Latest news with #BritanniaHotels
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Brighton council 'taking action' to recover Britannia Hotels debt
Brighton & Hove City Council says it is will take further action to recover £1.2m of taxpayer money from Britannia Hotels if it brings a "faster resolution" to the council spent £1.7m to make the Royal Albion Hotel safe after parts of it were destroyed by a fire in July Hotels, which owns the Royal Albion, has so far paid back just £500,000 of that amount according to the council, which says it is now looking at "other avenues for recovery" to get the remaining money back as soon as Hotels did not respond to a request for comment. The council paid £1.7m for urgent work to make the area around the Brighton seafront hotel safe in the wake of the Hotels is liable for these costs but has an outstanding £1.2m balance with the authority, said the council.A spokesperson for the council said: "Discussions are ongoing in relation to further payments from Britannia to reimburse the cost to the council and we are determined the full amount will be recovered."We are keeping these discussions with Britannia under frequent review and will consider other avenues for recovery of the outstanding sum if they are likely to now bring a faster resolution."We have already received £500,000, and we're pursuing the rest."Further demolition work carried out in March was paid for by Britannia Hotels, not the council. The BBC understands the council is working with Britannia Hotels on designs for a replacement building, but discussions are still at an early stage.
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Abandoned Pontins camp handed 'top holiday spot' prediction in major update
The abandoned Pontins holiday camp near Camber Sands, just over the Kent border, could be set for a new lease of life as discussions over its future get underway An abandoned holiday camp may soon be transformed into a new holiday destination, as discussions over its future get underway. The disused Pontins holiday camp near Camber Sands, just over the Kent border, has remained empty since its sudden closure by owner Britannia Hotels last November. The shutdown has significantly affected the local community, with residents reporting declines in employment, business activity, and visitor numbers. Once priding itself on nearly 30 locations across the UK, Pontins has now dwindled down to just two surviving resorts: Suffolk's Pakefield Holiday Village and Sand Bay Holiday Village in Weston-super-Mare. However, at a meeting in December, representatives from Rother District Council and Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore met with Britannia Hotels to discuss redevelopment plans. Councillor Christine Bayliss, deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development and regeneration, said she felt encouraged by the meeting. "The closure of the holiday park last year was a shock to everyone, including the council, which owns the site's freehold," she said. "We've been actively seeking clarity about its future." According to Bayliss, Britannia Hotels confirmed its intention to redevelop the site into a holiday destination and expressed willingness to collaborate with local stakeholders, including the district council. 'Pontins has been a key destination for Camber, and we recognise its vital role in the local economy,' she added. 'We're optimistic about working together to restore Camber Sands as one of the region's top holiday spots.' Currently, the site is fenced off, with only security lights illuminating the empty premises. Once capable of hosting up to 3,000 guests, the holiday park also featured a Nisa Local shop, which closed in September. The Camber Sands closure coincided with the shutdown of another Pontins site in Prestatyn, Wales. However, Britannia Hotels recently confirmed that redevelopment is already underway at the Welsh location, with plans to reopen it in the near future. Pontins Holidays confirmed the closure of the locations in November 2023. Sharing a statement on social media, they said: "Important announcement. We regret to inform you that our parks in Prestatyn and Camber Sands will be closing with immediate effect. Customers whose bookings will be affected by these closures will be contacted by our team and refunded. We apologise for any inconvenience caused." Pontins holiday camps were initially the brainchild of Fred Pontin, who opened his first Pontins in a former US army base in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset in 1946. Over the years, the holiday camp magnate bought more camps, expanding his empire to 30 sites at its peak. Smaller and less expensive than Butlin's holiday camps, Pontins had Bluecoats to entertain guests as opposed to the Redcoats of its major rival. TV stars who learned their comedy trade as former Bluecoats include Bradley Walsh, Shane Richie, Bobby Davro and Lee Mack.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Iconic seaside holiday park which closed after 80 years sparks raft of jobs cuts as site undergoes transformation
The deal has left locals "distraught" despite promises that the deal would be good for business HOL NO Iconic seaside holiday park which closed after 80 years sparks raft of jobs cuts as site undergoes transformation AN ICONIC seaside holiday park which suddenly closed after 80 years has cut 20 jobs - despite telling staff they'd stay employed. Pontins Pakefield Holiday Village in Lowestoft, Sussex shut in January this year with plans to use it as accomodation for 500 workers building a nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast. 3 Pontins holiday camp has been enthralling punters for over 80 years Credit: Alamy 3 The blue and yellow branding will be much missed Credit: Google The park's owners Britannia Hotels originally said staff would be keeping their jobs. But now they've accounced more than 20 redundancies. Sizewell C Nuclear plant has already begun revamping the site to create 513 bed spaces to help build Britain's first new nuclear power station in 30 years, with a budget of £46bn. The French energy company, EDF, is bankrolling the development and has promised that the influx of workers would revive the area. Read more SHOP TO IT Primark launches new service at 24 more stores TODAY In a meeting before the park's closure in January, staff said they had been reassured that their jobs were safe, and that those on zero-hour contracts would be given 40-hour contracts. But, an email sent to staff from Britannia Hotels earlier this month read: "Unfortunately, Pakefield will no longer be operating as a holiday park. "Therefore, I am regretfully writing to confirm that it is likely that your position is at risk of redundancy, and you should regard the receipt of this letter as a warning notice of the potential redundancy. "The number of people that could be put at risk might be over 20, and as such, this is a collective redundancy." But local traders say the move has 'decimated' their business, and a band that had played their tunes at the park for 35 years said the final event was 'very emotional.' Sounds Imperial, a 60s and 70s covers band, opened up about how the park 'was a big part of our lives.' The 100-year-old theme park by the beach with one of the world's oldest rollercoasters Drummer Bryce Woodrow told BBC Suffolk: 'Pakefield has always been a big part of our lives. 'We started there about 1990 and have pretty much been there ever since. 'The final gig was very emotional because we've become friends with the guests and the staff, and we don't know when we will ever see them again.' Alan House, who chairs the Tourism association, told the BBC: "Generally speaking they're all either on shift or asleep. "They don't tend to come out into the local economy, we haven't seen anything of them over the winter at all." A Sizewell C spokesman boasted to the East Anglian Daily Times: "We're making some significant enhancements to the accommodation offering – including new self-catering units and shower rooms – and we expect to finish that work by the end of the first half of 2025. "All the existing facilities – including the café, restaurant, pool and gym – will be retained and available to those staying on the site. "Britannia will manage the staff arrangements to take advantage of the all-year-round Sizewell C occupancy." The beloved park, which dates back to the mid 1950s, has attracted generations of beach enthusiasts, hosting 1,200 guests at its peak. Andrew Cockroft claimed his team had spent £2m repairing the Pontins chalets, and that the influx of workers would mean 'business all year round for local traders.' "They keep themselves to themselves, I think they're here to work really," he said. "We have lost trade yes, it has been a big thing for us losing the Pontins customers." Brian Davies, who runs the weekend market, with stalls selling arts and crafts, cakes, fudge and a spread of other tasty treats, said that last year the season started with 43 stalls. 'We ended it with 21, traders just weren't taking the money.'
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Iconic seaside holiday park which closed after 80 years sparks raft of jobs cuts as site undergoes transformation
AN ICONIC seaside holiday park which suddenly closed after 80 years has cut 20 jobs - despite telling staff they'd stay employed. Pontins Pakefield Holiday Village in Lowestoft, Sussex shut in January this year with plans to use it as accomodation for 500 workers building a nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast. 3 3 The park's owners Britannia Hotels originally said staff would be keeping their jobs. But now they've accounced more than 20 redundancies. Sizewell C Nuclear plant has already begun revamping the site to create 513 bed spaces to help build Britain's first new nuclear power station in 30 years, with a budget of £46bn. The French energy company, EDF, is bankrolling the development and has promised that the influx of workers would revive the area. In a meeting before the park's closure in January, staff said they had been reassured that their jobs were safe, and that those on zero-hour contracts would be given 40-hour contracts. But, an email sent to staff from Britannia Hotels earlier this month read: "Unfortunately, Pakefield will no longer be operating as a holiday park. "Therefore, I am regretfully writing to confirm that it is likely that your position is at risk of redundancy, and you should regard the receipt of this letter as a warning notice of the potential redundancy. "The number of people that could be put at risk might be over 20, and as such, this is a collective redundancy." But local traders say the move has 'decimated' their business, and a band that had played their tunes at the park for 35 years said the final event was 'very emotional.' Sounds Imperial, a 60s and 70s covers band, opened up about how the park 'was a big part of our lives.' Drummer Bryce Woodrow told BBC Suffolk: 'Pakefield has always been a big part of our lives. 'We started there about 1990 and have pretty much been there ever since. 'The final gig was very emotional because we've become friends with the guests and the staff, and we don't know when we will ever see them again.' Alan House, who chairs the Tourism association, told the BBC: "Generally speaking they're all either on shift or asleep. "They don't tend to come out into the local economy, we haven't seen anything of them over the winter at all." A Sizewell C spokesman boasted to the East Anglian Daily Times: "We're making some significant enhancements to the accommodation offering – including new self-catering units and shower rooms – and we expect to finish that work by the end of the first half of 2025. "All the existing facilities – including the café, restaurant, pool and gym – will be retained and available to those staying on the site. " Britannia will manage the staff arrangements to take advantage of the all-year-round Sizewell C occupancy." The beloved park, which dates back to the mid 1950s, has attracted generations of beach enthusiasts, hosting 1,200 guests at its peak. Andrew Cockroft claimed his team had spent £2m repairing the Pontins chalets, and that the influx of workers would mean 'business all year round for local traders.' "They keep themselves to themselves, I think they're here to work really," he said. "We have lost trade yes, it has been a big thing for us losing the Pontins customers." Brian Davies, who runs the weekend market, with stalls selling arts and crafts, cakes, fudge and a spread of other tasty treats, said that last year the season started with 43 stalls. 'We ended it with 21, traders just weren't taking the money.'
Telegraph
20-04-2025
- Telegraph
My mini tour of the ‘worst hotel chain in Britain' – featuring a room with a view of an overflowing skip
A line of scum clings to the tiles in the pool at Bournemouth's Royal Bath Hotel. 'They need to give this place a good jet wash,' says the lady doing breaststroke next to me, before merrily shrugging off any concerns she might have about hygiene. 'It's not the cleanest, but then I grew up swimming in canals,' she says. Good for her. I didn't, so I head back to my (£49-a-night) room for a shower. I've been trying to spend as little time as possible in here since checking in. The mismatched furniture looks like it was sourced in haste from a house clearance shop and makes me feel homesick, while the views make me want to call the Samaritans (if we can reasonably describe a rusty air conditioning unit, some broken guttering and fag ends on an enclosed flat roof as views). I can't even bring myself to make a cuppa because, for reasons I'd rather not speculate on, there's tissue in the kettle. I should be used to this by now. I've been on a mini tour of properties belonging to what consumer magazine Which? recently crowed the 'worst hotel chain in Britain'. Britannia Hotels has had the dubious distinction for 11 straight years, scoring an 'abysmal' overall customer satisfaction rating in the magazine's latest survey. Editor Rory Boland told me over email: 'With over a decade of dismal reviews, our results suggest that Britannia should be avoided at all costs.' Instead of heeding his advice, I jumped right in, starting in Buxton, where my room at Britannia's ironically named Palace Hotel (3 out of 5 on TripAdvisor) looked out across an overflowing skip, and was so cold that I didn't want to get out of bed. Next was Folkestone's Grand Burstin (2.7 out of 5 on TripAdvisor), where I found rose petals in the room – which had presumably featured in a recent low-budget dirty weekend. The scuzzy spa facilities, meanwhile, evoked verruca socks. Britannia Hotels owns more than 60 such properties across the country, many of them listed buildings in prime locations with illustrious histories. Bournemouth's sprawling Royal Bath (2.6 out of 5 on TripAdvisor), for instance, has a plum position overlooking the beach and was opened by Queen Victoria, making it the oldest hotel in the town. However, like many of its sister properties, the Royal Bath, with its curled Astroturf front lawn, has seen better days and even acknowledges as much in its literature. An almost wistful note on my bed, informing guests that 'we no longer do room servicing', feels like a tacit admission that standards have slipped. At least the staff – as they were at all the hotels I stayed at – were cheerful. Incidents at Britannia's properties frequently make the national news. In 2006, Scarborough's Grand Hotel was fined £10,000 after a guest drank tap water contaminated with dangerously high levels of bleach. In 2022, part of the Grand Burstin's façade blew off, injuring two people. In September of that year, a woman died in Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel after a wardrobe fell on her in what police described as a 'bizarre accident'. And the following July, fire ripped through Brighton's Royal Albion Hotel, gutting the historic building. The chain's sister company Pontins has fared even worse. Its owner, Britannia Jinky Jersey – part of Britannia Hotels group – was this week charged with corporate manslaughter after an air conditioning duct fell on guests at Pontins Brean Sands in Somerset. Grandmother Wendy Jones, 68, never recovered from injuries sustained during the 2019 incident and died in hospital six months later. Britannia Jinky Jersey will appear before Bristol magistrates' court next month. The Telegraph repeatedly contacted Britannia Hotels for a comment. It didn't respond, but accounts for the firm – filed late this week – revealed pre-tax profits of £31m for the group in the 12 months to March 31 2024. The accompanying directors report offered hints at the direction of travel for the chain, which may evoke feelings of déjà vu. 'The group's policy is to focus on increasing profitability via tightly controlled management of costs,' it reads. Whether the purse strings will be loose enough for a jet wash of the Royal Bath's pool remains to be seen. Cheshire-based Britannia Hotels is owned by Alex Langsam, a self-made millionaire who seldom speaks to the media. According to a Business Insider rich list, published last August, the octogenarian tycoon has amassed a fortune of £285 million through his hotel empire. Langsam was a baby when he arrived in the UK as a refugee after fleeing the Nazi takeover of his native Austria. He's since been dubbed the 'Asylum King' after receiving lucrative Home Office contracts to house asylum seekers in some of his hotels. Langsam is a non-domiciled UK resident, registered as living in Austria for tax purposes (but not for long under Labour's planned crackdown). In the absence of any comment from Britannia, and in the interest of balance, I find myself mustering a defence of the chain over a £15 three-course dinner in Oscar's Brasserie, which overlooks the Royal Bath's pretty, landscaped garden. Watching a family play over-sized chess on the lawn, pensioners slurping soup on the table next to me, I concede that there's probably nowhere else in Bournemouth where you can eat three courses for £15, let alone in such grand surroundings. You get what you pay for, of course. The first bread roll I picked to go with my pate requires hydraulic gear to prise open. And though the beef stew is tender, the accompanying carrots – simultaneously raw and overcooked – evoke memories of 1980s school dinners. My dessert looks like it would glow in the dark. Delaying my return to the room, I head to the bar for a pint, which I sip on a Chesterfield sofa under high ornate ceilings propped up by gilded columns. Staying here is like buying a high-mileage Jag in that you get yesterday's luxury at knockdown prices with the inherent risk that something will go wrong. And while the Premier Inn opposite is comparable in price and not falling apart, as far as I know there are no murals of armoured men on horseback in its bar, no sculptures of nude beauties in its garden. Under another, less careful owner (Britannia has at least invested £1m in the Royal Bath recently), the chain's properties may have been abandoned and left to ruin, or turned into flats – a fate that has befallen many other hotels across the land. More careful owners, meanwhile, would inevitably charge higher rates, putting the historic properties out of reach of ordinary working families. What's more, Britannia's tired hotels hardly feel like an aberration in the land, rather a reflection of contemporary Britain, a nation plagued by underinvestment, cost-cutting and short-termism. But Britannia is part of the problem when it could be a solution. Its tight-fistedness and blithe neglect is a missed opportunity for our struggling towns. 'We are seeing a decline in visitors choosing our coastal destinations, with the latest statistics showing a year-on-year drop of 14 per cent in domestic trips to the seaside – the largest decline seen across all destination types last year,' a spokesperson for Visit Britain tells me. 'Investment in our seaside resorts, including in quality accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets… [is] key to attracting visitors and to keeping them coming back.' A jet wash might be a good place to start.
