By Isle of Wight Observer
A fire at a derelict Sandown hotel has caused internal damage and cast a shadow over last year’s approved redevelopment plans. Police have confirmed they are treating the blaze, at the former Esplanade Hotel, as suspicious, prompting a full-scale investigation into the cause.
Fire crews from across the Island, including teams from Newport, Ryde, Shanklin, and Ventnor, were dispatched to the scene in the early hours of Tuesday morning after the alarm was raised shortly after 4 am. Firefighters battled the flames, which had taken hold on the first, second, and third floors of the building. Using hose reel jets, a main jet, and an aerial ladder platform, crews worked tirelessly to bring the blaze under control.
Despite new ownership in 2019, and planning permission given for redevelopment, the property has continued to fall into disrepair. The council issued an enforcement notice earlier this year, requiring the owners to carry out more than 100 actions to improve the property’s appearance.
The property was granted planning permission in February last year, for a significant conversion project. The approved plans outlined the proposed transformation of the hotel into a total of 14 residential apartments and six holiday apartments. The revised application also included changes to the building’s layout, appearance, and boundary treatments.
The Esplanade Hotel, a prominent feature on Sandown’s seafront, has stood vacant for years; its history includes a period where it famously hosted rock legend, Jimi Hendrix. The planned redevelopment was seen as a positive step towards regenerating the area and bringing the historic building back into productive use. This latest incident, now under police investigation, raises serious concerns about the future of the once-grand Victorian hotel and the viability of the recently approved conversion project.
The incident has left many in the community openly questioning how the fire started, and what it means for the hotel’s long-awaited revival.
