I was plodding past the Woodlands apartment complex in Grouville on Tuesday morning. It put me in mind of a Friday evening many years ago when myself and my future (and also ex) wife were having a few drinks at the Castle Green in Gorey. We called a cab at the end of the evening and were treated to a pyrotechnic display as we drove by the Woodlands Hotel burning to the ground at the same spot. The following morning when I called into the Dog & Sausage for a livener there was an electrician of my acquaintance looking uncharacteristically sheepish and quiet; it transpired he had been working late there the previous evening!
Of course the hotel site was transformed into apartments in the way that has typified the Island in the years since the tourism industry took a back seat to finance in the local scheme of things. The thing is, this hotel fire thing isn’t particularly unusual in Jersey. Off the top of my head there have been…
The Palace Hotel in St Saviour, some time towards the end of the Occupation. Formerly managed by Olympic sprinter Cyril Gill it was in use by the Germans at the time and the basement was an ammo store. One night the whole lot went up. Some say it was the work of a disaffected German soldier who wanted to hasten the endgame in order to get home. The site is now a mature housing estate, Palace Close.
Maison Victor Hugo is the rather posh apartment complex where I am presently living. It must be some 25 years ago that the Hotel Victor Hugo burnt down overnight. The site was derelict for a long time before the present building went up.
Now within the last couple of months we have the former Mont de la Rocque Hotel at St Aubin burning down after several tries at obtaining planning permission.
An honourable mention to the Hotel de France which, after each of two major fires, has bounced back as a bigger and better hotel in the years following.
Back On The Rock 
Hmm.. Sounds like a case for Bergerac.
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Ha ha. Eighteen years after the last episode was shot Bergerac is still helping our struggling tourism industry!
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Just trawling through some bits and pieces after clearing out the home of a long-gone family member and came across 3 vintage cocktail swizzle sticks and a street-lamp styles cocktail stick from the old Maison victor Hugo Hotel. I remember staying there as a child. Putting them on ebay now if you fancy a memento.
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i remember staying at hotel victor hugo in 1967 or 1968 – does anyone know what happened to hotel st aubyn -(note the y) situated in st aubin bay
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Thanks Chris. The Hotel St Aubyn in Rue de Croquet is no longer a hotel but St Aubyn Apartments – converted as so many hotels and guest houses have been.
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Did the Goodyear family sell St Aubyn- they had 2 daughters Barbara and Isabelle – had super time
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No idea. If it’s any consolation the actual building has been beautifully kept up.
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I worked in my student days in summer of 1965(?) in Hotel Ambassadeur which at the time must have had same owner as Hotel Maison Victor Hugo, as I recall having to do night duty occasionly in Victor Hugo. Planning a return trip to Jersey (after 52years!) this summer. Can you suggest good places to stay. I can see that Ambassadeur is still on the go, but would prefer to drop in there for a drink or meal only.
Regards, Jim
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Hello Jim, you’l know of course that Jersey has changed radically since the 60s. Probably not for the better though its countryside has been well-preserved and one can still find peace and exercise on its cliffpaths.
As you’ll know from the comments on this old post, hotels have declined in number. Yes indeed the Ambassadeur is going strong and remains popular. In town the long-established Mayfair is always a good bet. The Apollo, Alhambra, Ommaroo. A bit posher are the Grand, de France, Pomme d’Or, Royal Yacht. There are a number out of town but it depends on your budget. Have a look at the Tourism website jersey.com
Hope you have a good trip and stay. Best wishes.
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Hello Roy – just spotted you reply – thanks for info- 2 quick questions – what year did hotel victor hugo stop being a hotel (apart from the fire/ lying derelect)- and trafalgar bay hotel – near to hotel kalamunda in gorey – we stayed at all of these when they functioned as hotels very many- thanks
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Hello again Chris – crikey this is an old post 🙂 You stayed in Jersey in its tourism heyday. Much has changed since. The advent of cheap package holidays to the Med changed the whole face of the industry. Tourism has steadily declined while Finance is the dominant economic driver.
I’m afraid I haven’t got exact details of the demise of those hotels. Strangely, we were discussing the Victor Hugo the other night. I was under the impression it burnt down in the mid 80s, but that might have been the adjacent Dunes Hotel. Possibly late 70s for the Victor Hugo.
Trafalgar Bay has been apartments for several years now.
Here is a link to a fellow blogger’s post which you might find interesting http://crapaudmatic.blogspot.com/2012/05/tourism-decline-hotels-gone.html
Best wishes
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I worked at the Trafalgar Bay hotel in 2000 until the season ended. I believe to closed down for good then as well
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very shocked to read The Woodlands burned down, our family worked there during the summer of 1971, dad was the organist. Anyone remember Tommy? Went back early 90’s and found an apartment block but bumped into one of theregulars at the hotel
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Hi Kathryn, yes indeed. To be honest so many big hotels have closed in recent years that the Woodlands would have probably had a limited life anyway. More money to be made in developing these prime sites in these times when the holidaymakers no longer come in such numbers 😦
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Having a trawl through – when I was staying in Trafalgar Bay Hotel – met 2 girls from Worcester who were staying in Hotel Kalamunda ( near to Jersey Pottery I think ) and ended up going out with one of the girls for a while – although Kent to Worcester was sometimes a challenge !! – but she was worth the journey …… Also when staying in Trafalgar Bay Hotel met a group of 4 girls who were staying in a white hotel/B&B that had yellow window frames – away from Trafalgar Bay up hill I think in direction of Castle !! – started seeing one of the girls – then we went our separate ways – married other people got back in contact in 2007 and now Susan and I are back together after over 40 years !! you’d probably be able to identify Susan’s holiday B&B if you ever wanted to see a picture of the building !!! and interesting that when Susan gave me boxes of her family slides dating back to her childhood to scan onto computer the first slide I set up to scan was a picture I’d taken of Susan in 1967 outside Trafalgar Bay when she was 17 !!!!
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Nice story! You’ll both be forever linked by Gorey Village. The Kalamunda is still going strong I believe.
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Hello Roy,
As a young boy in the UK in the late 50s or early 60s I remember seeing BBC national news coverage of a hotel fire which I am sure was in Jersey. Poor quality black and white film in those days of guests huddling in blankets outside in the gardens. Many years later I have become a regular visitor to the island and to the super family friendly Merton Hotel. I have often wondered if that was the hotel which had the fire. There are two reasons for this; Firstly the outer appearance to the old part of the hotel but the mainly the major redevelopment of the centre section of the hotel which must have been done around that time. I am probably putting two and two together and making five here, but I would like to know either way out of curiosity.
Best regards
Mike Pearson
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Hello Mike and thank you for your visit. This had me scratching my head. I don’t believe it was the Merton, though the hotel has certainly undergone renovation over the years.
I threw it out to the local ‘temps passe’ Facebook group. The most likely answer among several is the Hotel Ellerslie, now Balmoral Apartments, in Clarendon Road, St Helier, maybe 63/64. Here’s a link to the group page https://www.facebook.com/groups/jersey.temps.passe/
Thanks for your interest. This old post of mine keeps being dug up 🙂
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Hi! So many memories. I remember the Hotel de France especially for its big red letters at the top that made it easy to spot, particularly at night. Why did they get rid of those glowing,helpful letters? What street was the Penguin hotel (St Brelade) in and what is it called now? More recently the La Tour and Portelet have also gone under, and I am curious to know what has taken their places.
Dainty
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Hi and thanks for your interesting comments. Now you mention it I do remember those big letters.
The Penguin Hotel is a new one to me but it certainly hasn’t been used as a hotel for many years and is now gone altogether I think. Here’s an image http://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/File:JS16PenguinHotelPortelet.jpg
The La Tour is apartments. The Portelet has sadly been demolished and a private home is being constructed in its place. At least that reverts to the position of 100 years ago when it was also a home before becoming the Seymours’ first hotel.
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Hello Jim. I remember the Ambassadeur from the 1970s, especially the L’escargot restaurant. As far as I know it was called that in 1976, but apparently it became nameless in 2017/2018. What was it called when you were there?
Dainty
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Hello, I’m not sure who Jim is 🙂 L’Ambassadeur has escaped being burnt down and seems to be thriving. As you say, it was there in the 70s despite what their website says. Don’t recall their restaurant as L’Escargot though.
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I worked as chambermaid at the Demi Des Pas hotel (opposite the Normandie hotel.)
In jersey in the year 1965.
I lived in the hotel. And shared the work with Reinhilde, an Austrian girl who I got on very well with. The others working there were waiters James , David and Gary
Brendon worked in the Pigelle bar.the two chefs were Hans and Helmut.
Helmut and got together and we have a son. The hotel was owned but Mrs Joan Dewse and her husband Bob Dewse
Very sadly in 1966 When they went on a world cruise ther was a car accident when they docked In New Zealand and mrs Dewse was killed. I bElieve Bob Dewse sold the hotel soon afterwards
I have very happy memories of my time there and often think of my friends who worked at the hotel
Margaret collins
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Hello Margaret. Thanks so much for these memories. I live just next door to where the Demi used to be, now apartments. It was years later, in 1977, when I arrived in Jersey.
There’s a Facebook group, Temps Passe, who would be interested to hear about your experiences and about Bob and Joan. (In fact I’ve now taken the liberty of sharing it with the group here.)
Thanks again and nice that this old post keeps getting responses 🙂
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Hello Roy, only just seen you’re response to my info on my time working at theDemi,
Such a nice surprise and the fact that you live right next door to where it stood.
It was very sad that Joan Dewse died in those awful circumstances. I only hope that Her husband brought her back to Jersey to rest in peace because I know how much she loved the island.
I have been back to Jersey a few times, took my son Mark to show him where he was born. His godparents probably still live in jersey they owned a cafe called The Cup and saucer, I am going to try to contact them again.
Before i moved into the Demi when it opened I lived with a family near green island,
Their home was called Lea cottage but sadly I believe that has now gone and a block of flats stands in its place.
I will have a go at theTempse Passé
Again thank you for your reply , I hope you continue to spend many happy years on the lovely island of jersey.
Best wishes
Margaret
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