The popular Cornwall hotels which have closed since the 2000s

Despite tourism being Cornwall’s main industry, dozens of hotels in the county have closed over the decades.

The closures, mostly due to financial losses, owners retiring or a shift in the visitor accommodation market, appear to have increased since the 2000s.

Some of those hotels are still derelict to this day, others have been destroyed and many have been turned into homes.

Here are 23 examples of the hotels which have closed in the last 19 years in Cornwall.

Falmouth Beach Hotel, Falmouth

The Falmouth Beach Hotel, on the seafront of Gyllyngvase beach, is probably one that has seen the most change over the years – with three different hotels there before the ultimate demise of the Falmouth Beach Hotel in 2012, when a devastating fire ripped through it on April 30.

It was first Holmlea, then welcomed the relocated Pentargan after it was bombed during the war and lastly was the Falmouth Beach Hotel. The latter was built in the 1980s by David and Hazel Evans, who died prior to the fire.

Mrs Evans vowed to rebuilt it and plans were submitted and approved but in 2013 it was put on the market after she reconsidered her future. It was snapped up by Nigel Carpenter, owner of the St Michael’s next door, who said at the time he hoped it would remain at tourist accommodation.

But the site has remained a bit of an eyesore since then as specific plans were drawn up, planning permission gained and plans changed. It is now set to house a huge apartment building known as The Liner.

The Bay Hotel, Falmouth

The striking Bay Hotel, designed by famous local architect Silvanus Trevail, opened in 1911. It has also gone and is now the site of the Bay Court retirement complex.

Gwendra Hotel, Falmouth

This was previously four houses and the hotel was built in between them. It opened in the 1920s but became Seascapes retirement apartments in 2002.

Madeira Hotel, Falmouth

Next door to the Falmouth Hotel the Madeira was built. It was demolished in 2017 and is being replaced by the Fitzroy retirement apartments by Pegasus Life.

Rosslyn Hotel, Falmouth

The hotel, on Kimberly Park Road, has been closed since 2015. In 2017, Studious Building Ltd submitted plans to Cornwall Council to demolish the hotel and build 117 student rooms.

The controversial scheme received more than 200 objections and was refused by the local authority.

The plans were however eventually approved by the Planning Inspectorate, but protesters thought that the danger had passed when Studious Accommodation’s interest seemingly cooled and the hotel was placed back on the open market for sale.

But Cornwall and Falmouth Town Councillor David Saunby has already confirmed that the plans will actually go ahead.

According to Companies House Apartments for London has formed an off-shoot limited company called Apartments for Falmouth Ltd which is expected to oversee the development.

Fistral Bay Hotel, Newquay

The iconic hotel, on The Esplanade, closed in 2006 after nearly 100 years of business. It thrived during the 1950s and 1960s, as Newquay became a beneficiary of the diversion of domestic holiday demand to Cornwall and Devon.

Following decades of success, the 60-bedroom hotel slowly declined in popularity. In 1994 plans were laid out, and later withdrawn, to demolish the building and replace it with ten houses and 12 flats.

In July 2017, Queensbridge Homes Ltd’s proposal to flatten the hotel and build a five-storey building with 74 apartments with office and retail space was given the go ahead.

But now the hotel is up for sale. 

Cliffdene Hotel, Newquay

The following establishments are all located on Narrowcliff, which lost most of its pubs and and hotels despite being located on the seafront.

The Cliffdene Hotel closed earlier this year, after announcing it had ‘succumbed’ to financial pressures.

Owned by Grand UK Hotels, it closed in January, and Cliffedge Newquay Ltd submitted a planning application to Cornwall Council for the hotel to be knocked down to make way for a modern apartment block.

It is planning to erect a five-storey residential building on the site and on the land next door where the former Bella Vista/Safi hotel stood until it was demolished in 2008.

The application reads: “The Cliffdene Hotel has been trading at a loss for the past two years due in part to the pressures from the changing visitor market and in light of the financial position the hotel will close in January 2019.”

The company said the decline in the catering industry was to blame.

“Significant changes have taken place to the hotel and visitor accommodation market in Newquay and Cornwall as a whole over the past 10 to 15 years,” the application adds.

“Numerous former hotels in Newquay have closed with the sites being redeveloped for residential apartment developments with the given trend and demand for high-quality self-catering visitor accommodation.

“The decline in the hotel market in Newquay is as a result of the changing market and ever-increasing visitor expectations with small hotels no longer being viable. The Cliffdene Hotel is therefore no exception to this trend and has finally succumbed to closure having suffered financial losses.

“It is therefore considered that the economic loss of the hotel will be more than offset by the proposed residential apartments. It is also considered that the economic benefits of a viable development on this prominent site in Newquay outweighs the loss of the hotel.

“The proposed development is therefore aimed at developing high-quality visitor accommodation to support Newquay’s position as a leading UK tourist destination and supports the drive for all year round visitor and tourist economy.”

It has been proposed to turn the Cliffdene Hotel and the vacant site next door into 39 flats, with underground parking. The car park would offer 45 spaces, including two disability spaces.

La Felica Hotel, Newquay

The former La Felica Hotel was demolished ten years ago after a plan for 24 flats was approved. The scheme never came to fruition.

In October 2017, Cornovia Homes was given permission to build 10 two-bedroom apartments with parking on the site.

The former building has been demolished but construction on the new scheme is yet to begin.

Fort Wayne and Kelsboro hotels, Newquay

The Fort Wayne and Kelsboro hotels, located on Henver Road, were built post-war.

The hotels closed over ten years ago and were subsequently torn down. The site has stood empty ever since.

In December 2017, Coastline Housing was granted permission to build 16 apartments and five houses on the site.

The former buildings have been demolished but construction on the new scheme began in late April.

The Edgcumbe Hotel, Newquay

The Edgcumbe Hotel closed its doors in 2015, and has remained derelict since.

In August 2017, new owners Noble Design and Build Ltd submitted plans to demolish the old hotel and build 66 apartments and parking on the site. 

Narrowcliff Hotel, Newquay

The building was erected between the early 1900s and 1930s. The Narrowcliff Hotel closed in 2015 and has been derelict ever since.

In November 2017, Narrowcliff Hotel Ltd applied for planning permission to demolish the old hotel and build 13 apartments on the site.

In February 2018, Cornwall Council refused the application due to the loss of a section of a locally-distinctive Edwardian-style interwar terrace, the reduction of natural light for the neighbouring dwelling, and there being no suitable Section 106 agreement in place.

Hotel Safi, Newquay

The former Safi bunkhouse was demolished in 2008. Cornwall Council gave the go-ahead for 40 apartments to be built on the site, but the scheme fell through. There have also been concerns in the past over a large, deep hole in the centre of the plot.

The plot remains empty, and there is talk the site owners have plans in the pipeline.

But no formal plans have been submitted.

St Brannocks and Tolcarne hotels, Newquay

The former St Brannocks and Tolcarne hotels were demolished in September 2008 to make way for a huge new five-storey development for 75 apartments which never materialised, despite some of the prospective new flats having been sold.

The plot was later bought by Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel group.

In February 2018, Premier Inn was given permission to build a four-storey, 82-bed hotel on the site, three months after an application was submitted. The scheme will also include 41 guest parking spaces and a restaurant on the ground floor.

The site is no longer used as a car park, and construction work is due to begin imminently.

Trebarwith hotel, Newquay

This one is located on Trebarwith Crescent. Plans for its demolition and redevelopment had been recommended for approval by planning officers but councillors voted to reject them.

The applicants had applied for permission to demolish the hotel in Trebarwith Crescent and replace it with six townhouses, nine apartments and a detached house.

The former owners of the hotel had tried to sell it as a hotel but failed to find a buyer and so it was considered unviable as a hotel.

Newquay Town Council put forward a strong objection saying the planned building was too big and overbearing in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It also highlighted the emerging neighbourhood plan.

He was also concerned that the development could have an impact on the stability of the cliff highlighting that there had been seven major cliff falls in recent years in the Newquay area.

Planning permission was refused in April with councillors voting 11 to 4. 

Whitsand Bay Hotel, Portwrinkle

The Grade II listed hotel closed in November after almost 110 years of welcoming guests from far and wide and seeing a “significant downturn in trade” in recent years.

Last year, plans were submitted to transform the hotel into 18 apartments.

Cawsand Bay Hotel, Kingsand

Architects Mitchells Architects from Plymouth filed a pre-application in January last year for the demolition of the former 12-bedroom Cawsand Bay Hotel on the Rame Peninsula along with the bar and managers flat, takeaway restaurant and two self contained holiday units in place.

Instead, the existing take-away restaurant will be replaced by a new 40-50-cover licensed restaurant while the existing hotel accommodation will be replaced with nine new residential units including self-contained holiday units and a manager’s flat.

The proposal also incorporates a new covered car park with 15 parking spaces.

Three years ago plans to knock down the hotel and build a new restaurant and residential units were withdrawn in the face of strong criticism.

Cawsand Bay Hotel owner Chris Parsonage withdrew a similar application in 2015 after more criticism even though he said the project would have created 15-20 jobs and seen a £2.5m investment into what is now a derelict site.

A 371-signature petition was submitted to Cornwall Council at the time against the original proposal for 10 residential dwellings, licenced restaurant and new car park.

The pre-application is now closed and advice was given.

Perranporth Hotel, Perranporth

The hotel has been empty for at least 14 months after permanently closing its doors in 2015.

Plans to demolish the 20-bedroom hotel to build a new 11 suit “apart-hotel” and nine new apartments were refused in May 2017.

After the plans was refused, its owners put in another application in October 2017 in the hope of gaining the permission needed to knock the hotel down, with the intention of redeveloping it at a late date.

In November the council confirmed that it would require further information before making a decision on the future of the hotel building. 

Ponsmere Hotel, Perranporth

The former hotel was located on cliffs overlooking Perranporth Beach.

The original planning application to demolish the hotel was submitted in February 2014 and received 84 letters of objection from people against the development.

Despite plans for 40 homes called the Dunes development to be built being initially refused, they were granted at appeal.

Demolition work started to knock-down the hotel back in April 2016 and the homes were put up for sale in October 2017. 

Cottage Hotel, Carbis Bay

The former Cottage Hotel was located on Boskerris Road, Carbis Bay.

Detailed planning has already been granted for the demolition of the Cottage Hotel in Boskerris Road, Carbis Bay, and its replacement with 36 retirement two-bedroom flats.

But the developer behind the scheme asked Cornwall Council planners for consent to change the interior of the apartments and make alterations to the elevations.

The original plans were for 27 retirement apartment and seven open market units but the new proposal would see the erection of 36 retirement-age apartments instead.

St Eia Hotel, St Ives

The demolition of the St Eia Hotel on the main road into St Ives, Trelyon Avenue, in 2016 was marked by controversy. It was the most recent landmark building to be knocked down.

The original hotel was built in the early 1900s by British maritime artist Julius Olsson, which he used as his home and studio.

It had a prominent position and enjoyed stunning views down across the bay. St Ives Town Council said at the time that it did not want to see this building torn down and called it an “architectural and historical murder” as well as “design inappropriate and not in keeping with the area.”

However, planners at Cornwall Council agreed to the new proposals and the building was knocked down.

Work is now nearly finished to build eight luxury houses and apartments. The name of the hotel lives on with the new development known as St Eia.

Dean Court Hotel, St Ives

Just a little further up Trelyon Avenue from St Eia is the site of the former Dean Court Hotel. It was demolished in 2013 as work got under way to build more luxury homes. The hotel was sold after its owners retired after running the business for 12 years.

The appeal of the site is captured in the name of the new development, which is called simply The View. The £2.2million development of nine four-bedroomed homes also boasted an underground car park, which is essential with no parking available on the main road.

Fronting the main road are four traditional-style buildings with a separate more modern designed block behind and looking out to sea. Many of the properties have been bought as holiday lets.

Belyars Croft

On the corner of Belyars Lane and Talland Road once stood the modest hotel Belyars Croft. It stood above the main road leading towards St Ives’ principle car park as was described as an important landmark.

Plans had been mooted back in 2004 to demolish the building and replace it with 11 flats. A site visit by councillors on the planning committee were lobbied by demonstrators outside the hotel. The campaigners, who called themselves ‘the silenced majority’ argued that Belyars Croft was “visually very important to St Ives”.

In the end, the fate of the building’s fate was sealed after a devastating fire in 2007.

At the time arson was suspected and police indicated there had been evidence of a break-in. No one was injured in the fire.

In 2013, work began to clear the site for a £1.3 million project to create a glass-fronted block of 12 luxury apartments.

Woodside Hotel, St Ives

Tucked away just up the road from Belyars Croft once stood the Woodside Hotel.

The hotel closed in 2011 and plans were put forward the following year for a block of 12 apartments.

St Ives Town Council lodged what it called its “strongest possible objection” against the proposals to convert the building to 12 apartments. Fifty people objected to the scheme at the time saying St Ives would lose an historic building. They raised fears that the town was being rapidly rebuilt to make way for second homes and holiday flats which were out of keeping.

St Ives Town Council lodged what it called its “strongest possible objection” against the proposals to convert the building to 12 apartments. Fifty people objected to the scheme at the time saying St Ives would lose an historic building. They raised fears that the town was being rapidly rebuilt to make way for second homes and holiday flats which were out of keeping.

Plans were withdrawn, redrafted, councillors visited the hotel and in the end, planners decided to the scheme could go ahead and the hotel was demolished.

Intriguingly, although the Woodside Hotel is long gone, its website still exists for anyone who cares to search for it on the internet. The site offers people the chance to come and stay and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the hotel.

The website says: “Woodside Hotel stands in its own grounds in a secluded location away from the noise of the traffic, yet is within five minutes’ walk of the town centre, its beaches, railway and bus stations. You can enjoy magnificent views of the harbour and the beautiful coastline from most bedrooms, all public rooms, the gardens and pool-side terrace. Our heated outdoor swimming pool is open from May to September. Well situated within the town, Woodside is also an ideal base for you to enjoy the magic of Cornwall all year round.”

Longships Hotel, St Ives

Named after the iconic lighthouse, Longships Hotel commanded a prominent position on the corner of Tallard Road.

The 25-bedroom hotel was put up for sale in 2010 when the owners retired. In 2015, plans were put forward to convert the building into seven luxury apartments. The 25-bedroom hotel was put up for sale in 2010 when the owners retired. In 2015, plans were put forward to convert the building into seven luxury apartments.

Rather than demolish the building completely and start again, this time the core of the building was saved, including its double-fronted stone bay windows. The property is still under construction with a new roof and extension.