burton designed the hotel as a focal point in the town. construction started in 1840 and it opened the following year. a regatta was held in celebration of the hotel's opening in august 1841. the hotel's first manager was a corsican man called xenon vantini. by the 1850s, a direct rail route to scotland had been built, ending hesketh-fleetwood's hopes of fleetwood becoming a major transport hub. the town's tourist industry was failing and the north euston was sold to the government. from 1861–1867 the war department used it as a school of musketry. later, with additional buildings, it was converted into euston barracks. in 1898 the north euston reverted to its original purpose.