UK: Burgh Island Hotel, an Art Deco property located on a 21-acre island in south Devon, is being marketed by Knight Frank for offers over £15 million.
Built in 1929, the Burgh Island Hotel comprises 25 bedrooms and suites, three restaurants, a tennis court, snooker room, mermaid pool, and offers spa treatments. The property is accessible by foot or car on low tide, or by a unique sea tractor at high tide.
Two of the suites sit externally from the hotel, one of which was originally built as a writer’s retreat for novelist Agatha Christie.
In December 2022, permission was granted to construct a four-storey extension to create an additional 12 bedrooms and two staff rooms, as well as a single storey green-roofed building for 11 staff bedrooms.
Owner of Burgh Island Hotel, Giles Fuchs, said: “Ownership of the Burgh Island Hotel has provided me with a wonderful journey and given me the true privilege of restoring and enhancing one of the most treasured tourist assets in the UK over the past few years. What we have achieved is an immense source of pride for all of us who have been involved and, in our work, we have always tried to ensure that the hotel’s 1920s spirit remains just as vibrant in the 2020s.
“Having watched the hotel be reborn, survive the pandemic, and continue as a wild and beautiful oasis for visitors from across the world, I believe now is the time for me to step aside and allow a new chapter to emerge for Burgh. The sale includes the 14th-century [tavern] Pilchard Inn as well as the hotel, which remains an important part of Devon’s history and I am excited to see what the future holds for this much-loved property.”
Matthew Smith, partner in the hotel agency team at Knight Frank, added: “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 operates as a thriving business which generated in excess of £6 million turnover in its most recent financial year. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a truly iconic hotel that benefits from a number of value-add opportunities to further develop the trading performance, and will no doubt appeal to a global investor audience.”
