Castlemona Gone Into Liquidation

[John Wright]

I reckon that is the third time it has gone bust and closed its doors in 20 years

 

The brewery sold it to Stan Barlow from the Continental. He went bust. The liquidators sold it to a company owned by indian interests who had a hotel in London in Bloomsbury, they went bust. The next owners did well for 10 years or so and sold out. This lot have gone again.

 

A lot of the rooms were inadeqate, the 1960's casino add on is poorly designed and built.

 

I hope that something can be made of it. The ballroom paintngs are stunning and of reasonable quality. The location is superb. It neeeds an owner with lots of cash to get it up to standard and then it needs a really good, branded, management contract with world wide advertising and booking.

[Addie]

I feel so damned sorry for the staff. It's Christmas for heavan's sake and they've all lost their jobs!

 

Surely, at best, doing this after Chrismas would have been kinder to the staff and more sensible stock wise? They must have bought tons of perishables in. It's weird.

[The Old Git]

Will be in the Newcastle Malmaison over Christmas

Posh Old Git, eh?

 

It's not too bad, apparently there's no housekeeping for 3 days over Christmas so they'll provide you with all of the towels and linen you need and only charge £50 for each of those nights.

[The Old Git]

Surely, at best, doing this after Chrismas would have been kinder to the staff and more sensible stock wise? They must have bought tons of perishables in. It's weird.

 

The head chef was on the radio saying that he's bought and prepared food for some of the Christmas parties. It does seem a waste.

[thebees]

Thinking about it, it does seem like a ridiculous time to close it, surely it would make better economical sense to keep it open over the festive period, where there will be Christmas parties, lunches etc etc all big earners. I'm not sure I like banks and liquidators very much they seem so heartless. FoF and the bowling must have made some money for them, why close the entire complex? the Sundissential thing would have been a good earner, the Office was an ok live music venue.

 

Hey we should have a club together thing on the forum all stick in a couple of grand and buy the place make a Manx Forums Co-operative hotel and entertainment complex, put a few peee ceees in the rooms and have WoW conferences and stuff like that.

[the_kitty]

If they were to build more apartments there what would be the point because the people living there would have nothing to do.

[slinkydevil]

If they were to build more apartments there what would be the point because the people living there would have nothing to do.

 

Agreed. Because in the IOM there is nothing to do except Bowling, Dance nights at Breeze and Live music at the Office.

[3v0]

Breeze wouldn't make any money anyway because of the amount of security they need due to the scallies! I've only been in a few times recently but I never remember it being like that when it was studemonkeys...

[Cholmondley-Warner]

Is it not the case that it a crime to trade whilst you are knowingly insolvent?

 

If the choice is muddle through for a few more weeks and eventually get locked up for your efforts or shut down immediately then I don't see that the directors have much choice. If the business was continued in an insolvent condition then the situation would probably worsen and the creditors would potentially lose even more money than they have lost already.

[Juan Kerr]

I reckon that is the third time it has gone bust and closed its doors in 20 years

 

Hotels going bust are part and parcel of Manx history and a pretty good indicator of the economic cycle you are in. In 1987 I was offered two large hotels on the front for £40,000 a piece - how times have changed.

 

Now though if you had a few mill spare the last thing you'd be doing is entering the hotel trade on the Isle of Man, its pretty much the equivalent of setting fire to £50 notes on an hourly basis. There is not much return on capital.

 

When you go out these days many of the pubs are empty and the resturants are not as full. There are a hardcore of places doing very well, and with the rest I doubt you could justify the capital expenditure for the potential revenue stream.

 

When will the DTL realise that its not economically viable to run a hotel on an Island where there are no visitors, and the business visitors and associated visitors such as contract workers, people working on government projects etc are coming in reduced numbers.

[John Wright]

And why do some members of the public and the hotel trade always think its up to the government to attract visitors.

 

Its like any other business it should stand on its own two feet.

 

I don't suppose there were grants and loans to develop the Promenade hotels in the 1880's to 1910 or to develop the horse trams, electric railway, steam railway, Palace and Lido Derby Castle etc

 

The rot sets in when Government starts subsidising something that cannot stand on its own two feet trying to preserve a business that is in failure.

 

Of course that is different to subsidising heritage and the environment, but sometimes its a pretty fine line to draw.

 

We had years of the promenade getting scrappier and seedier as governments refused to allow offices, shops or apartments.

 

I don't know what is next, but I do know what is over, non en suite rooms, tatty decor, poor customer service and inflated prices for an inferior product. No wonder few come. That applies to the entire experience from travel to, arrival at, staying on and going home at end.

 

I hope something is going to happen to retain the gubernatorial palace that is the Castlemona, but if its days as a hotel are over, so be it. I just hope it finds a useful, profitable purpose.

[Steve Gribbon]

Breeze wouldn't make any money anyway because of the amount of security they need due to the scallies! I've only been in a few times recently but I never remember it being like that when it was studemonkeys...

 

 

There are one or two other posts I could have quoted regarding the present state of social life on this Island.

 

However...I make it an absolute rule never, and I mean never, to go into a pub that has bouncers on the door.

 

The other night I thought I'd ging oot fer a pint to the good ol' Rovers Return. A nice safe Bushy's establishment. I was met by a fucken growling scowling bouncer. On the door at the Rovers. FFS.

 

As someone has already stated - staying in is the new going out.

 

Maybe I jus; need ta get E'd oota ma heed.

 

There would be NO NEED for bouncers if there were no dickheads.

 

Dickheads 1

Society 0

[Juan Kerr]

And why do some memebers of the poublic and the Hotel trade always think its up to the government to attract visitors.

 

I think from other posts I've made you can deduct that I am certainly not an advocate of grants in any form. Its the least constructive form of development in my book.

 

But listening to the DTL Minister on MR today it struck me that he was surprised and shocked (I think those were his words) that the hotel has gone into liquidation. Well I don't work in the hotel industry and I'm neither surprised or shocked. I've been in there lots of times and it was empty.

 

How does he expect tourist businesses to make money when nobody comes here and at the end of the day the DTL are responsible for the strategy and development of the IOM tourist sector. That is not to say that the hotels themselves shouldn't be trying harder, but if the image of the IOM is not good because of the strategy used to project it they can try as hard as they like. It won't make much difference.

[WilDDog]

The rot sets in when Government starts subsidising something that cannot stand on its own two feet trying to preserve a business that is in failure.

 

Mea classic example.

 

Ah well someone had to say it.

[jurby and behond!]

Spare a though for the wholesalers who have delivered all the XMAS AND NEW YEAR supplies to the Castle Mona and are now sitting on a massive loss. I beleive this will maybe put some of the smaller suppliers in a right mess. A large, and I mean a large supplier is in for nearly £100,000 and they are MANX. Come on new elected government, here is your first crisis. I know it is a private concern but this could put alot of people out of work. Brenda Cannell have already voiced her conserns, any more? Watch them all run for cover!