The inspiration for the name was rumoured to be inspired from the funding for the conversion which was the winnings from a horse which ran at the St Cloud races in France.

In 1915 the local parish council resolved to name the road, on which the Cloud Hotel now stands, Meerut Road. This was to commemorate the path taken by King George V in 1914 when visiting wounded soldiers of the 7th Meerut Division of the Indian Army who were being treated in locally converted hospitals.

In the 1920's St Cloud was believed to have been developed into tea rooms with bed and breakfast accommodation. By the late 1920's a Colonel Vinter owned St Cloud and Broceste Villas and with financial help from a colleague, he converted the properties into a hotel.

The first guests were recorded in the visitors' book on 30th September 1932. One of the first signatures of the book is that of Lady Reid of 16 Hyde Park Gardens. At this stage it was just a two storey building with no electricity, only gas. Six years later a third storey was added to the centre of the building.

The visitors' books can still be found at the hotel and present a wonderful record of previous guests. Many visitors enjoy looking up parents, grandparents or even their own names from previous trips in years gone by.

After the War, at the age of 89, Colonel Vintner decided to retire and Mr and Mrs Kay took over but only stayed 2 years. The hotel then had various owners, with the Owton family owning the Cloud until 2017. During this time Avril Owton MBE spent many years redesigning and upgrading the Hotel with many of her accolades and achievements adorning the walls. Having spent time as a world-famous Tiller Girl, the Tiller Bar and Encore Restaurant were both themed to reflect her successes performing.

The Cloud Hotel has won numerous accolades and most recently was awarded 2 red AA stars (the AA's supreme Inspectors' Choice used to recognise hotels that stand out as the very best) before being upgraded again to 3 AA Stars in 2013.

Now under new ownership in December 2017, the Cloud Hotel looks forward to beginning a new chapter in its history under the guidance of Proprietors Chris Legg and Stewart Willis.