‘A great shame’ for Newquay hotel and nightclub to close suddenly

A hotel and nightclub in the Cornwall seaside town has closed suddenly and staff are at risk of redundancy, a Newquay councilor has confirmed.

Hotel Victoria, which has been on Newquay’s East Street since 1899, closed its doors on Monday, Cornwall Council member Louis Gardner told the BBC.

Staff declined to comment and future plans for the building have yet to be confirmed, but the hotel has been removed from its booking website and is not accepting guests.

Meanwhile, plans to close Berties nightclub and bar next door Bertie O’Flannigan’s have been described as a “huge shame” by members of the Newquay community.

Newquay Central councilor Gardner said staff had contacted him to let them know they were at risk of redundancy.

He said: “This was a shock to us all.

“We will see 60 job losses at the hotel and surrounding businesses.

“We’ve heard that another large hotel group has bought it and we’re hoping we’ll see a big investment because it’s a great asset and it’s well-loved.”

He added: “A number of staff have contacted me to say they are now facing redundancy and it is a terrible time of year as we approach Christmas.”

He said he hoped workers would find alternative employment in the town.

He said Newquay needed investment as it had lost so many hotels and “the shape of the tourism industry” was changing but there was still room for historic hotels.

On the loss of Berties, he said Newquay’s night-time economy still had the potential to thrive.

Meanwhile, Hotel Victoria’s former marketing manager Tony Townsend said the closure was “extremely sad”.

He added: “I think a lot of people, especially, have grown up with Berties as part of their lives and maybe lived with them when they were younger, when they were teenagers.

“I think it’s a big part of people’s lives.”

Mr Townsend described the club, which can accommodate up to 2,000 people, as “an absolute fixture”, especially during the summer holidays.

He said: “We could have some of the biggest acts and some of the biggest DJs in the UK. Culturally it was really important.”

Berties’ social media page reads: “Unfortunately, this is Berties’ last week.

“We are closing our doors completely as of Monday, November 25th.

“Thank you everyone for your continued support over the years. We will miss each and every one of you!”

Marina Dee, who has lived in Newquay since the age of nine, recalled happy teenage memories of going clubbing in Berties.

He said: “It was a great place to meet, it’s a shame it’s closing.

“We’re losing so much of Newquay since I grew up here.”

Mandy Davies also said the closure of Berties was a “shame”.

He said: “You always worry about what the next step will be.

“More hotels are needed here to stop people thinking you can just stay in houses. You just need someone to invest.

“It needs to remain as a hotel, it needs to be invested in the city.”

Iskender Deniz, who runs a business in Newquay, said customers from Berties frequented the place so the closure would affect others.