[News] Royal Albion hotel on fire, again.

[T.G]

It will be occupied by illegal immigrants in 8 months time.

Embarrassing

 

[Guinness Boy]

What a terrible thing to happen but also unbelievable that somehow someone managed to use this to make an anti immigration post.

He won’t be making any posts for a while.

 

[Official Old Man]

I've posted many times that I've seafront businesses in Brighton, one of which is in a building as old as the Royal Albion. These building take a lot of care and attention and cost the earth to keep them stood up. My building, only the width of two small shops, has just cost £300,000 to replace the main support joist which had literally rusted away. I'm also in Blackpool a lot (I detest that town) but there they are slowly knocking down the not too older buildings and replacing them. They do tend to have a lot of fires up there in December though
Seeing the pictures this morning it would seem it has spread to most of the hotel and demolition is the only option. I hope that the new design, whilst being modern, keeps to the local theme with the pier and aquarium both nearby.
Road closures. Again this just shows what a mess Brighton is. Close the only main road and instant chaos. How do 1000's of cars get along the seafront?
Regarding the non British girl who was due to start work there, tell her to pop into any hotel or even the pier, we are all looking for staff and, being non British, means she will quickly get a job. British wont lower themselves to work in the tourist industry on £10.42 an hour.

 

[Seaview Seagull]

It's very sad and from my point of view also a problem as secretary of the Brighton Rotary Club because it's where we (used to) meet. At some point I will have to check whether any of our equipment survived.

 

[Springal]

Terribly unlucky that this happened during gale force winds

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I've posted many times that I've seafront businesses in Brighton, one of which is in a building as old as the Royal Albion. These building take a lot of care and attention and cost the earth to keep them stood up. My building, only the width of two small shops, has just cost £300,000 to replace the main support joist which had literally rusted away. I'm also in Blackpool a lot (I detest that town) but there they are slowly knocking down the not too older buildings and replacing them. They do tend to have a lot of fires up there in December though
Seeing the pictures this morning it would seem it has spread to most of the hotel and demolition is the only option. I hope that the new design, whilst being modern, keeps to the local theme with the pier and aquarium both nearby.
Road closures. Again this just shows what a mess Brighton is. Close the only main road and instant chaos. How do 1000's of cars get along the seafront?
Regarding the non British girl who was due to start work there, tell her to pop into any hotel or even the pier, we are all looking for staff and, being non British, means she will quickly get a job. British wont lower themselves to work in the tourist industry on £10.42 an hour.

I really do hope they can save the building as the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about…years of indecision followed by years of public squabble over what to build ending with a landmark building of architectural merit being ditched in favour of a cheap breeze block hotel budget hotel.

 

[Official Old Man]

I really do hope they can save the building as the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about…years of indecision followed by years of public squabble over what to build ending with a landmark building of architectural merit being ditched in favour of a cheap breeze block hotel budget hotel.

Wont be a 'budget' hotel. Have you seen the prices at Premier Inn or Travelodge in Brighton. Nearly £400 next weekend (Friday & Saturday), that's not budget.
But as a town we need more rooms so a new hotel with an old style facade matching the area. But don't get me started with big business and getting away with things. I'm in the 'old town' area, as is the Royal Albion, and all shop fronts HAVE to be of timber construction. Burger King moved in and ripped up the rule book. UPVC shop front is now the norm.

 

[Chicken Run]

I really do hope they can save the building as the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about…years of indecision followed by years of public squabble over what to build ending with a landmark building of architectural merit being ditched in favour of a cheap breeze block hotel budget hotel.

This week we had Unite conference at the BC and a large gaming convention at the Hilton circa 3k in attendance, speaking to a contractor who works at L&G once a month and normally stays central suggested even Premier Inn wanted 390 quid per night ffs

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Wont be a 'budget' hotel. Have you seen the prices at Premier Inn or Travelodge in Brighton. Nearly £400 next weekend (Friday & Saturday), that's not budget.
But as a town we need more rooms so a new hotel with an old style facade matching the area. But don't get me started with big business and getting away with things. I'm in the 'old town' area, as is the Royal Albion, and all shop fronts HAVE to be of timber construction. Burger King moved in and ripped up the rule book. UPVC shop front is now the norm.

Maybe not a budget hotel then. I just hope that if the building doesn’t survive then the opportunity to build something iconic, a landmark, in a prominent position isn’t missed.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This week we had Unite conference at the BC and a large gaming convention at the Hilton circa 3k in attendance, speaking to a contractor who works at L&G once a month and normally stays central suggested even Premier Inn wanted 390 quid per night ffs

Crikey. I use Premier Inn at Gatwick a fair bit and I think 120 is the max I’ve ever paid. I’d want a lot more for 390 than a Premier Inn!

 

[Chicken Run]

Crikey. I use Premier Inn at Gatwick a fair bit and I think 120 is the max I’ve ever paid. I’d want a lot more for 390 than a Premier Inn!

Damn right he stayed in Rottingdean in the end

 

[Chicken Run]

The seafront road will be closed long past the 11pm Google is showing

 

[timbha]

This week we had Unite conference at the BC and a large gaming convention at the Hilton circa 3k in attendance, speaking to a contractor who works at L&G once a month and normally stays central suggested even Premier Inn wanted 390 quid per night ffs

Seems a bit strange for UNITE to hold their conferences in such expensive places. Must pay decent expenses.

 

[Easy 10]

I wonder where the buses are being diverted to with the Steine out of action. Eastbounds turning round at Churchill Sq I presume.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I'd guess that if the internal damage is really bad that they will retain any listed facades and rebuild internally, probably into
luxury apartments. Developers will be queuing up for that, although parking will be a problem.

 

[thejackal]

intelligence. You’re a great example of why we have IQ tests
Always need to see how our society includes all the extremes of life’s spectrum
Must be very difficult being you
My commiserations

I think it's a great example of why it's important that abortion is still legal in the UK

 

[The Clamp]

Terribly unlucky that this happened during gale force winds

This. It was dry, warm, and incredibly windy. The whole thing just kept reigniting.
And the smoke closed everything in the vacinity.

I’m currently washing all my kit as it smells of bonfire.

I was obviously not on the frontline fighting the fire but managing all the evacuated guests from the RB, YHA and local residents. Getting them into the Brighton Centre where there was cots and stuff for them to stay the night.

And ridiculously, having to restrain and move people who had snuck past the cordon to get a better view. One even tried to fight us.

Dealing with some very upset and confused people.

The firefighters looked absolutely exhausted. What a f***ing amazing job they do.

I don’t mind admitting that I had a bit of an exhausted cry when I got home this morning. Just the the enormity of it got to me a bit. Which is bloody ridiculous as we weren’t up front. But a very tiring experience.

What a night.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Well done @The Clamp as even though no casualties it would seem, lots of confused, scared, upset people to deal with and get safe.

Looks to me like the West portion has had the worse of it, and while pictures don’t show what firefighters were doing internally or round the other side, I can still see curtains and stuff in the East portion of the building, and on the North side - so while the West block has been absolutely devastated, perhaps the main effort prevented it passing through to the East and North blocks, and with an optimist’s outlook, perhaps they’ve managed to save at least half the hotel.

 

[The Clamp]

T

Well done @The Clamp as even though no casualties it would seem, lots of confused, scared, upset people to deal with and get safe.

Looks to me like the West portion has had the worse of it, and while pictures don’t show what firefighters were doing internally or round the other side, I can still see curtains and stuff in the East portion of the building, and on the North side - so while the West block has been absolutely devastated, perhaps the main effort prevented it passing through to the East and North blocks, and with an optimist’s outlook, perhaps they’ve managed to save at least half the hotel.

Thanks mate.

Yeah, I was on Old Steine so I only really see the roof going up. Though I think your description sounds right.

I counted 15 engines there at one point!

I have a firefighter mate who has been sent down with his brigade this morning so might get an update later on.

A real shame to see such a landmark go up.

 

[BrightonCottager]

I wonder where the buses are being diverted to with the Steine out of action. Eastbounds turning round at Churchill Sq I presume.

I was on one last night and we were diverted up Church St, over to North Road & right at the clock tower.