cassettiespagetie Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I have seen in the paper that everyone's favourite tourism minister, Adrian earnshaw , has now recommended the summerland site to have a travel lodge built on it. I think this isn't the best idea to build another hotel as once the tourists get here they will have nothing to do and won't bother coming back. I just don't understand... What ever happened to building another entertainment complex on the site... The site has been used foe entertainment for like over 100 years, why change it now. I now doubt that another entertainment complex will be built upon the site ever again... I'm sure you have heard of the Govt.'s wish to do a 'Land swap' with heritage homes so they can build some more apartments while they give people a field to put four wooden post on it. So............ What do you think ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 So............ What do you think ? I think you should read the existing thread on the subject Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbms Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 This should be good as there is already a hotel with the registered name of travel lodge on the prom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hboy Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I have seen in the paper that everyone's favourite tourism minister, Adrian earnshaw , has now recommended the summerland site to have a travel lodge built on it. I think this isn't the best idea to build another hotel as once the tourists get here they will have nothing to do and won't bother coming back. I just don't understand... No - from what I read Travelodge seem to be in the process of running a national (UK) competition where the prize is £500 per room for anyone who recommends a successful site for a Travelodge. Because of this they are interested in anything that might fit the bill anywhere in the UK. Ernie seems to think that because of this they might be interested in the Summerland site. However quite why a high volume high occupancy hotel group like Travelodge would ever consider sticking anything up in a low volume tourist centre like the IOM where existing hotels struggle for high occupancy is anyones guess. It seems to smack desparation and wishful thinking by the DTL. Taxpayers seem to have paid the cost to demolish the Summerland site and we don't seem to be able to even give the land away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 However quite why a high volume high occupancy hotel group like Travelodge would ever consider sticking anything up in a low volume tourist centre like the IOM where existing hotels struggle for high occupancy is anyones guess. It seems to smack desparation and wishful thinking by the DTL. Taxpayers seem to have paid the cost to demolish the Summerland site and we don't seem to be able to even give the land away. Travelodge offer a simple formula and are a well known brand to many businesses and families across the UK. If they stick to their UK pricing structure, I think they will be pretty busy and it will be existing hotels on the island that will struggle as a result. I also agree that this site should not be sold off for hotels or appartments etc. and should be used to provide a replacement entertainment complex, as we have few facilities as it is over here. There seems to be little effort in putting together a plan to achieve this, which I suspect will result in indifferent MHKs eventually backing it for private development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triskelion Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Sigh, I don't want to cover ground we already went over in the other thread, but: A) There is plenty for tourists to do on the Island. Christ knows what you do on holiday if you think there is nothing to do here. B) The lack of decent hotel accomodation for businessmen has been an ongoing problem for the Island, with many cases of them having crashed on the beds/other furniture of company staff. C) The Island actually has excellent facilities relative to its population. D) Summerland, when it was there, was chronically under-used, and many of the facilities spent most of their time inactive. Considering a new facility would probably cost at least £50 million, the extent to which this would be a sound investment in recreational facilities is pretty unclear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 We have used Travelodge's a few times in the UK. They are great for what they are - somewhere plain but comfortable to stay for a night at short notice. You would not go there for a holiday. How much passing traffic do you think the Summerland site gets? Do Travelodge think people will get off the Horse Tram and spend the night with them before catching the Electric Railway to Ramsey??? Perhaps a better place would be at the Dhoon Glen. They get passing traffic and it's more scenic ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Sigh, I don't want to cover ground we already went over in the other thread, but: ...you're going to anyway. A sports and leisure facility needn't cost anything in the region of £50m. When's the last time you tried to book a 5-a-side? Or a badminton court? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triskelion Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Does it matter? Is the Island lacking in sports facilities? Hardly. The DTL already provides world-class sporting facilities. If we are looking it to be used for recreational purposes, then it should be something not already provided, which frankly doesn't leave very much. Things like presentations and events can already use the Villa, and the Island doesn't host so many concerts that an alternative venue would pay its way. Perhaps the £50 million figure was a bit over the top, but it really depends what you are going to build there. If you wanted to re-do Summerland, I would be fairly confident the cost would be thereabouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Does it matter? It matters, yes. You're speaking authoratively, you often do, but you post anecdotally about pretty much everything. You claim summerland ran at a loss, but, as has been pointed out, summerland was a daft building. It had a large spa suit, a daft pool, a huge and mostly useless plaza level, a large nightclub that was only used for 2 nights a week, etc. Nobodys suggesting that summerland get recreated, but that some kind of leisure facility should replace it. Even if that's something as simple as a couple of million quid multi function sportshall plus bar, I don't see how the financies of the original summerland are an argument against such a thing. Is the Island lacking in sports facilities? Hardly. The DTL already provides world-class sporting facilities. If we are looking it to be used for recreational purposes, then it should be something not already provided, which frankly doesn't leave very much. Things like presentations and events can already use the Villa, and the Island doesn't host so many concerts that an alternative venue would pay its way. I think it is lacking sports facilities yes. Try and book a court this week. The schools are out and MSR will be using the halls all over the island pretty much full time to provide holiday activities for the kids. A great service they offer too, but while that's on, it's virtually impossible to get a court for anything. I'll ask again, when was the last time you tried to book a 5-a-side court? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Sigh, I don't want to cover ground we already went over in the other thread, but: You can't compare the island to a similar population in the UK. The island has a lot of things that a similar population of the UK wouldn't have - but this is a rich island where MHKs waste much of the extra money we do have on things we don't want or need, and ignore what the population do want and need to a great extent. Given you have said you don't work for the civil service, the more I read your posts the more convinced I become that you are either an MHK or related to an MHK, cos you don't half come out with some cobblers some times. If there is so much to do, please direct me to the quality cinema, bowling alley, play areas and other such facilities I would like to have taken my kids to to entertain them. Summerland was 'under-utilised' because it was a sh1t-hole with poor facilities, plain and simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Static Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Sigh, I don't want to cover ground we already went over in the other thread, but: A) There is plenty for tourists to do on the Island. Christ knows what you do on holiday if you think there is nothing to do here. B) The lack of decent hotel accomodation for businessmen has been an ongoing problem for the Island, with many cases of them having crashed on the beds/other furniture of company staff. C) The Island actually has excellent facilities relative to its population. D) Summerland, when it was there, was chronically under-used, and many of the facilities spent most of their time inactive. Considering a new facility would probably cost at least £50 million, the extent to which this would be a sound investment in recreational facilities is pretty unclear. Does it matter? Is the Island lacking in sports facilities? Hardly. The DTL already provides world-class sporting facilities. If we are looking it to be used for recreational purposes, then it should be something not already provided, which frankly doesn't leave very much. Things like presentations and events can already use the Villa, and the Island doesn't host so many concerts that an alternative venue would pay its way. Perhaps the £50 million figure was a bit over the top, but it really depends what you are going to build there. If you wanted to re-do Summerland, I would be fairly confident the cost would be thereabouts. A big sigh from me as well. It's not just about Tourists, it's also about locals. Have you ever tried to find somewhere interesting to take teenage kids out for a party, or just to amuse them, on a rainy afternoon? Yes there is laser blast or the Cinema but that is it! (That's unless they are sporty and you could then try to book for football in the NSC but as has already been stated - those facilities are over-booked. We used to have the bowling alley, closed. We used to have the crescent leisure centre, closed. My 12 year old son likes to play pool. Since Summerland, the Crescent and the Bowling closed there is nowhere to take him now. Even the amusement arcade in Port Erin has replaced their pool table with an air hockey machine. There used to be two childrens soft play areas. Both went with the aforementioned places. Now there is only the dragons den at the Villa which I believe is quite smaller. I know those older places were a bit run down and grotty at times but they were used. They would have been used even more if some imagination into what other facilities to add was used. Unfortunately our Department of Tourism AND leisure seem to lack that! A combined hotel/leisure centre on that site might be a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mission Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 If we get a Travelodge, do we get a Little Chef next door as well? They do cracking fry ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I know those older places were a bit run down and grotty at times but they were used. They would have been used even more if some imagination into what other facilities to add was used. Unfortunately our Department of Tourism AND leisure seem to lack that! I thought the bowling alley and the Crescent were private establishments. Their closure surely can't really be pinned on the DTL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
immortalpuppet Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 If we get a Travelodge, do we get a Little Thief next door as well? They do cracking fry ups for the price of a 3 course meal. Fixed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.