEY
THIS AUTUMN, SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL RETURNS TO THE HEART OF BROMLEY. AFTER YEARS OF SILENCE AND MORE THAN £ 10 MILLION OF INVESTMENT – THE GRADE II-LISTED ROYAL BELL IS REOPENING: RESTORED, REIMAGINED AND READY TO BEGIN ITS NEXT CHAPTER AS A BOUTIQUE HOTEL, A WELCOMING COMMUNITY HUB, A DYNAMIC DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION WITH A PRIVATE MEMBERS’ CLUB, A CO-WORKING SPACE AND A FITNESS STUDIO. AFTER DARK, THE FIRST-FLOOR BARS AND LOUNGES TRANSFORM INTO THE PLACE TO BE FOR PROFESSIONALS AND CREATIVES SEEKING A DESTINATION COCKTAIL VENUE WITH A CANDLELIT AMBIENCE AND A BLEND OF ENTERTAINMENT FROM LOW-KEY DJ SETS TO LIVE MUSIC SESSIONS.
Hi Mark. Tell us about the professional journey that’ s led you to the redevelopment of The Royal Bell? I’ ve spent most of my career building businesses across property, hospitality and financial services, but I’ ve always been passionate about revitalising spaces that mean something to the local community. The Royal Bell stood out as a unique opportunity to bring one of Bromley’ s most iconic buildings back to life. As a Bromley boy myself, this project became personal; it’ s about creating something lasting for the town I grew up in.
Tell us what inspired your decision to reimagine The Royal Bell. The Royal Bell has a rich history, but for too long it stood empty, fading into the background. I wanted to restore it as a cultural and social landmark, a place where people could reconnect over great food, music and shared experiences. The inspiration was to respect the building’ s heritage while giving it a fresh, contemporary identity that speaks to today’ s Bromley.
What’ s the concept and why did you take this direction? The concept is a vibrant private members’ club; a destination that blends historic charm with modern social dining and entertainment. It’ s part boutique hotel, part destination bar,
134 • www. insidekent. co. uk part live events space- a place you’ d visit whether for coffee, dinner or a live music night. Bromley doesn’ t currently have a venue that really brings people together across ages and interests in the way we’ re aiming to do- we want our members to shape the next chapter of The Royal Bell’ s story.
What will make The Royal Bell stand out as a venue? Two things: first, the quality of the experience, food, drinks, service and atmosphere all raised to the level Bromley deserves. Secondly, it’ s a connection for members to join a dynamic community and culture. Members don’ t just join The Royal Bell, they define it, shape its culture and set the vibe. We’ re planning everything from live entertainment to business networking, making The Royal Bell more than just a night out and a hub for the town. From live jazz nights and screenings in the library to supper clubs and garden drinks, The Royal Bell curates a culture for a new generation of members and guests. Plus, the building itself is stunning; we’ ve worked hard to retain and restore its unique character.
Tell us about the biggest challenge you’ ve faced on the project. How did you overcome it? The biggest challenge was definitely balancing the demands of restoring a listed building with the realities of modern hospitality. Every decision took longer than expected, from planning approvals to construction work. But we worked closely with heritage specialists and the council to ensure we stayed true to the building’ s history while creating something functional for today. It took patience and perseverance, but the end result is worth it.
What’ s been your most memorable moment? There have been plenty, but seeing the basement space opened up to be fully utilised as not just kitchen storage but potentially as a members’ clubhouse to provide a sports bar, private screening / dining room, boardroom and a fitness studio has been amazing, and has really set the foundation for turning our vision into a reality.
What does the future hold for The Royal Bell? We see The Royal Bell becoming the beating heart of Bromley. Beyond the launch, we’ re planning a regular events programme, collaborations with local businesses, and hopefully expanding our hospitality offering into more rooms and services. Long-term, we want The Royal Bell to be a destination people travel to- not just a local venue, but a landmark for the whole of the South East.
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