A once booming traditional seaside holiday town is now blighted by eye sores of derelict hotels and abandoned shops. Once hailed as one of the Isle of Wight’s most beautiful coastal spots, Sandown, with its beautiful sandy beach, was once a classic ‘bucket and spade’ holiday destination for millions of Brits.
With its long stretch of golden sand, traditional pier and family-friendly attractions the town was once the island’s most recognisable beach. However, after years of neglect the once tourist hotspot has now become rather sad looking. Derelict fire damaged hotels stand vacant on the promenade whilst a sea of buildings in disrepair line the high street.
Nearly 82% of residents in Sandown live within 500 metres of a derelict site.
Locals in particular are fed up with two abandoned hotels, The Ocean Hotel and the Esplanade Hotel, which sit in prime locations to both the beach and the high street.
Exasperated residents are calling for the two rotting hotels to be knocked down in a bid to breathe some life into the dying seaside town.
One frustrated local told MailOnline: “They could knock some of them down and put houses there instead.
“I’d rather see anything than what’s there now. Someone needs to give certain people a kick up the backside.”
Further up the seafront the sad sight continues with The Sandown Hotel, The St Moritz and Tarvis 2, also sitting vacant and unused.
The St Moritz and Tarvis 2 were badly damaged in a fire in 2018.
According to locals, sun seeking tourists taking a stroll along the promenade are often seen pointing out the various disused buildings as they pass.
Sandown has slipped further into decline since the pandemic with tourists opting to go abroad instead.
Local parish and county councillor Ian Ward says: “The Isle of Wight has lost a lot of tourism. Since COVID, we’ve lost 28 per cent of our tourists.
“People blame all sorts of reasons but the fact is, people have more money and more options now. One of the big complaints is ferry costs. Why would someone spend that money to come here when they could use it to go somewhere else?”
One TripAdvisor user called it the “worst seaside town” in the UK and wrote: “Sandown used to be a beautiful place. Now it is full of derelict hotels and the High Street is full of derelict shops.
“Ferry Companies charge extorninate ferry fares to visit an Island that is sadly becoming a Dump. I would say Sandown is the most rundown seaside in the UK.”
Another disgrunted visitor vowed to never visit again.
The review read: “Shops boarded up, pot holes everywhere, buildings in disrepair, entry prices have shot up, camp sites no longer accepting touring caravans. Its very sad to look at. Just one visit your whole life would do you, no need to come back again.”
