Seafront hotel opened in 1939 has become empty 'eyesore' after 'Saudi owners let it fall into disrepair'

Published: 11:30 EST, 10 November 2026 | Updated: 11:32 EST, 10 November 2026 An 87-year-old seafront hotel has become an empty 'eyesore' after its Saudi Arabian owners 'let it fall into woeful disrepair', an MP has said. The Riviera Hotel in Weymouth, Dorset, has been unused since it failed to find a buyer when it was last put on the market for £5million in 2021.The Grade II-listed coastal venue – which first opened its doors in 1939 – has remained closed since storm damage battered the art deco site in 2022. Since its closure Bowleaze Cove locals have said the empty hotel has become a blot on the Dorset coastline.Now South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton is calling on the Government to step in and help finalise a sale which could bring the hotel 'back into local hands'.Addressing ministers, Mr Hatton said: 'The Riviera Hotel is an iconic building overlooking Weymouth, but its current Saudi Arabia-based owners have let it fall into woeful disrepair.'What was once a thriving hotel is now turning into an absolute eyesore. While Dorset Council is doing its utmost to convene a reasonable sale, we can and must do more.'He added: 'Will the Minister meet with us to explore every option, including compulsory purchase as a backstop, to bring this hotel back into local hands?' The Riviera Hotel on the coast in Weymouth, Dorset has become an 'eyesore' an MP has said South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton has called on the government to help finalise a sale for the hotelHousing Minister Matthew Pennycook agreed to meet with Mr Hatton and confirmed local authorities possess a number of powers to preserve a designated heritage asset.Weymouth locals also expressed their wishes for the landmark building to be restored although renovating the listed building would be costly.One local said: 'Such a shame, you can see the lovely art deco style even though it has fallen into this state. It would be amazing if it could be restored.'Another said: 'It's a victim of listed building status - makes it too expensive and restrictive to do anything.'Having opened just three months before the outbreak of the Second World War, the iconic hotel became a star attraction for Weymouth's tourism scene and Pontins holiday parks.The hotel is currently owned by Bowleaze Limited which is linked to Saudi Arabian hospitality business Difaya Group.As the venue's condition deteriorated, it was added to the Twentieth Century Society's Buildings at Risk Register in 2023.Historic England said the Riviera Hotel 'epitomises the austere approach of the modernists in the immediate pre-war era, and suggests the designer's acquaintance with contemporary work in Rome and elsewhere'. A Grade II-listed building, the hotel first opened its doors in 1939, three months before the start of the Second World WarBuilt between 1936 and 1937 for around £40,000, which is worth an estimated £3.7million today, the hotel first opened during summer season in 1939.In 1999 it was sold to Hollybush Associates who refurbished the hotel for £1million in 2002. It was then sold for £3.5million in 2009 to the current owners Difaya Group. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the hotel provided temporary accommodation for the homeless in 2020-21.The hotel was placed on the market for £5.5million in 2020, but failed to attract a buyer and was removed from the market the following year.Three years later, the hotel was listed on the Twentieth Century Society's Buildings at risk register due to 'decline and neglect'.Difaya Group has been approached for comment.Do YOU have a story? Email Joshua.Haining@dailymail.co.uk