A MAN with a passion for Southend’s past has started a petition demanding the new owners of the Palace Hotel do not change its name.

The landmark building is owned by the Brussels-based Rezidor Hotels group, which plans to reopen it later this year as the Park Inn, Southend.

But film and TV extra Simon Wilson, 28, of Westcliff Parade, Westcliff, is trying to stop the name change.

He said: “The name Park Inn sounds dull and dreary.

“The hotel opened as the Metropole in 1901, but within months it was renamed the Palace, a name it’s had for more than 100 years.

“Alongside the pier, it is one of the most iconic buildings in the town and one of the few remaining symbols of its past.”

He will be clutching his clipboard around Pier Hill until Monday and asking passers-by who feel the same to sign the petition.

When contacted by the Echo, a spokesman for Rezidor Hotels refused to comment. The group’s website shows Park Inn is a brand name used globally by the chain.