Jim Parker: In with the new but not out with the old in Bay's journey to new future

I keep banging on about old and new working together as Torbay heads down the regeneration path and how buildings which have seen better days can be given a new lease of life to take their place alongside modern-day schemes.
For example, take the new Fragrance hotel now taking shape on Torquay seafront and the Edwardian and protected Pavilion just across the Bay.
It has been revealed that the former Corbyn Head Hotel is to be run by the world-renowned Intercontinental Group (IHG) and will be Hotel Indigo Torquay, taking it into the 21st century. Meanwhile, over at the Pavilion there has been another development as the battle goes on to restore the building to its former glory. New with old....
The 153-room new hotel marks the 26th open and signed Hotel Indigo in IHG’s UK & Ireland portfolio. Hotel Indigo Torquay adds to the market’s growing luxury and lifestyle collection and bolsters IHG’s reputation in one of the UK’s premier leisure destinations.
The hotel company says Hotel Indigo Torquay will provide guests with memorable stays entrenched in the neighbourhood’s individuality.
The hotel is expected to open in the second half of this year and “become the ideal seaside holiday or short break destination for domestic and international travellers”.
IHG say Hotel Indigo Torquay’s stylish rooftop bar, extensive sea facing terraces, destination restaurant and bar on the ground floor will overlook the Torbay with views towards the beaches, harbour and marina, “helping guests immerse themselves in the picturesque coastline”.
“Guests staying at Hotel Indigo Torquay will be able to use the well-equipped gym or relax after a long day exploring the traditional English seaside town with a range of treatments at the on-site spa,” says the company.
Joanna Kurowska, managing director, UK & Ireland, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Our Hotel Indigo brand has experienced accelerated growth in Europe and globally in recent years, propelling owner and guest appetite for the brand.

"Leisure destinations such as Torquay, known for its seaside charm and year-round activities, perfectly embody Hotel Indigo’s commitment in providing guests with memorable stays entrenched in the stories of their neighbourhoods.
“With our UK and Ireland growth strategy focused on conversions and capitalising on opportunities in leisure and secondary markets, Hotel Indigo Torquay is a great example of a hotel we are keen to add to our growing portfolio.

"We are also delighted to partner with Fragrance Group for the first time with this significant hotel and look forward to growing our partnership in the future.”
The property will join 19 open Hotel Indigos in the UK and Ireland market, including Hotel Indigo Coventry which opened last year. Hotel Indigo Torquay also joins IHG’s six properties currently in development, including Hotel Indigo London – Clerkenwell and Hotel Indigo Leeds, both slated to open in the second quarter this year.
Martin Rogers, representing Fragrance Group, said: “Torbay has firmly earned its place as one of the UK’s top tourist destinations, thanks to its unique blend of natural beauty and wealth of leisure opportunities. With ongoing developments along the town’s waterfront location, Torquay will continue to be recognised as a leading leisure destination in the UK.
“We are confident that working alongside IHG Hotels & Resorts, with their expert knowledge of the UK and Ireland market, backed by their industry leading powerful enterprise, that Hotel Indigo Torquay will become a market leader in Torquay’s luxury and lifestyle segment. We are excited to welcome guests to our luxury Resort Hotel in the heart of The English Riviera when we open our doors.”
The signing of Hotel Indigo Torquay strengthens IHG’s presence in the UK and Ireland, where it operates 363 hotels and has a further 33 in development.
Meanwhile, a national heritage group is behind the new twist in the Pavilion saga. It has been included on this year’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings List by the Victorian Society, the sole charity campaigning for Victorian and Edwardian built heritage.
Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society president, said: “This is nothing short of a national treasure. We will never see its like again. Fantastical and charming and the delightful heart of Torquay itself.

"It’s good news that the former owners have abandoned their inappropriate plans and it is back in the hands of the council. Now funding and general local support is essential. Twenty-five years ago, I helped raise £25 million for the Hackney Empire – another people’s palace dating from that era. It can be done. Come on, Torquay. Get behind your jewel box of a venue.”
The Grade II listed Pavilion was a favourite of Agatha Christie, who was born in Torquay in 1890 and who attended a Wagner concert there in 1914 on the day she received a marriage proposal from Archie Christie.
Originally a concert hall then a theatre, a skating rink and then a 1980s shopping arcade, the Pavilion’s fate has mirrored the fashions and fate of the UK holiday trade.

The venue played host to many famous names, from Anna Pavlova, Rachmaninoff, Paul Robeson, Dame Nellie Melba, Sir Donald Wolfit, George Formby, Laurence Olivier, Dame Shirley Bassey and Harold Pinter, who wrote The Caretaker whilst playing the theatre.

Speakers included Lady Randolph Churchill, politician David Lloyd George, aviator Alan Cobham and polar explorer Roald Amundsen.
Built at a time when Torquay claimed to be the “richest town in Britain”, the Pavilion is described in the official listing as “exuberant” and is a unique art nouveau Edwardian building.
It says: “Traditionally, pavilions were located at the end of piers in seaside towns, but Torquay’s is unusual as it was built on land reclaimed from the sea. It is now in the heart of the Torquay Harbour Conservation Area facing gardens on two sides with the harbour on the other two sides.
“It is one of only seven buildings in the country to be clad with Doulton Carrara marble tiles in gleaming cream and green glazed finish. The entrance is flanked by turrets with pointed copper domes topped with statues of Mercury with a crowning statue of Britannia on the nave dome.

"The Pavilion is claimed to be the first building in the South West to be constructed with a steel frame, reflecting Victorian and Edwardian engineering skills.”
In 2013, Marina Developments Ltd, leasing the Pavilion from Torbay Council, announced its closure and proposed redeveloping it into a hotel-spa complex. However, plans including an 11-storey apartment block were ultimately blocked after a successful legal challenge by local campaigners in 2018.
Meanwhile the steel girders which form its innovative framework have become heavily corroded from salt exposure. The current building shows evidence of water ingress, saturation, cracks, open joints and significant corrosion.

Internally there is damage to plasterwork, fabric has been removed and there are signs of corrosion.
In October 2024, Torbay Council regained full control of the Pavilion after six years of limbo. Contractors are expected to begin investigative works this year to inform urgent repairs. While funding from the lease surrender and Town Deal board offers a foundation, there remains a multi-million-pound shortfall for a full restoration.
The building, say the Victorian Society, remains at critical risk. Restoration will require a serious injection of funds — likely combining public money with a dedicated fundraising campaign. Without immediate action, this rare and treasured piece of Torquay’s cultural and architectural history faces irreversible loss, it fears.
James Hughes, director, The Victorian Society said: “The Pavilion is a highly significant piece of British seaside heritage — bold, beautiful, and now precariously at risk.

"Torquay must seize this perhaps final chance to save its crown jewel.”
There are very early plans for part of the building to be transformed into an Agatha Christie archive and research centre, with the council in talks with the Christie family.

But what about the rest of the building? Now here is one perhaps for Martin Rogers and Fragrance. Take a look at how Fragrance have rejuvenated the Municipal Building in Liverpool and see what they have done especially with the upstairs area. The Palm Court is a stunning trip back in time to the Victorian era and a brilliant art deco cocktail bar. Would the Fragrance group be interested in doing the same at the Pavilion? Let's just say don't hold your breath.
Going back to Hotel Indigo, keep an eye out for an application to the planners to lift a planning condition regarding an open sun terrace bar only being used by hotel residents. I understand the hotel operators want to make the bar accessible to all.
Another debate lies just around the corner in our Regeneration Journey...