11-04-2025
Fresh hope for iconic hotel as talks spark optimism for its future
There is hope for the future of an iconic Weymouth hotel.
The Riviera Hotel, at Bowleaze Cove, is a Grade II-listed art déco hotel built in 1937 which enjoys sweeping views across Weymouth Bay.
Fencing went up around the site around two years ago, and the hotel stopped accepting bookings, sparking questions about its future.
However, this future was recently discussed at the Weymouth Town Council full council meeting by Littlemoor and Preston councillor, Louie O'Leary.
Cllr O'Leary revealed that he had a meeting with fellow ward councillor Peter Dickenson and the cabinet member for planning at Dorset Council.
Cllr O'Leary said: 'A number of you will currently be aware it [the hotel] is empty and in a bit of a state.
'He [the cabinet member] is working with conservation and planning enforcement officers on the subject and the scaffolding has come down which we are unsure to know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.'
However, the councillor further revealed that there has been some interest in the site.
He added: 'We do have a meeting coming up with somebody that is interested in the future of the site which hopefully will be a positive.
'Whilst it is a ward issue, it is one that affects the skyline of Weymouth, as it were, and one that affects the whole town, so, hopefully, we can get a positive way forward on that.'
Last year, a member of staff at the site told the Echo that work was still going on at the site, at that time, repairs to the roof ahead of a refurbishment - though no timeline was given as to when it might re-open.
The hotel, which became a listed building in 1997, was used by authorities to house homeless people during the pandemic.
It suffered a major blow in February 2022 when the ballroom roof collapsed after damage caused by Storm Eunice.
The following year, the 98-bedroom hotel was put on a list of 'most threatened buildings in the country of demolition, redevelopment or neglect' by the Twentieth Century Society.
The future of the Weymouth venue made headlines in 2021 after estate agency Rolfe East took it off the market due to difficulty selling properties amid the pandemic.
It had been up for sale for £5.5 million.
The Riviera has had several owners over the years, including holiday camp owner Fred Pontin and Saudi Arabian investors.
In July of this year, several youths gained entry to the grounds, sparking a police warning not to enter the site.
