_Art Deco hotel inspired Agatha Christie and welcomed royalty and PMs - now for sale
Burgh Island Hotel is regarded as one of Europe's finest examples of Art Deco design. The beautiful hotel is characterised by exuberant art deco decor and whimsical beachfront views.
Inspiring Agatha Christie’s best-selling novel Evil Under the Sun featuring Hercule Poirot, the hotel has been a popular escape for celebrities and visitors seeking glamour and seclusion for nearly a century.
It’s rumoured President Eisenhower and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at the hotel before D-Day, while the Duke of Windsor and Wallace Simpson reportedly visited. The Beatles stayed in the hotel before playing a concert in Plymouth.
Built in 1929, the hotel is accessible by foot or car on low tide or by a unique sea tractor at high tide. The Pilchard Inn, one of the UK’s oldest taverns, sits a stone’s throw away from the hotel and is a popular attraction for tourists to enjoy locally sourced food and drinks while enjoying the tidal views. Although the hotel may sit on a private island, guests will not be short on activities with access to a tennis court, helipad, private mermaid pool and spa treatment rooms.
Burgh Island Hotel comprises 25 en suite sea view guest bedrooms and suites uniquely decorated with original Art Deco features and have been named after famous visitors such as Noel Coward, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
Two of the suites sit externally from the hotel: The Beach House and The Artist’s Studio, The Beach House was originally built as a writer’s retreat for the world’s best-selling novelist, Agatha Christie, who based two of her well-known novels on the island ‘And Then There Were None’ and ‘Evil Under the Sun’.
The hotel houses three restaurants for guests, The Palm Court, a spectacular ambient sun lounge and terrace, often referred to as ‘a temple of art deco’ and cocktail bar by night, The Nettlefold, offering fresh, local produce with cliff-top settings and ocean views, and The Grand Ballroom, offering an exquisite fine dining experience surrounded by original Art Deco murals and furnishings, stepping guests back in time to the 1930s with live jazz and pianists.
In December 2022, the Council unanimously agreed to grant ‘first in 100 years ‘planning approval which will provide significant development to the island, to include a four-storey ‘titanic’ style hotel extension to create an additional 12 guest suites and 2 staff rooms, the construction of a single storey green-roofed building for an additional 11 en suite staff bedrooms, and extensions to both The Pilchard Inn and Nettlefold restaurant.
Matthew Smith, Partner in the Hotel Agency team at Knight Frank, commented:
“It is rare for a hotel of such character and heritage to come to the open market. Burgh Island Hotel is a stunning example of Art Deco architecture; it’s steeped in amazing history and provides guests with a sophisticated and unique experience.”
“In recent years, the buildings have received considerable investment and operate as a thriving business which generated more than £6m turnover in its most recent financial year. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a truly iconic hotel that benefits from several value-add opportunities to further develop the trading performance and will no doubt appeal to a global investor audience.”
Giles Fuchs of Burgh Island Limited commented:
“It has been a true privilege to restore and enhance Burgh Island Hotel over the past few years, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved with this Art Deco icon. Following the recent renovation and the planning decision for the further extension and development of the building, the time is right to offer this stunning property to a new owner who can continue its legacy and take it to even greater heights. Burgh Island Hotel has been an important part of Devon's history, and I am excited to see what the future holds for one of Britain’s most-treasured tourist assets.”
Knight Frank is seeking offers in excess of £15,000,000.