Seamen's rest furls its sale
A hotel that has accommodated professional seamen and their families for more than 50 years is to close next month.
The Merchant Navy hotel at Lancaster Gate in London has been sold to property developer Resourcestar by the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, a charitable trust. Resourcestar bought the building for more than £6m and will convert it into luxury flats.
Trustees of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board accepted the offer from Resourcestar, which was £1m more than the hotel's market value. The hotel, which is not open to the public, is operated by 25 staff employed by In-House Catering.
Westley Botha, one of three duty managers, said: "Obviously, it will be a great loss." Botha and his staff now face redundancy but In-House's finance director, Tim Gamblen, said: "We are a caring company. We will ensure that all our staff are looked after."
