A hotel in a seaside town is preparing to call in the liquidators in another blow to the struggling coastal resort.
The Whitehouse Hotel in Llandudno sits in a prime location right on the North Wales town’s seafront. But after a series of bad reviews and a drop in trade, it says it has made the decision to close.
Administrators Begbies Traynor were called in by operator Seaside and Rural Breaks Limited. It said the 56-bedroom hotel started to see losses mounting.
The company said operating costs in the hospitality sector meant the hotel “found it difficult to compete in a challenging market.” Staff at the hotel have now been made redundant.
A spokesperson for Begbies Traynor told NorthWalesLive: “Like many others operating in the hospitality sector the company found it difficult to compete in a challenging market. The company did everything it could to keep the business trading but ultimately were faced with no other option but to close the business through a creditor’s voluntary liquidation and all the staff were made redundant.”
The Whitehouse Hotel had however been hit by a string of bad reviews in recent months that would not have helped trade. One Tripadvisor review simply told people “don’t go there” while another complained of stains on the beds.
It is the latest blow for Llandudno after The County Hotel, also on the town’s seafront, announced it would close in the winter months. Bosses called it the “most viable solution” to keep the business going.
Hotels in the town have been fighting to keep going over the quieter months due to very high energy bills. It means it is hard for them to remain profitable over winter.
The County Hotel said it would reopen in March. A spokesman said: “Hospitality is seasonal in nature and, as has been the case in previous years, The County hotel is set to close for the winter months, with the significant drop off in trade making temporary closure the most viable solution to maintain the business.
“The hotel isn’t closing permanently though and is set to reopen in late March when trade traditionally returns.”
Marks & Spencer’s relocation to Parc Llandudno has also had an impact on the town centre, Conwy councillors said. A recent planning committee meeting saw a proposal to turn the former Marks and Spencer store in the centre to a “three-floor mixed-use leisure hub.”
At the meeting councillors heard the Mostyn Street multi-storey, close to the former store, had seen a 40% drop in cars since M&S relocated.
Cllr Louise Emery told planners: “The footfall in the town of Llandudno has shifted from Mostyn Street to the two retail parks. We need to give residents and visitors a reason to come back to the high street.
They will want to go, rather than need to go. Retail plays such an important part in the offer to visitors, and I can assure you the high-street businesses that I have talked to are desperate to see the redevelopment of this site and as mixed use.”
M&S said the move away from the town centre had seen a 30% increase in clothing sales and 70% on food in 2022. This increased again by 13% this year.
