It might not boast five star facilities these days, but you can’t beat the view.
The former Port Soderick Hotel, more recently known as the Anchor pub, is for sale by a UK property agency.
Described as a ‘unique coastal development opportunity’ by commercial property specialists GVA, the freehold includes the former hotel buildings and the land directly in front of them up to the high water mark.
The 10-acre site, which is adjacent to the government-owned glen, is largely composed of steep banking to the rear of the existing buildings.
But around 0.7 acres of the plot is described as a potentially developable area for leisure, commercial or residential uses, subject to planning approval.
The property is being offered for sale by informal tender. Offers have been invited but no price has been listed.
According to the sale documentation, the site has no specific planning designations. GVA describe the planning authorities as ‘keen for the property to be brought back into use and add to the amenity value of the locality’.
Port Soderick beach and its adjoining glen enjoyed an almost uninterrupted flow of tourists from the 1860s as it could be reached by boat from Douglas or via the Douglas Head marine drive tramway.
The brick building that now stands on the site was constructed in the 1960s after Douglas Corporation bought the property in 1956 and made extensive renovations, although it never actually offered hotel accommodation.
The tourist trade continued until landslides forced the closure of Marine Drive to vehicles in 1976.
The building came back to life in the mid-1990s as the Anchor pub, under the ownership of celebrity chef Kevin Woodford.
It was sold in 2002 to a private owner and has laid empty ever since, cutting a rather forlorn figure in the landscape.