Blackpool entertainment venue set for multi-million pound transformation

Plans have been unveiled for a stylish new five-star destination hotel to be built at the heart of the Golden Mile above the Sands Entertainment 
Venue. The ambitious plan to convert and extend The Sands near the resort’s iconic Tower is the brainchild of businessman Peter Swann.

A planning application has been submitted to Blackpool Borough Council and is set to be discussed later in the year.

It is the latest in a series of big hotel investment plans which have come this year for Blackpool signalling a rise in confidence in the resort’s hospitality industry after years of tough going.

These include plans for an £8.5m, 131 bedroom hotel on the site of the now disused Palm Beach and Bourne Hotels by Create Developments, the plan for a new Premier Inn on the Yates site and the council’s £14m plan for a hotel at the Talbot Gateway..

Peter Swann, who owns the company which operates the Sands, is also chairman of Scunthorpe United FC.

He believes the plan will deliver the level of hospitality that Blackpool needs to meet the demands of the 21st Century guest and to attract new visitors.

He said: “This is a major investment in Blackpool and we see it as a real vote of confidence in the future of the town as a tourism destination.

“Our aim is to create a very special luxury hotel that will be a real boost to the town’s visitor economy and points the way ahead for the resort in terms of the standards it has to reach.”

The contemporary 96-bedroom hotel on the Promenade has been created by the architecture and design team at Lancashire based Frank Whittle Partnership.

Councillor Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “The Sands Venue has certainly been a very welcome addition to the town centre since it opened and it is, therefore, extremely pleasing to see the company showing further confidence in Blackpool and looking to invest in its future.

“We welcome all significant, ambitious private sector investment proposals and look forward to seeing detailed plans soon.”

Bosses at FWP in Preston said they had aimed for a contemporary and stylish vision for the hotel which would include luxury penthouse suites providing stunning views out over the Prom and the Irish Sea.

New retail units and a welcoming section of public space are also incorporated in FWP’s design.

Seb Salisbury, architect at FWP, which has offices in Preston and Manchester, says the hotel will create a “real destination point for tourism in Blackpool”.

The Sands is already a popular live entertainment and dining venue in the resort and the investment will add to the major regeneration work and large-scale investment that has transformed Blackpool’s famous Promenade in recent times.

Seb Salisbury said: “Our design for the hotel is heavily influenced by the rich heritage of the site both today and in the past.

“We have created a modern building that will be a real addition to the famous seafront and its iconic buildings like the Tower and which both preserves and enhances the unique character of the Prom.

“It is on the site of the Palatine Hotel building which stood impressively on the promenade until the 1970s.

“The Palatine was defined by its circular tower which rose to a point on the south-western section of the site creating an almost palatial appearance.

“Our new contemporary design aims to echo this in the way it rises to a glazed pinnacle on the same section of the site, paying homage to its more ornate predecessor.

“The aim is to create a defined yet minimalistic addition to the promenade skyline. The seafront elevation is almost crystal-like in its appearance with a highly reflective skin changing appearance depending on weather conditions.”

He added: “The large penthouse suites on the corner aspects of the hotel will provide stunning views Sea making the Sands Venue Resort and Hotel a real destination point for the town.”