The art deco hotel has fallen into disrepair (Image: Garry Knight)
Fury has erupted in a as an iconic hotel that used to house evacuated disabled children during WW2 now sits abandoned and empty.
Originally known as the “Bowleaze Lido and Club”, the Riviera Hotel, a grade II listed building, was built in 1936–37 in Weymouth, Dorset.
But now the prominent building is now a shell of its former self and has become victim to anti-social behaviour.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk Councillor Louie O’Leary expressed his sadness at the run down state of the hotel adding there are “no immediate plans” for it to reopen.
He said: “We have had numerous complaints about the state of the .
:
The grade II listed building in 1937 (Image: Images George Rex)
“There are loads of mattresses out the back and there have been some complaints of anti-social behaviour. All my family used to work there, I’d like to see it return to its former glory.
“I am not aware of any immediate plans for it to reopen. We may get to the point where it’s too run down and can’t be saved.
A member of staff at the site, however, recently told the Dorset Echo that work is still going on at the site, most recently repairs to the roof ahead of a refurbishment. They said no timeline has been given as to when it might re-open.
One Weymouth local said the hotel is sadly “beyond repair”.
They said: “The place has been smashed to pieces by trespassers. It is beyond repair.”
One clip shows drone images of the now empty and delerict hotel that is in a state of ruin.
One user commented: “So sad, it could be stunning! those views!”
Another added: “Got married there in 2006! So sad to see it in such a state!”
Advertised as “Weymouth’s most perfect holiday centre” the hotel opened its doors for the summer holiday season on May 28 1939 and cost around £40,000 to build.
What a mess this place has become! ????????????
Don’t miss… [SPOTLIGHT]
The three-star hotel has undergone a number of changes of ownership throughout the years and numerous fires.
In December 1960 a devastating fire left a 15 foot hole through the wooden floor, another fire occurred in August 1968, damaging the ballroom, bar, café, nursery and billiard room and all of the hotel’s 300 guests were evacuated.
In 2009 the Diyafa Group, a Saudi Arabian hospitality chain, brought the hotel for £3.5 million. During the -19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021, it served as accommodation for homeless people with nowhere else to go. It suffered a major blow in February 2022 when the ballroom roof collapsed after damage caused by Storm Eunice.
The following year the 98-bedroom hotel was put on a list of ‘most threatened buildings in the country of demolition, redevelopment or neglect’ by the Twentieth Century Society.
Express.co.uk has contacted Diyafa Group and Weymouth Town Council for comment.