A LARGE hotel and conference centre, including a wellness spa and swimming pool, can enhance Jersey’s reputation as a destination for tourists and elite sports teams, the man behind the scheme has stated.
Plans have been submitted for a 179-room, five-storey hotel adjacent to the Strive high-performance centre at St Peter, with the intention of reviving the visitor economy and boosting Jersey’s connectivity.
Strive managing director Ben Harvey said the hotel would enable the Island to build on visits by leading rugby teams, which has previously included the national teams of England and South Africa, as well as the British and Irish Lions, by attracting Premier League football teams for training camps.
Mr Harvey said that feedback from senior figures behind the recent rugby trips had been positive about the Island overall but highlighted the need for an adjacent hotel.
“The [South African] Springboks were here for a week and spent 11 hours on a bus – that might not sound much, but it’s not ideal for professional athletes,” he said. “The top-end football teams we’re talking to want their players to almost literally fall out of bed onto the training pitch or into the gym.”
Mr Harvey said that while visits from professional sports teams would only occupy very small windows in the calendar, the positive profile this would bring the Island would be “enormous” and the benefits of the hotel would be felt year-round.
“There’s been a lot of negativity around the hotel industry, because we’re losing beds,” Mr Harvey said. “This will enable people who want to come to the Island for wellness breaks – the wellness industry has trebled in size – and we’d expect to get footfall from the Airport as they expand.
“More hotel beds means more flights are full, and that means the airlines are likely to increase the connectivity, and that helps everyone.”
Mr Harvey said he had received an “overwhelming” positive reaction from those he had engaged with during the lead-up to submitting the planning application. This included politicians, senior figures in business, planning officers and private investors, he added.
The Strive development was first unveiled to the public at the beginning of July, but now detailed floor plans and technical documents, including noise assessments and a business plan, have been included with the planning application.
A planning policy statement included with the submission states: “The development forms part of a long-term vision to establish a unique, high-quality sports and tourism destination in Jersey, building on the success of the completed Strive Health, Fitness and Medical Facility (Phase 1).
“This Phase 2 application introduces a premium hospitality offering that directly integrates with the wellness and sports infrastructure already on site.”
The statement adds: “Finally, it is envisaged that a future Phase 3 will deliver new facilities to support indoor sports, rugby, and football. Collectively, all three phases will promote and support the health and wellbeing of the Island community.”
The application states that “Jersey’s potential to host elite sports training and large conference events has been constrained by the lack of suitable, co-located accommodation and event space.”
These issues would be addressed through:
- Provision of a premium 4/5-star hotel adjacent to world-class sports facilities.
- Introduction of large-scale business and entertainment event space through the proposed conference centre.
- Creation of an integrated spa and wellness offering connected to the existing medical and training centre.
- Enhanced site access and landscape design to support public engagement and community benefit.
The external appearance, materials used and landscaping for the scheme will be submitted at a later date.
