The Branch hotel was opened in July 1870 by Messrs Cattle and Diamond who were proprietors of the Princess Hotel, Wellington. No hotel photo located as yet.

In May 1876 Sydney Diamond made extensive additions to the Branch - 16 extra bedrooms some being double, three suites of rooms and a large billiard room with it's own private bar " a nice size, comfortably fitted up with green velvet couches and containing as good and fast a table as there is in  the city."  The following year, March 1877 the license passed to Frederick Wallace, however his name was listed Oct 1881 with other publicans who adulterated their beverages with water.

June 1883 the licensee was Alfred Leitch, and in turn, Apr 1885 transferred to Thomas Urwin. He and his family lived in a cottage at the back of the hotel which he renovated, repapered and repainted, refurnished the bedrooms and sitting rooms and "everything was now a picture of neatness and comfort".  Patrick O'Shea took over the licence in Jan 1887 and in December 1887 the license passed to Eleanor Winifred Robson who, with insufficient capital, quickly got into financial difficulties and the hotel had to be sold.

4 Jun 1888 application for Licence granted to James Prosser Branch Hotel Again it was renovated and the following month opened for custom but this was be a short term tenure - it was onsold beginning of July to P Spollan of Ekatahuna.

W H Swain was the proprietor of 125 Lambton Quay, (corner of Woodward Street) at the turn of the century and the Branch Hotel was renamed  Swain's Private Hotel and Luncheon Rooms .

"This hotel, a two-story building—is newly fitted up, and contains a large and well-ventilated dining hall, capable of seating seventy persons. Smoking and sitting-rooms, and a hairdressing saloon and tobacconist's shop are also on the ground floor. On the first floor are fourteen cheerful bedrooms, all well appointed and carefully tended. This house, originally the Branch Hotel, has already proved very convenient for many who require comfortable quarters at a pound a week, the tariff charged. Mr. Swain has had long experience as a caterer, both afloat and ashore, and is personally popular."

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