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PORT LIGHT HOTEL & BOLBERRY FARM COTTAGES NEWS UPDATE 2012

www.portlight.co.uk info@portlight.co.uk www.bolberryfarmcottages.co.uk 

01548 561384        07970 859992

LATEST NEWS UPDATE : 7th JANUARY 2012

 

Probably the most intense 3 months in my history at Port Light. As some of you already know, we won our planning appeal to redevelop the hotel site. It was the best Christmas present we could have had. A great result for Hazel & myself, our neighbours and visitors. It has secured Port Light as a holiday and eating venue for another 100 years. The Planning Inspector gave no alteration requests to our plans. He was a Government employee that lives in the real world ! He used an educated judgement of ALL the facts and came to the correct sensible conclusion that has safe guarded our future, catering on Bolberry and local jobs. This was outline permission and so we will need to confirm the final details. Over the past 6 months since the initial refusal we have evaluated the project and the future for us a Port Light. We have decided on a "Plan B" which will see a slightly reduced size to the original plan as the apartments we need to sell to help fund the project will be built on the existing footprint therefore we will not have to charge V.A.T on the sale of these properties so will not need to sell so many off. The sections which were built in 1997 and 2005 will be retained and converted to form new aparthotel accommodation and part of our house. We hope this will please the few local objectors as they had agreed to support us on a smaller scale application. We will not start building until January 2013 as the revised plans have to be approved. Thank you to all the many people who have supported us. It cannot go unmentioned that our Parish Council are becoming more forward thinking and realise that tourism is the life blood of our area. We thank them for their continued support which will in turn ensure we are a sustainable quality tourist and locals venue for many years to come.

There have been concerns from our regular guests that we would not be pet friendly. This is most definitely not the case. Our huge success at Port Light has been due to our quality pet friendly accommodation. This will continue and we have carefully factored the importance of this niche market into our development plans. As we will be trading another season we have made a few changes to the Port Light ground floor layout. The bar and restaurant alterations are now complete and look brilliant. As usual we got carried away! The bar has been moved, a much better table layout has been created and the conservatory has had a laminated floor so ideal for dancing .We redecorated the complete ground floor and Hazel even got me to change the colour scheme, which I hate to agree, she has great choice.The alterations will make us more efficient.The new ground floor room has even amazed me ! It has large shower and bathroom. The views over the helipad garden are very restful and guests can enjoy the romantic sunsets whilst sitting on their own enclosed patio. Our website has now been updated with the bar photographs. The alterations proved a great success over the festive period and it was probably the best Christmas and New year we have experienced at Port Light. There are many fond memories of banter, laughter and great conversation. 2012 festive period will probably be the last in the present form and we already have bookings coming in. It was great to have my Dad back for the festive period. He was a huge help and took a lot of pressure off us being house dishwasher, toy tidier, child minder, Daves kitchen helper and customer relations co ordinator! The down side is that he out danced me on New Years Eve, even wearing his new Christmas slippers! Dave, as usual excelled himself in the kitchen. I am sure he has the longest work commute in the world for Christmas. 43 hours door to door just to ensure our customers get fed well and looked after.Unfortunately in the 'green' world we live in, his carbon footprint is massive, but this is greatly offset as my middle brother has two Toyota Prias! Paul did us proud and kept control of "out front" in his usual professional polite manner and Lewis did a great job always turning up on time (even early) smartly presented and with a smile; a rare attribute in youngsters nowadays. Emily (oldest daughter) and Sam (boyfriend) also worked extremely hard and very professionally. They must have got it from watching me ! Hazel as always, controlled the show. I sampled wine with customers and provided the humour. Similar to what my Dad did; a mini Maurice was mentioned.

We re-open the hotel on 17th February but are still here taking your many calls and e mails whilst decorating Room 6 & 3 and planning the new building. At the hotel from February until 29th March we have 3 night breaks @ £170 pp Dinner B&B and pets still come free. The Cottages remain open throughout and are still very busy. This year we are offering short breaks until 29th March. A 3 night break (fri,sat sun) or 4 nights (mon tues wed thurs) both start at a couples rate of £230 per cottage and include linen, towels and power.

June, August, September are already very busy with new business as we are continually recognised as Devons leading Pet friendly hotel and quality self catering cottage venues. Despite the Doom and Gloom of what the Newspapers tell us, we are in for another good year, as I know by my own experineces, foreign holiday are very expensive and the weather can no longer be guaranteed. UK holidays are now becoming a more civilised relaxed inexpensive option.

Josh, still only 4 is becoming a hulk He is my shadow. We think he will be like his great granddad tall but very calm. I hope he is not the nearly 7ft my Granddad was ! Ella is being the usual cheeky monkey. She has now recovered from the broken arm she did in Gran Canaria in October. Some bright customer told her she would get £2 from the tooth fairy for each tooth that fell out. She wants to know how much she would get for her plaster cast if she put that under her pillow!

We will be putting our new plans on the website as soon as we have drawn them so watch this space. Look forward to hopefully seeing you soon.

Happy New Year

Sean, Hazel, Dave, Paul and the crew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PORT LIGHT HOTEL, RESTAURANT & INN
Bolberry Down, Nr Salcombe, South Devon, TQ7 3DY
Tel: 01548 561384 or 07970 859992
or, from outside the UK, +44 1548 561384
Resident Proprietors: Sean & Hazel Hassall

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