Historic Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea to be transformed into homes as plans are submitted

Zenda Limited has submitted a planning application to Portsmouth City Council which shows the proposal includes refurbishing the hotel building, most recently used to house asylum seekers, and building a detached block to the north of the site. The “west wing proposal” includes plans for 31 flats in the hotel building, removing the top floor and building a new fourth floor and a setback fifth floor.

The units include standard one-bed and two-bed flats on the upper ground floor, and between the first and fourth floors, there are four one-bed units, eight two-bed units, and eight three-bed units. The new top floor offers three two-bed and one three-bed penthouse-style units with private roof terraces. The “north wing proposal” would deliver an L-shaped six-storey building located at the corner of Alhambra and Mansion Road. That part of the scheme would include 26 flats, made up of four one-bed homes, 19 two-bed homes and three two-bed penthouses. The new building, if approved, would require the demolition of the existing rear extension.

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Planning documents state the proposal will rejuvenate an “outdated structure” with the addition of a new apartment building “which is designed to fit well into its context”. The Best Western Royal Beach Hotel was built on a one-acre field in 1866 on the junction between South Parade and St Helens Parade. It opened its doors for the first time on May 1 of the same year and became one of the most popular and fashionable hotels in Southsea boasting impressive views across the Solent. An application for the east wing of the Southsea hotel, allowing the conversion of the building into 29 flats, was approved last year.

The hotel hosted thousands of holidaymakers and with the Grand Old Pier Theatre and The Kings Theatre nearby, many of Britain’s ‘top of the bill’ stars of stage, screen and radio would stay at the hotel. Recently, the hotel has participated in a government-led program to house asylum seekers, leading to its closure to the general public. The application has a decision deadline set for March 6 of this year, residents can view the application here or by using the planning reference 23/01528/FUL.