Falmouth Hotel, Cornwall up for sale with Savills for £7.5m

Savills is marketing the freehold of The Falmouth Hotel in Falmouth for offers in excess of £7.5 million on behalf of Richardson Hotels. It is also selling Abbey Sands Hotel, Torquay, Devon for £1.95 million.

Richardson Hotels’ owner, Keith Richardson says he has taken the strategic decision to divest of these hotels as part of a retirement strategy.

The Grade II Listed 71-room hotel on Falmouth sea front, is one of town’s most iconic hotels.

The Falmouth Hotel Company was incorporated in April 1863 (Image: File)

The Falmouth Hotel Company was incorporated in April 1863, the first stone was laid that August with the hotel opening two years later.

The foundation stone was laid by Robert Tweedy, the first chairman of the Falmouth Hotel Company Ltd.

At the time the splendours of the Falmouth Bay coastline was completely unspoilt and undeveloped.

Falmouth Hotel was one of the first on the seafront (Image: File)

But with the arrival of the railway close by all that was about to change.

At first the hotel struggled to attract guests but with the introduction of sleeper cars on the trains from London, guests began to flock to Falmouth.

The hotel originally had its own private beach and has witnessed many key moments in British history, including the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, National Strikes in 1911 and was even taken over by the War Department in 1917 to be used as a military hospital.

During the second world war, the hotel was camouflaged by the Admiralty who also commandeered the entire fourth floor as offices.

The hotel once had its own outdoor swimming pool (Image: File)

Many famous people have passed through the hotel’s doors over the years; including the soon-to-be King Edward VII while he was still the Prince of Wales, cricketer Sir Ian Botham and eighties pop sensation Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran who stayed there after being rescued from his capsized yacht by a helicopter from RNAS Culdrose in the 1980s.

One of the most fascinating of all the hotel’s links with fame came about in its earlier years, with the first known picture letter by Beatrix Potter being written there. For two or three weeks over spring, the Potter family would go away on holiday and Beatrix would send letters to the young children she knew.

One of its most famous guests was Beatrix Potter who used to stay and wrote letters home (Image: file)

The hotel has excellent sea views and comprises 71 en-suite bedrooms. The ground floor AA rosette rated Castle restaurant and bar also benefit from expansive views. There are three function rooms with a combined capacity of 170 guests. The spa provides a fully equipped gym, indoor heated swimming pool, hot tub and sauna, and a variety of treatment rooms.

Externally there are gardens, a terrace and car parking. The site extends to around three acres and has development potential to extend the hotel with additional bedrooms, with consent previously granted for 16 additional rooms.

James Greenslade, Director, Hotel Capital Markets, Savills, comments: “These sales represent an excellent opportunity to acquire the freehold interest in two fantastic South West hotels. The Falmouth Hotel is one of Falmouth’s best known hotels, located above Castle Beach with excellent sea views."

He added: "We expect good interest in both properties.”

Keith Richardson, owner of Richardson Hotels, comments: “I have decided to sell these hotels as part of a retirement strategy.

"The purchaser of these hotels will inherit excellent staff and I am sure they will continue to look after our staff, guests and these fabulous hotels going forwards."