Sir Francis Drake hotel to have name changed over explorer's links to slavery

A San Francisco hotel - The Sir Francis Drake - has changed its name over the British explorer's links to slavery.

The hotel will be renamed The Beacon Grand, following a significant renovation.

The 426-room landmark, which is 94-years-old and situated in the city's Union Square, is the latest in a line of landmarks to be changed following the Black Lives Matter Movement in June 2020.

After the movement caused traction in the States, historic statues nationwide have come under fire over colonial connections.

Guests to The Sir Francis Drake, which have included Hollywood A-listers, are welcomed into the hotel by Beefeater doorman in tribute to Drake.

Sir Francis Drake gave his name to Drakes Bay in San Francisco in the 1500s.

Sir Francis' name has been struck off a multitude of California landmarks and institutions due to his slavery connections. However, originally the landmarks named after Drake were done so to honour the explorer, who visited California whilst circumnavigating the world between 1577 and 1580.

On trips to Africa, Drake is alleged to have enslaved thousands and taken them to Britain and America.

Northview Hotel Group, the company which brought the hotel last year for approximately $157m, confirmed the removal of Drake's name from the name of the hotel.

The MailOnline reported that hotel's doorman, who has worked at the establishment for 43 years, said: "Everybody knew the Sir Francis Drake, it was world-known.

"It’s going to be a sad day in San Francisco for sure — I think people will be pretty shocked to see a new name.

PR manager for the hotel, Leah Goldstein, added: "Everything was done with so much thought for such an iconic property. We are not just changing the name and then quickly changing everything about the hotel. It is all much more intentional than that."

The removal Sir Francis Drake from the hotel is the latest in a string of measures taken in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement to decolonise the Bay Area of California.

Marin County authorities took down a 30-foot steel sculpture of Sir Francis.

They said the move was agreed to "in response to planned demonstrations to tear down or demolish the statue".