Plans for lord street

[Roger Mexico]

Just now, Neil Down said:

Think you'll find you may be mistaken there

I don't really think there is.  Or rather there isn't sufficient demand for a five star hotel to allow a five star hotel to operate.  Just some demand isn't enough - you need enough year-round demand to fill such an hotel to sufficient levels and to enable the levels of staffing that such places need.

[Max Power]

17 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

My mate was involved in the planning of the regeneration of Glasgow. They work on a simple principle, put two new key structures that attract footfall at either end (big popular stores or entertainment centres - ideally with a car park) and they encourage other developments and footfall in the middle. This new development is one of those new key structures IMO. But they will need to rethink and improve that footfall crossing the main road by the library. What/where will be the other key structure remains to be seen - hardly sports direct.

The far end of Castle Street is an opportunity lost, second hand shops, kebab shops, a grotty pub, vaping shop, if that lot were demolished and something a bit special were introduced, the whole town would benefit, including the promenade. 

[Donald Trumps]

There's no demand for a five star hotel, & there are too many hotels operating in the 3 star ++ to 4 star market, meaning none of them get sufficent occupancy to afford year on year upgrade of their facilities

[Donald Trumps]

Government funding of the Comis isn't going to help the situation, tho' it's understandable they'd want the property operating as something as it's a fairly attractive setting & conveniently located

[Donald Trumps]

4 minutes ago, Max Power said:

The far end of Castle Street is an opportunity lost, second hand shops, kebab shops, a grotty pub, vaping shop, if that lot were demolished and something a bit special were introduced, the whole town would benefit, including the promenade. 

I thought the intention was to see the Villa Arcade develop as multi-outlet eating & drinking venue?

[Max Power]

4 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

I don't really think there is.  Or rather there isn't sufficient demand for a five star hotel to allow a five star hotel to operate.  Just some demand isn't enough - you need enough year-round demand to fill such an hotel to sufficient levels and to enable the levels of staffing that such places need.

I do agree, however we don't get the market because we don't have a product. It would need someone to research and activate the market to make something like this viable. We certainly attract some HNW individuals to live here but we don't actually have an awful lot for them to spend their money on, I mean events, conferences, things that a 5 star hotel could stage and host etc. 

[Donald Trumps]

We do have a product but no one in DfE tourism has any confidence in it - it's not 'mass' appeal tho', & it's highly unlikely the target of 400,000 visitors per annum will be achieved in current or near future markets

[John Wright]

12 minutes ago, Donald Trumps said:

There's no demand for five star hotels on this island

There are three, perhaps four,  properties who might consider themselves to be operating in the four star bracket

That may, or may not, be true. There is demand, unmet, for high quality, boutique, and chain 3*. There are a few independents in the 3* bracket.

The problem is that most of our capacity is in the 1* or 2* range, at 4* prices. They’re tatted up Victorian infrastructure, some rooms are tiny. En-suites were slotted in during the 70’s and 80’s. 

lots of the rooms are in outlets with yard views. Most have multiple levels on each floor. Most have no central heating or double glazing or such poor thermo efficiency that they can’t be used all year round.

There’s lots of demand for good modern rooms, with standard facilities, and for self catering apartments. Places available all year round.
 

 

[Andy Onchan]

36 minutes ago, The Dog's Dangly Bits said:

Barbary Coast seems to do very very well.

Any commercial business placed there isn't relying on mass passing footfall.

Do you mean the Barbary Coast, as in the whole of the North Quay or the eating house?

[Max Power]

1 minute ago, Donald Trumps said:

I thought the intention was to see the Villa Arcade develop as multi-outlet eating & drinking venue?

Another opportunity lost, the retail outlets are gone. They could have been offered at favourable terms to really high end retailers as small outlets for their brands. That would have generated interest and wanderlust. The current Italian Job and Ice Cream vendors are adequate for what they have created. It was better as it was, a classic arcade buggered.

 

[Andy Onchan]

5 minutes ago, John Wright said:

That may, or may not, be true. There is demand, unmet, for high quality, boutique, and chain 3*. There are a few independents in the 3* bracket.

The problem is that most of our capacity is in the 1* or 2* range, at 4* prices. They’re tatted up Victorian infrastructure, some rooms are tiny. En-suites were slotted in during the 70’s and 80’s. 

lots of the rooms are in outlets with yard views. Most have multiple levels on each floor. Most have no central heating or double glazing or such poor thermo efficiency that they can’t be used all year round.

And no lifts.

[Donald Trumps]

Yes, at one point people in government were wanting to put a big doctors surgery in there - thankfully that never came about, but it's a shame it hasn't been developed further 

There was an idea for an open bar or drinks facilities for theatre goers at the Gaiety to access at interval time, as well as other suggestions

[John Wright]

8 minutes ago, Max Power said:

The far end of Castle Street is an opportunity lost, second hand shops, kebab shops, a grotty pub, vaping shop, if that lot were demolished and something a bit special were introduced, the whole town would benefit, including the promenade. 

But that is happening, slowly. The cultural quarter is the end of the duke/strand/castle st axis. Gaiety, Villa, Villa cinema.

New Hong Kong, Castle House, Tea Junction, even Webb’s, the new Greek Restaurant. The improved pavement.  Like it or not the shopping street repaving and the Prom scheme are all part of Government infrastructure to make the areas attractive enough to attract private investment.

The two boundaries are the Harbour and Broadway. It’ll take time. Covid may even be an influencer as businesses fail and properties fall empty and available for redevelopment.

[Donald Trumps]

1 minute ago, Andy Onchan said:

And no lifts.

The facades of the older properties need retaining & the space behind them developed into new forms of accommodation for ordinary residential & - perhaps - self catering visitor apartments

[John Wright]

2 minutes ago, Andy Onchan said:

And no lifts.

Most have antiquated lifts. Very slow.