Hilton Reverts To Palace

[slinkydevil]

It is, although you wouldn't know it by the way it's being left to rot. It's sad really. Much of Douglas' history, and hence its identity, seems to be ignored or dispensed with at a whim: The Douglas Hotel (also once a home for the Duke of Atholl) is in complete disrepair and awaits an illustrious fate as a convenience store; The Villiers is long gone; much of the land that gave the Castle Mona it's sense of majesty was built on and now the building itself is left empty; the future is uncertain for Park Road School (which I believe was the first publicly funded secondary school on the Island), with the Government's purchase of the nearby Bowling Green hotel under a description like 'strategic acquisition' sounding particularly ominous; and so on.

 

It's awful really. Inside are some etchings of Douglas bay when it was built for the Duke of Athol and looked like one of the first major buildings in it's area(see below). How true a reflection it is I don't know, but it is a shame a building with a bit of historical interest has been left to rot.

 

 

 

Effort should be made to protect it before it becomes another Queen's Pier - too expensive to repair and cheaper to demolish and make way for a burger king.

 

I don't know who currently owns it, but it would be nice if it is brought back to life with a bit of investment, preferably not apartments though.

[William_Hartnell]

Aside from the Courthouse and Outback are there any “nightclubs” left in Douglas?

 

I am far too old for a late night but I had to laugh a couple of weeks ago when my young nephew told me the Star Wars Bar was the place to go on a night out.

 

Times aren’t that bad are they?

[bazcabs]

Hurrah !! Currently the worst exapmple of a Hilton in the world but possibly the best Palace hotel in the Isle of Man.

In fairness, while it's a pooor Hilton, I've been in worse, Glasgow & Nottingham spring immediately to mind.

Agreed, ours is not the worst, just stayed the night in the Hilton at Gatwick, now that was a shit hole - never again.

[VinnieK]

It's awful really. Inside are some etchings of Douglas bay when it was built for the Duke of Athol and looked like one of the first major buildings in it's area

 

It is awful (great pictures by the way). The Island's always emphasising it's sense of identity, to the point where sometimes you feel like half the Island's money is spent solely on flags, and yet our history is so quickly swept away or sold off into an uncertain future without so much as a thought, perhaps no more obviously when it comes to our historic buildings. At times it feels like Douglas is destined to be nothing more than a tatty old high street with a mass of suburbs attached rather than anything that deserves to be called a town (and certainly it barely deserves to be the capital of anywhere).

[the mo beats experience]

 

 

I don't know who currently owns it, but it would be nice if it is brought back to life with a bit of investment, preferably not apartments though.

Sefton own it, or the holdings company that own Sefton and Palace anyway. Why it's been bought and left to rot, though, is anyone's guess. Hideous waste, shouldn't be allowed.

[Snaipyr]

I think that like most things on IOM - it has seen better days!

You still here?

[Snaipyr]

Agreed, surely the Castle Mona must be a listed building? Apart from the fire service using it for extended ladder practice and film crews using the car park, it seems to be left to the pigeons and herring gulls.

 

It is, although you wouldn't know it by the way it's being left to rot. It's sad really. Much of Douglas' history, and hence its identity, seems to be ignored or dispensed with at a whim: The Douglas Hotel (also once a home for the Duke of Atholl) is in complete disrepair and awaits an illustrious fate as a convenience store; The Villiers is long gone; much of the land that gave the Castle Mona it's sense of majesty was built on and now the building itself is left empty; the future is uncertain for Park Road School (which I believe was the first publicly funded secondary school on the Island), with the Government's purchase of the nearby Bowling Green hotel under a description like 'strategic acquisition' sounding particularly ominous; and so on.

 

Not forgetting The Majestic - sheer vandalism to knock that down.

[VinnieK]

Not forgetting The Majestic - sheer vandalism to knock that down.

 

Without a doubt!

 

Probaby the most significant example on the Island of the work of Baillie Scott, who was not only a figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, but was also educated on the Island at the Isle of Man School of Art. There we had an example of both an historical movement in architecture and of the work of someone influenced specifically by their experiences on Island, now lost.

 

I would have thought that some of the Island's historic buildings, such as the Castle Mona, would have made good locations for Government's departmental headquarters, thus ensuring they're maintained, and preventing them from being ditched into the hands of the developers. It could also bring a bit of life to some of the more neglected parts of town, and would avoid the need to construct entirely new buildings (no matter how wonderfully environmentally friendly they might be, like the old Dept of Agriculture's, out in St Johns, is), and give our government buildings a more stately appearance in contrast with the current set up.

[Monkey boy]

Not forgetting The Majestic - sheer vandalism to knock that down.

 

Without a doubt!

 

Probaby the most significant example on the Island of the work of Baillie Scott, who was not only a figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, but was also educated on the Island at the Isle of Man School of Art. There we had an example of both an historical movement in architecture and of the work of someone influenced specifically by their experiences on Island, now lost.

 

I would have thought that some of the Island's historic buildings, such as the Castle Mona, would have made good locations for Government's departmental headquarters, thus ensuring they're maintained, and preventing them from being ditched into the hands of the developers. It could also bring a bit of life to some of the more neglected parts of town, without requiring the construction of entirely new buildings (no matter how wonderfully environmentally friendly they might be, like the old Dept of Agriculture's, out in St Johns, is), and give our government buildings a more stately appearance in contrast with the current set up

Don't be so bloody stupid. That would involve the application of some common sense & might actually save some money. None of these words can be used in the same sentance as government.

[Dave Hedgehog]

And Palace becomes Best Western.....

 

http://www.seftongroup.co.im/news-detail.php?PALACE-HOTEL-CASINO-JOINS-BEST-WESTERN-GROUP-62

[Miss Roo]

Well the last Best Western take over on the Island went so well

[Tempus Fugit]

Well the last Best Western take over on the Island went so well

isn't best western more of a marketing brand, not a take-over

[carbon selector]

 

.....but it is a shame a building with a bit of historical interest has been left to rot.

 

 

 

The police use it for their firearms training, so it does get used.

[prism10]

Best Western is more of a branding in the UK, although the old Palace Hotel (before the Hilton takeover) did have the Best Western branding very much hidden away though.

[manxman8180]

The GFL great fire-sale continues then.

 

Sefton itself will be next. Be surprised if it was still under the same ownership by next TT.