AN ESTATE agent has said it is 'optimistic' about the £5.5 million sale of one of Weymouth's most iconic buildings.

The Riviera Hotel, in Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth was put on the market at the end of last year with a £5.5m price tag.

Dorset Echo:

Estate agency Rolfe East has confirmed the historic Grade II-listed hotel has not sold but there has been several parties interested in its purchase and the agency is 'optimistic'.

Max Rolfe, of Rolfe East estates, said: "We have had several interested parties in its purchase.

"However, due to the pandemic it's obviously quiet on the hotel front."

Mr Rolfe said investors have not been looking to make any purchases at this current time due to the uncertainty surrounding the leisure and hospitality industry.

"More people are having the Covid-19 vaccine everyday and schools are fully reopening in March," said Mr Rolfe.

"We're optimistic that the leisure and hospitality industry will be back soon too."

Dorset Echo:

During the first national lockdown, the Riviera Hotel hosted a number of rough sleepers and homeless people and assisted local charity Bus Shelter Dorset.

The distinctive white and blue hotel had reopened to tourists in July before closing down again during the second national lockdown.

It is again supporting Dorset Council throughout this lockdown by housing rough sleepers.

Mr Rolfe said: "It's an iconic building. Buying it would mean buying into the Weymouth area, which has a rich hotel history."

The site features a restaurant, function space for corporate events, special events, weddings and entertainment as well as gym, fitness centre and car park. There is also a private swimming pool with a sauna and a large outdoor pool.

The property became a listed building in January 1997 as Historic England described the property as 'epitomising the austere approach of the modernists in the immediate pre-war era, and suggests the designer's acquaintance with contemporary work in Rome and elsewhere'.

The accommodation is based in an ideal location overlooking the scenic Dorset coast and is situated nearly three miles from Weymouth town centre and eight miles from Portland.

It was constructed in 1937 by L. Stewart Smith using reinforced concrete. The 98-bedroom hotel has had several owners over the years, including holiday camp owner Fred Pontin and Saudi Arabian investors.

Dorset Echo: The hotel in the 1940sThe hotel in the 1940s

It has also undergone a number of renovations - the most recent being in 2018.

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