Hidden marble floor revealed after 50 years at the Queen's Hotel

The stunning black and white floor is in the ground-floor lounge of Southsea's Queen's Hotel.

It was under a red carpet for the past 50 years and was rediscovered after a consortium purchased the hotel with the intention to transform it with a £7m refurbishment.

The plan for the hotel is for it to have 104 bedrooms, including penthouses, and to reopen and refurbish ares of the building that have been closed for many years.

It is hoped to become a four-star hotel that can accommodate visiting dignitaries and celebrities.

A fine-dining restaurant and jazz bar in the basement are part of the proposals.

The second part of the ground-floor refurbishment is expected to start this September.

General manager Amanda Gilmore said: 'A lot of people do not realise that they can simply pop in for a coffee or use the bars that are open to the public.'