Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
27 January 2010
13:1738899I've just been told that The Churchill Hotel has gone into liquidation and will cease trading tomorrow. I'm devastated and my heart goes out to Les Pennington and his staff. This is terrible news for all concerned, including Dover as a town.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
27 January 2010
13:1938901Sad and terrible news for Dover and the staff.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
27 January 2010
13:3938902Yes just hearing this news too Andy so well done getting the story up..Colette gave me the info too a short while ago as she has heard from our advertiser Gillian at the Regatta Hair Salon who have premises in The Churchill Hotel..so a bad blow all round. Im currently doing the other big story now running on the frontpage about the Port Privatisation. Big morning in Dover.
But The Churchill Hotel is a real local icon and its a great shame. Often enjoyed myself there over many years.
Guest 666- Registered: 25 Mar 2008
- Posts: 323
27 January 2010
14:2138904OMG!
This cannot be?
The Churchill cannot be seen to go down, it's one of the best venues in Dover and I speak from past experience.
My thoughts are with Les and his great staff who made me very welcome whenever I appeared there.
As part of the Best Western chain surely it can be floated till the boom summer months, or has the whole chain got problems?
What about Regatta hair and the gym?
Oh Boy!, That'll be the day.........
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
27 January 2010
14:2538905i thought that they would have earned sufficiently from the cruise business to have survived.
buddy made the point i was about to make about the chain that owns it.
just as one good thing happens in dover then something negative occurs.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
27 January 2010
15:2738912It`s so difficult to keep up with all these opening`s and closure`s. I`ve only been in Churchill`s twice, as I`ve never really been aware of it there. In year`s gone by, when a business was opening or closing, it had a completely different meaning to what it does now.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
27 January 2010
16:2638915Sad, but I can imagine a large profit being made with conversion to flats with a lovely building and views.
I was only wondering at the weekend how much of the whole terrace is the hotel ?
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
27 January 2010
16:3738918The Churchill although part of the Best Western organisation is in effect independently owned, probably much the same as McDonalds and KFC.
It has to be said that it has had a bit of a slating from some of the travel websites in the past but then so have one or two other well known b&b/bars.
Sad that another Dover icon is going albeit possibly temporarily.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,023
27 January 2010
16:4138920Another wedding venue lost .It was the one place i could go in and order a drink as a lady on my own .
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
27 January 2010
16:4538921 I'm shocked. I loved the Churchill.
27 January 2010
19:1238943It is a very sad day indeed, I really hope that something can be done to keep it open...
Once again, being a former employee, my heart goes out to all at The Churchill x
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
27 January 2010
19:1838945i feel sure that something will emerge from the ashes here.
can the harbour board allow that building to fall to bits?
too much rent can be earned for that.
27 January 2010
19:2138946'too much rent can be earned from that'
Especially as flats.
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
27 January 2010
19:2138947It would be interesting to know who actually holds the lease of the Churchill, certainly DHB own the freehold, the rent must have been colossal.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
27 January 2010
20:1138957And as the freeholder DHB are obliged to maintain the property in good order and given today's other news I would expect them to do so as they are looking to maximise the sale value of the whole estate. Having said that, they may well seek to convert it into a mansion block similar to the part nearest to the DHB offices as this would generate a tidy sum in rents/leases and as for any new owner their interest would most likely also be to convert it into residential units and create a purpose built hotel as part of the T2 development in and around the Western docks.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
27 January 2010
21:0438969The terrace is Grade 2 listed in 1949 (and on mainland and DHB are not their own law on this) built in 1834-8 by Philip Hardwick, prominent position on the seafront and some of the best building in Dover
Been nice knowing you :)
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
27 January 2010
23:5538992I agree Paul that the DHB offices and the block containing the hotel and the next one containing the yacht club are truly gorgeous
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
28 January 2010
09:0039001Best Western don't own the Churchill, they are the marketing arm, like they are with so many Hotels around the Country.
I wrote to them (BW) sometime ago about the Churchill and they said then, that they don't own it.
I hope it is retained as a Hotel and that some chain will buy it - wonder what the price tag will be ?
I've been told it's been teetering on this for some time, still very sad though.
Roger
28 January 2010
09:2139002A sad day, my thoughts are with Les and his staff.
When I was transferred from London to Dover in the mid eighties the then White Cliffs was my home for some time.
The hotel, at that time was a little "tired" but Les and his team improved things when they took over.
One thing I can remember in the 80's was that in the dining area a lady played the piano every evening and was regularly plied with drinks.
As Roger says the hotel is not owned by Best Western.
Lets hope someone comes forth to continue to run it as a hotelas Dover desperatly needs quality (3 star/4 star) hotels if it is going to attract the tourists the town so desperately needs.
Not sure how many cruise passengers stayed there because when I have visited Cruise Terminal it seems most UK joiners drive direct and park at the terminal.
28 January 2010
10:3039007All Best Western Hotels are independently owned and managed around the world - BW is as Roger quite rightly said a marketing consortium to assist promotion of the brand globally..... Do we have any local business owners that would be willing to rise to this challenge? The hotel really does have a magic about it, it just needs a pile of cash throwing at it and a lot of tlc..... From my experience, there was a lot a cruise business, passengers stayed the night before and sometimes after returning to the uk, but the areas of loss are coming from businesses more close to home that have had their own budgets cut.