Eastbourne hotel fire: Owner’s ‘heartfelt thank you’ for support after huge blaze

The owner of an Eastbourne hotel destroyed by a fire has sent a ‘heartfelt thank you’ for the support shown to all those affected.
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Approximately 130 guests and members of staff were evacuated from the Claremont Hotel on the seafront after the blaze broke out just before 9am on Friday (November 22).

At least 12 fire engines were sent to the scene to battle the flames, which tore through the building into the roof and left black clouds of smoke streaming into the sky.

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On Saturday, George Brown, managing director of Daish’s Holidays, which owns the hotel in Grand Parade, said: “On behalf of Daish’s Holidays, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who have supported and are continuing to support all those affected by the devastating fire at the Claremont Hotel.
“We are indebted to the emergency services, the local community and our staff, who ensured that public safety was the upmost priority as the situation developed throughout yesterday.

Eastbourne hotel fire SUS-191122-124331001Eastbourne hotel fire SUS-191122-124331001
Eastbourne hotel fire SUS-191122-124331001

“This situation has saddened us all and we greatly appreciate the dedication and positivity from all those involved in helping to contain the fire and manage public safety, as well as the understanding of all those affected.”

Mr Brown said all guests who were staying at the hotel were returned home by 11.30pm.

He added: “Thank you to our drivers who worked to ensure every guest made it home from the drop off points safely, either with family members or via taxi. We will continue communications directly with customers over the coming days and weeks to provide practical advice and support on matters such as lost personal items, and to help guests who were due to stay with us find alternative arrangements.

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“We are currently working hard to support the Claremont Hotel staff and are in regular contact with them to update them. We will be covering wages in the short term to minimise the impact to our workers, and in the longer term we will be looking at ways to redeploy staff in other roles within the group wherever possible.

“We would also like to thank the community who have already donated over £500 to support the staff affected, through a JustGiving page set up by a local resident. This demonstrates the level of support and compassion amongst our friends and neighbours, for which we are truly thankful.

“We are continuing to work closely with the emergency services and local authorities to support their actions over the coming hours and days and we look forward to the outcome of their investigations in due course.”