Belle Vue Hotel set to close after 40 years

ALDERNEY'S Belle Vue Hotel is to close its doors after 40 years.

The family-run business has been on the market for two years and manager Tracy Jean feels it is now time to move on to new challenges.

The hotel's last function will be for the Alderney Air Race at the weekend.

Ms Jean, who runs the hotel with her mother, Pauline, said they were closing the doors with 'mixed feelings'.

The closure comes two years after the death of the establishment's proprietor, Tracy's dad Steve Collins.

'I promised my dad we would stay until the hotel was sold or my mum wanted to retire – and now she does want to retire,' said Tracy. 'I've kept my promise to my dad, so the time is right.'

She said the hotel was a still a thriving concern. 'We have many very happy memories of the Belle Vue and it will be a really good family business ready for people who want to come along and bring it into the future,' she said.

Residents and visitors regard the pink 16-bedroom hotel on the Butes, which has two restaurants, a bar and a function room, with great fondness, as demonstrated by comments left on the hotel's Facebook page at the news it was closing.

Over the years it has hosted popular Sunday cinema nights, birthdays, balls and discos.

Business development, marketing and tourism chairman Neil Harvey said he respected the personal reasons the family had for deciding to close, but it was still sad to see it shutting down. 'Hopefully someone will come along and buy the hotel and take advantage of the exciting new strategies we are developing to market the island to interested groups.'