The infamous Grand Hotel in Scarborough, dubbed the “worst hotel in Britain”, will be bought and restored under mayoral candidate Keane Duncan’s bold regeneration plan.
The Conservative candidate vying to be York and North Yorkshire’s first mayor said he will restore the seaside hotel, ensuring “the Grand is grand once again” if is elected in May.
Once the largest and most luxurious hotel in Europe, The Grand attracted royalty and statesmen including Winston Churchill.
Today it’s a bargain hotel, owned by Britain’s worst-rated chain Britannia.
Mr Duncan said The Grand is now the “shame of Scarborough”, with bold action required to restore it and “herald a new era” for the wider town.
The hotel has attracted more than 4,000 “terrible" reviews on Tripadvisor and national press coverage describing it as a “slug-infested sh**hole”.
Mr Duncan said: “Once a symbol of the town’s prestige, The Grand today stands tall above the seafront as the shame of Scarborough.
“It’s holding back the town’s potential and damaging its prospects. This is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue.
“So I’m ready to take bold action. I’ll buy the hotel, using new mayoral powers and funding to wrestle the hotel from Britannia’s hands.
“I’ll ensure The Grand is grand once again, restore it so it’s a building we can be proud of.
“It will herald a new era for the whole town, restoring pride, kick-starting wider regeneration and returning Scarborough to its glory days.
“I admit this is a radical plan, but tackling the problem of the Grand is absolutely essential for Scarborough’s future fortunes.”
Mr Duncan said he will seek to commence discussions with Britannia in his first week, if he is elected as mayor on May 2.
While the sale price would be subject to negotiation, Mr Duncan said his plan would require a multi-million investment.
He said he will use new mayoral funding to buy and restore the building. While he hopes to agree a sale, he said he is prepared to resort to compulsory purchase powers if required.