The twin towers have returned to the Bay Queen. And the interior of the prominent Port St Mary landmark is now lit up pink and blue at night as work continues apace on the luxury homes development. Construction work has been completed up to the fifth floor, which includes the twin towers replicating those that were such a feature of the Art Deco west wing of the former hotel which had stood there for generations.
The site was purchased along with the surrounding land for £4m by Hartford Homes in 2007. The first phase of the new development will include 23 luxury apartments and two penthouses plus a private club lounge and gym. Most of the flats are reserved or sold but a number are still available, with prices ranging from £974,999 to £1,339,999.
Hartford secured registered building consent in 2019 for the demolition of the old hotel and construction of two buildings, with initial proposals for 45 apartments and a restaurant. Amended plans, approved in 2021, saw the number of proposed apartments reduced while plans for a stand-alone restaurant were dropped in favour of a ’flexible’ ground floor space which could be used as a spa/wellness centre alongside an attached cafe. Demolition work of the old hotel started in late 2021.
It had been run by the Kelly family for more than 50 years from 1914 to 1965 and began as two boarding houses with the gap between them filled in 1926 with a magnificent ballroom and new guestrooms above. Ten years later the 50-bedroom west wing w.