Who is to buy derelict Quality Hotel on Plymouth Hoe?

Plymouth Council to buy derelict Quality Hotel on Plymouth Hoe

PLYMOUTH City Council is to buy and demolish the Hoe’s derelict Quality Hotel and market the site for a top-class replacement.

The council has exchanged contracts with the building’s owners and a report is going to its cabinet today to give the go-ahead to buy the empty property.

The sale price has not been disclosed as commercially-sensitive discussions are still ongoing, but the sum will come from reserves.

The authority has already drawn up a plan of action which involves demolishing the 10-storey building as soon as is practical.

Once all the contracts and completion stages of the sale have finished demolition of the 111-bedroom building will get under way. This could take place in the next few weeks, the council said.

I can't see it being JB. He's too busy saving his pennies to buy the ground.

Still astonishes me how a hotel in that location could possibly fail. Must have had Terry Phuckwit & Co running it.

Czarcasm wrote:

Still astonishes me how a hotel in that location could possibly fail. Must have had Terry Phuckwit & Co running it.

Basil Fawlty and Rigsby would have been hard pressed to phuck up in that Location.............As for Jimmy and his renowned Brick Laying activity who knows  

More ongoing stuff of a right dodgy set of circumstances, including the fire. I guess the Council have no choice but to buy the site if they want to control what is built, and WHEN, or even IF it is built.

I see the old Television studios site is still derelict. The property market is full of people wanting to build nothing but "student accommodation", the modern day euphimism for tomorrow's under specified social housing. That is what WILL happen.
When you've been bitten by the likes of Brent over the Civic Centre and the Pavillions,  you must get pretty disillusioned as to the morality of Britain's "developers". The private market is failing this country's building needs. Hopeless. The profit motive is the problem, as it mitigates against what is actually needed. Get Jezza on the case.

Private money was to fill the gap left by non investing governments, unforch most rich people won't invest their own money in these projects and the banks are hanging onto the trillions that we the public gave them in the bail out so there only remains the councils to divert more of our money into the pockets of the private sector. Thankfully we don't live in a communist state (before somebody brings that one up again).

The banks know the problem hasn't been solved, and are squirreling somewhere, although it's getting a bit difficult to know where to put yer nuts these days. Squatting on public assets seems to be de rigeur.

I'm sure the council will make a few bob out of it, they really ought to anyway.

I wonder whether Brent will just mention to Tudor that this time, on this particular site, at this particular time he could make a go of this. Mind you the site is for sale not a freebie so I suppose that counts our glorious leader out of the race. Maybe the porkmeister could sell some stuff and buy it for his master? Feckin embarrassing when you have less money than your driver.

AstiSpumante wrote:

I'm sure the council will make a few bob out of it, they really ought to anyway.

Let's hope so, but not necessarily, and certainly not in this uncertain global climate.
That the council feels it necessary to do such a thing speaks volumes for the marketplace out there.
I can't help feeling there isn't the market/return for the traditional big hotel on top of the Hoe, and of course, just look what happened to the Grand, and that had history and a bit of style.
Will probably end up a big block of expensive flats, at least partially. Such hybrid developments have happened in other parts of the South Devon coast. The East Portlemouth Gara Rock redevelopment is one such hybrid, that's more residential/holiday let than hotel. Great walk, shame about the development.

Used to surf Gara Rock, still spend a lot of time over that way. My sister is a wild swimmer and she uses the cafe at Gara and reckons they are all right and let them park there when they swim.

I happened upon the restaurant a couple of times last year. A bit of a strange feel, a bit too Patrick Mcgoohan for me. Nothing made any real sense, no root.
I used the smallest pub in the world there a long time ago when the world was fun.

Czarcasm wrote:

Still astonishes me how a hotel in that location could possibly fail. Must have had Terry Phuckwit & Co running it.

Really, you're surprised a business could fail in a shiite tip like plimuff?

Lord Tisdale wrote:

Czarcasm wrote:

Still astonishes me how a hotel in that location could possibly fail. Must have had Terry Phuckwit & Co running it.

Really, you're surprised a business could fail in a shiite tip like plimuff?

When you have the slightest idea what we're talking about, come back and join the conversation.

Czarcasm wrote:

Still astonishes me how a hotel in that location could possibly fail. Must have had Terry Phuckwit & Co running it.

I used to work there part-time for six years. Whilst there were those present who worked very hard, there were also those who were stuck in their thirty-year-old ways. I used to work at Hilton up north and used to make loads of suggestions for improvements which were never followed up, but the real problem was the landlord who wouldn't spend a penny on maintenance or upgrading the place. The main function room had half the blinds missing. The windows all rattled like a bag of bones and the bar could have been used as a set for a period drama. The main front door during the day was stuck in the open position.....for THREE YEARS. And the worse it got, the more the staff didn't give a shit. The phone system ran off Windows 98!!! The only system that was relatively modern was the main bookings one - Opera. I doo feel that much more could have been done but to honest the staff knew it was closing way before it did. How it stayed open as long as it did was a miracle. I remember going out for milk in the morning sometimes because they were 'on stop' with the food supplier for not paying the latest bill.

Shame really. At one time it was thriving under the Posthouse moniker with an outdoor pool. Should be the jewel in Plymouth's crown due to its location as a few have eluded to already.

Just prior to its closure it was the place to go to indulge in some "gentleman leisure time" with Ukrainain girls.

Did I see you coming in on a few nights (I worked nights) with 'Olga', Vega?!

SteelCannon wrote:

Did I see you coming in on a few nights (I worked nights) with 'Olga', Vega?!

might have been her real name, but tend to find they go as either a Kitty, Roxy or Katie, so I am told

I'd take issue with you saying 'prior' to it closing. That was going on on for bleddy years! We used to get regular 'ladies' who'd book rooms, then we'd see their customers coming in and out all night. Like a conveyer belt it was. I could write a book about some of the things I've seen that go on at night in hotels over the years.

I stayed in a hotel in Truro one night with the missus, we went to a gig and she was all dolled up when we got there, the woman owner of the the hotel was real frosty when we booked in which she apologised for in the morning when she found out we were married, she said they'd had a lot of problems with men bringing in whores, I nearly choked on my bacon and the missus nearly choked her.

Spent a week up in the midlands in the early 80's working. Booked into a little hotel which turned out to be nothing more than a knocking shop. Had a great time especially when the hotel madam / owner and some of her 'staff' took a shine to me as a shy 19year old!

geddon bhey

Czarcasm wrote:

Lord Tisdale wrote:

Czarcasm wrote:

Still astonishes me how a hotel in that location could possibly fail. Must have had Terry Phuckwit & Co running it.

Really, you're surprised a business could fail in a shiite tip like plimuff?

When you have the slightest idea what we're talking about, come back and join the conversation.