Residents of a coastal town in Devon have declared war on Dubai-linked outsiders over plans to turn a historic family hotel into a luxury waterfront venue.
Locals in Hope Cove fear the sale of the iconic Cottage Hotel could lead to the transformation of the traditional seaside retreat into a replica of nearby Salcombe – dubbed ‘Chelsea-on-Sea’.
The prominent landmark has been run by the same family for over 50 years and used freely by the community.
But it has now been bought off-market in a multi-million pound deal by Beach Barefoot Hospitality, the UK trading arm of an international hotelier believed to be based in Dubaiwho want to reposition the hotel as a ‘luxury waterfront location’.
Mehdi Rheljari, acting director of the company, is a French/Moroccan entrepreneur turned hotelier who lists his place of residence as United Arab Emirates.
His projects include a luxury hospitality model, a reinterpretation of traditional Japanese homes and large-scale developments in Africa and the Middle East.
The sale price for the 45-bedroom property has not been disclosed, although it was advertised with a guide price of £8 million for its ownership and operation.
Residents fear the move could turn the three-acre site, with panoramic views of Bigbury Bay and direct access to the beach, into a new playground for the ‘rich and famous’.
Cottage Hotel in Hope Cove, which will be converted into a ‘luxury waterfront location’
The full view of Cottage Hotel in Hope Cove, loved by locals in the area
Harbor master Sean Hassell, 60, said locals were ‘nervous’ about who would take over the hotel
The village prides itself on its quaint, traditional feel – in stark contrast to other nearby tourist hotspots where costs have skyrocketed and locals have been priced out by second home owners.
The hotel currently boasts spacious public areas, a seasonal bistro, ice cream parlor and art studio, but villagers said it was in danger of becoming too exclusive and going down a similar path to Salcombe, which is just five miles away.
Dave Clarke said he has seen the impact of changes in Salcombe in recent years and feared the same could happen in Hope Cove.
“There is always speculation about people wanting to move from expensive boutique hotels, which is what Salcombe has become with a lot of apartments,” he said.
‘I worked in Salcombe in the late 1960s and early 1970s and the face of it changed completely when all the big hotels became apartments.
‘It turned it into the expensive playgrounds of the rich.
“There will undoubtedly be some changes, but they have to be sympathetic to the village. The big concern among locals and regular visitors is that it will become too expensive and unaffordable.”
Mr Clarke has called on the new owners to come up with an ‘honest plan of what they are going to do’.
He added: “My family has been using it for years. Obviously prices are rising, things are changing, but there has always been a very tight family ethos of the seaside holiday, which encourages families to come.
Mehdi Rheljari, acting director of Beach Barefoot Hospitality, is a French/Moroccan entrepreneur turned hotelier living in the United Arab Emirates
A general view of Hope Cove, where the Cottage Hotel overlooks the beautiful harbour
The Cottage Hotel has been a prominent landmark run by the same family for over 50 years
Will Murray, 66, a company director, has lived in the village since 1983
‘Everyone’s main concern is whether it remains affordable for everyone.
“Part of the charm is that it’s a quiet retreat that people go to.”
Another local resident said the new owners “didn’t read the room.”
They said, ‘The new owner has never read the room here so wrong.
‘It doesn’t matter if you throw £30 billion at it – Hope Cove doesn’t want a big, elaborate ‘luxury waterfront resort’.
‘It’s completely out of character for this quaint, unspoilt fishing village – it’s the family-run ‘retro charm’ that draws regular visitors – purposefully avoiding the luxury resorts in nearby Salcombe.
Vernon Moss, 72, has stayed at the hotel every year with his family since the 1950s.
He said: “It’s its traditional values. It is a small family beach and it has been beautiful for years.
“My biggest concern is that they will change this environment because this is a family vacation spot.
‘I think it should continue to exist as a hotel, so that everything in the village is preserved. If these were holiday apartments it would be dead in the winter.’
Zofia Wisniewska, a shop owner who has lived there for 19 years, said: ‘People here don’t like change; they like to keep the old coastal path as it is and want to protect it.
“They don’t like big developments here, like in Salcombe, and that’s fair enough because if we lose the beauty I don’t think people would like that.”
Locals in the town have declared war on fending off ‘wealthy outsiders’ amid fears it could turn into a replica of nearby Salcombe
Residents fear the move could turn the three-acre site, with panoramic views of Bigbury Bay and direct access to the beach, into a new playground for the rich and famous.
She added: “People like the village, small and private. We get a lot of visitors in the summer anyway. I don’t think they want it to become too expensive here, because not everyone can afford very expensive holidays.’
Harbormaster Sean Hassell, 60, has lived in the village since 1973. He said: ‘We knew it was on the market probably about three months ago and everyone was always very nervous about who would take it over.
‘It’s really iconic, it’s part of the village, of what we do. So there was concern about whoever took over.
‘We understand that they live in Dubai, their money comes from the oil trade.
“I tend to think maybe they bought it as a vanity project, which could be a good thing.”
“We hope they have enough money to spend, and these are good renovations. But please note that we are not Salcombe, we are Hope Cove. I think we’re a lot nicer than Salcombe, but they can’t jack up those prices to Salcombe prices.’
He added: ‘People are very concerned that it is going to be very expensive and expensive.
“It would have been devastating if someone had bought it and turned it into apartments. That would have been terrible for the village, but I don’t think that’s the business model.”
Will Murray, 66, a company director, has lived in the village since 1983.
He said, “There are two worlds in Hope Cove. Some see it as a quaint English theme park to some extent, and no one wants anything to change because they prefer it as it was in the 19th century.
“But that’s unrealistic, and you see the thread coming out of Salcombe, and you see change.
‘But people only want their piece of change, they don’t want any other change, they don’t want their piece to grow and develop.
‘There is clearly a big concern because a star hotel on an international scale would completely change the whole thing.
“I think my worst-case scenario is flats. Because this has already been greatly affected here and it is death.’
The purchase also includes a staff house and two luxury apartments.
Beach Barefoot Hospitality’s acting director, Mr. Rheljari, also owns an exclusive destination management company called Costa Rican Trails.
Independent hotel broker Simon Stevens of Simon Stevens Associates and Jon Clyne, director of commercial real estate agency Charles Darrow, worked closely on the deal as joint agents for the Irish family selling the hotel.
Simon Stevens said: ‘This excellent hotel has a rich history and an impressive, long-standing reputation, making it very attractive to the buyer.
‘The hotel sector has enjoyed a booming summer season, driving investment into the sector with credible buyers looking for new opportunities.’
Mr Clyne added: ‘This is an extraordinary property, situated in one of the most breathtaking locations on the South Devon coast, with uninterrupted views of the sea and coast.
“Beach Barefoot Hospitality has very clear plans to capitalize on this fantastic environment for the luxury market, and we look forward to seeing that investment progress.”
‘We always welcome approaches from other owners to market and complete similar off-market deals on a confidential basis.’
A statement from Beach Barefoot Hospitality said: ‘We are delighted to have acquired this well-known hotel in such a beautiful coastal vantage point.
“We will now reposition the hotel as a luxury waterfront location that offers exceptional service to guests seeking a unique, resort-like environment.”
The deal followed a second-generation retirement sale by the Irish family, who have owned and operated The Cottage Hotel through their family business since 1973.
William Ireland, Director of JK & J. Ireland (Cottage Hotel) Limited, said: “We are proud of The Cottage Hotel’s remarkable reputation, which we have built over five decades of continuous ownership.
‘We have made substantial investments in the property to ensure its future success and it now has enormous potential for a future owner to add value. We wish Beach Barefoot Hospitality the best of luck.”
