Diamond Hotel

History

Having operated over various names over the years, the Diamond Hotel right on the Eastbourne seafront should have been an astounding success. The beach is only a stone’s throw away, it’s a reasonably well put-together hotel and had rates as low as £45/night - so what went wrong?

Notwithstanding the decline in domestic tourism, this hotel had a bigger problem: its owner. The hotel group running the property, Diamond Hotel Ltd, and its sole director were prosecuted for tax fraud, specifically PAYE and National Insurance breaches. Although this was not the director's first encounter with the law, it resulted in the Diamond Hotel and others closing for want of a new owner.

Astoundingly, when it came to closure in July 2023, the hotel failed to inform prior-booked customers that it had ceased trading, and many holidaymakers turned up only to find the doors locked and nobody at home.

The building was virtually untouched. Bedrooms still contained televisions, and the dining room remained laid for breakfast.

These locked doors were what pre-booked guests encountered after the hotel closed.

Foyer

The Bar

Some bar seating

The Restaurant

Classic mod kitchen

Some decay was beginning to fester in the backrooms

Perhaps accommodation for the workers

All the bedrooms were completely untouched