The redevelopment of The Kings Gap Hotel is nearing completion now and from most aspects the building is completely unrecognisable.
The porta-cabins were removed a couple of weeks ago enabling a much better view of the hotel, with what I guess is a new side entrance and car park. If you look through the windows overlooking the garden, you’ll see stacks of new chairs and tables.
The hotel and Frankie’s restaurant is due to open in the next few weeks. I wonder if Frankie Dettori and Marco Pierre-White will attend an official opening?
Meanwhile, around the corner on Meols Drive, there doesn’t appear to be any further progress on the Royal Hilbre Hotel. Â You might recall that firm behind the development hoped to secure additional funding in order to complete the works.
Anyway, what do you think of the new Kings Gap building?
Well, so far it looks very utilitarian…sort of 60s bomb shelter meets 00’s bus shelter. I’d say I’m “underwhelmed”.
The signs on the hoardings which say Royal Hilbre Spa have been stripped away leaving just bare boards. Doesn’t bode well but hardly surprising given the sky high charges they wanted for membership.
I’d say it looks pretty ‘student accommodation block’ esq. Embarrassing compared to what the old building looked like.
I agree with Katy and Linda- it doesn’t look a pretty building. The old one had charm and character- pity some of that couldn’t have been preserved.
Not appealing, looks like a Motel, dreadful after what had been there.
I think “student block” sums it up quite well.. but to be fair, and I do try to be fair to architects, this picture seems to be of the right hand SIDE of the building with the back of house in Queens road in the background.
If you were to pan around to the left you would see the frontage of the building which, when I viewed the site in december, retained the original frontage and long balcony on the upper floors. The conservatory (which was a bit of a insensitive add-on) has been demolished and there seemed to be a curtain wall glass extension …into the garden.So from St Hildeburgh’s, say, it would look much more familiar to older residents.
The photo shows the side where the old extension USED to be (where my Dad spent the last few years of his life) This has now been cleared so that there is clear access along the right hand side of the building and around the back where that massive ballroom affair was.
So maybe hold back judgment until you see it in finished form. Either way, I am on their mailing list for any opening offers and look forward to staying there soon! The last email I had said that they weren’t sure when they were opening but hoped for sometime in Spring….
Apologies if my reading of the photo is wrong! I am in Milton Keynes (but grew up in Hoylake and Meols in the 50 and 60s). Perhaps someone could turn round the webcam on Hilbre so we “ex-pats” could have a better view!
It looks very uninspired, featureless and more like a small block of flats. Compared to what was there before its not very impressive at all.
the original frontage is still there, albiet smaller, but from what i could see the restaurant looks nice, so do the gardens it is only the siderooms in Valencia Road that look unappealing eventually and hopefully they will blend in some more with the area particularly if they plant trees basically holiday inns are motels hence the look from the side.
Looks pretty much as it’s supposed to do if I’ve in anyway understood plans on Wirral Council’s planning webpages – have to admit I didn’t get my act together to comment when it might have mattered! Could be that the overall effect will harmonise once it’s finished
Great train service, and if the cycle parking’s up to scratch, might be able to grass over some of those car parking spaces when they’re not needed … ahem
The Holiday Inn Express website says they’re opening on April 2nd, plus there are adverts for a Sous Chef and Chef de Partie on-line (eg on http://www.indeed.co.uk) – not sure about the 78 other jobs referenced in the planning documents.
Options for a new market for growers of local produce?
I feel sorry for the people in the houses that overlook the side of this – on Valentia I think.
I loved the original look but agree it did need some work done! However now I am seeing a Holiday inn style Hotel; 🙁 If it does bring more visitors to Hoylake thats great but why do all these lovely old Hoylake buildings have to change or get knocked down only to be replaced by…… Well im sure I only have to mention The stanley or Flat foot sams (as I remember it) to know what I mean….
It’s disappointing to read so many rather negative comments on what is such an important project for Hoylake providing a high quality amenity for locals and visitors alike.
For those who haven’t seen the project, please be aware that the above photograph is only a shot of the new accomodation wing from the new car park. The main hotel building has been retained and restored. The annex (originally a pair of Victorian semi-detached villas) fronting The King’s Gap has been removed. The low grade additions – a conservatory at the front and a ramshackle function suite at the rear – have also been removed so from the The King’s Gap the original building continues to be dominant. The accomodation wing to the rear fronts Valentia Road and is built on the site of the tatty car park and is a visual improvement. The new car park is built on the site of the old annex and function suite.
As an exiled Hoylakeian I welcome having more accomodation options when I feel the need for a dose of Hoylake sea, sand and wind. Hoylake needs more investment to reinvent itself for the 21st Century and develop a thriving economy!
Congratulations to hotel owners,Sanguine Hospitality.
Spose it depends what you like – but mainly the Valentia guys have lost a heck of a lot of sky. Hope they are OK with it. The front view will be fine, no doubt, but it’s all a bit dull and uninspiring for my taste. At least the old place had grown organically and had some character. I hope they get the trade. It will look a lot worse when it’s boarded up!
I agree it’s not inspired architecture by any means but it does not overpower the existing building as so often happens with hotel extensions and looks smarter than the car park and function suite. Like you I hope it proves a viable and successful venture for Hoylake.
considering the height of the trees on the residential side of Valentia road i doubt they ever see the sun, I wish the hotel great success am looking forward to trying out the restaurant , the more people come here the better it is for the village
What a shame builders don’t build to fit in with the environment – in this case Victorian or Edwardian town houses if my memory isn’t failing me. Building in the same style is, I assume, not economically viable. This building is unimaginative and ugly even by to North American standards (my current surroundings).Hopefully the hotel will be an economic success, but here sits a missed opportunity.
Sad to say that after visiting the site and walking around last weekend… the negative comments ARE justified. The front extension (replacing the much smaller conservatory) is big and bulky and close up it is very hard to see anything of the original facade. Even drawing back to the hedge I still could not see the first floor balcony. Oh dear! It is “car-crash” architecture similar to what is happening in West Kirby where an Aldi supermarket has crashed headlong into the Tudor cinema. True the cinema facade has been preserved but it does sit badly with all that aldi brickwork.
Both sites could have been so handled so much more sympathetically. But this is the age of “Design and Build” to a budget… no architects are involved and although the hotel will bring much needed jobs and trade to the area, an elegant and well-liked facade has been lost or at least compromised.
It took an excellent tea and cakes at nearby “Chantilly” in the Quadrant to restore our spirits. Excellent baking , great service, good atmosphere. They deserve to do really well.