Contents of Worthing's Beach hotel to be sold at auction
The entire contents of the three-star, 79-bedroom Beach hotel in Worthing are to go under the auctioneer's hammer.
Run by the Farnes family for nearly 50 years, the seafront hotel closed at the end of August because the cost of a required refurbishment has proved to be too prohibitive.
The hotel was originally a row of terraced houses built in 1865 and in the early 20th century was run as a nursing home. An Art Deco façade was added in 1935 when it became the Beach hotel.
Managing director, Jonathan Farnes, who has worked at the hotel for 35 years with his sister, Linda Martin, said that while the current clientele continued to be happy with the hotel's high standard of service, it was becoming increasingly difficult to attract new guests because of their demand for a wider range of facilities.
"The building has done us a great service over the years, but it has reached a stage where it requires investment to take it forward," said Farnes.
"We have considered renovating it, but because it was originally designed for another use a long time ago, there is a limit as to what's achievable, and the cost would be astronomical."
The auction of the hotel's contents will comprise 500 lots and include the entire contents of the 79 bedrooms, public areas and the kitchens, but not the fixtures and fittings.
Several notable paintings will be included in the sale, such as Arundel Castle From the Lake by Walter Wallor Caffyn and The Toymaker by Fritz Beinke.
Worthing auctioneer Campbells will be conducting the sale at the hotel on Saturday 17 September at 10.30am, with viewings being held on 15 and 16 September, from 10am to 4pm.
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By Janet Harmer
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