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Devon To Become Home Of 'Britain's Miami Beach'

Devon To Become Home Of 'Britain's Miami Beach'

I sh*t you not.

James Dawson

James Dawson

I've never been to Devon, but without wanting to insult people from that neck of the woods, I'm almost 100% sure that the county is a far cry from the glitz and glamour of Miami beach.

However, developers in Poole are planning to rival the iconic American destination, bringing sun and cocktails to the coast of southwest England.

Two Victorian buildings will be torn down under plans that will see an extravagant five-star hotel on the beach. Plans for the Art Deco building will include 175 rooms, curved floors, and it will be painted white and have palm trees in the grounds.

The 'super hotel' is set to replace the existing Sandbanks Hotel, an original Victorian building that is apparently 'at the end of it's economic life'.

Property developer Richard Carr is responsible for the ambitious plans, which will give the 'Millionaire's Row' in Poole Harbour a glow up.

Mr Carr told the Sun: "If you went to Palm Beach you would not expect to find hotels that are 100 years old.

"The Sandbanks Hotel is an old building that is coming to the end of its economic life cycle.

"No amount of money can put this building right because the rooms are too small and the bathrooms are substandard.

"It's common sense that people's aspirations and needs have changed."

He continued: "The new hotels will be state of the art and provide the facilities that anyone from anywhere in the world would be happy to receive.

Credit: PA Images

"Sandbanks has a high-class reputation and if people are going to stay there they expect facilities that they would get in top hotels in any major city in the world.

"People never like change but change has to happen, things have to move on.

"If it doesn't happen now it will have to happen in ten years time."

Mr Carr has drawn up the plans on behalf of FJB Hotels.

Credit: PA Images

John Butterworth, managing director of FJB Hotels, said: "Engineers tell us that the structure of the buildings are coming to the end of their commercial life, so we are going to have to rebuild them.

"They're going to have to come down eventually and at the moment it's difficult to offer the public the facilities they rightly expect.

"We think the best solution is to build one huge hotel.

"Sandbanks is a unique site and an ideal location for a hotel of this quality."

It looks like an exciting project and it will be good to see it finished.

Featured Image Credit: FJB / BNPS

Topics: Devon