Residents of the small Devon village of Hope Cove are fighting plans to turn a family-run hotel into a luxury venue, fearing it could overwhelm the community with tourism.
The Cottage Hotel, a family-run business for 50 years, has 45 rooms and went on the market with a guide price of £8 million. It is known for its views of Bigbury Bay and direct beach access.
The hotel was recently bought by Beach Barefoot Hospitality, the UK trading arm of an international hotelier, which plans to transform it into a 'luxury waterfront venue.' The village has fewer than 500 residents.
Dave Clarke fears that Hope Cove could become the next Salcombe, also known as 'Chelsea-on-Sea': "I was working in Salcombe in the late 60s early 70s and the face of Salcombe changed completely when all the main hotels became apartments.
"It turned it into the expensive playgrounds of the rich. No doubt there will be certain changes but they need to be sympathetic to the village. The big concern of residents locally and of regular visitors is that it go upmarket too much and become prohibitive.
"My family have used [the hotel] for years. Obviously prices go up, things change, but it's always had a very tight family ethos of the seaside holiday, encouraging families to come.
"The big concern of everyone is whether it will remain affordable for everyone. Part of the charm is it is a quiet refuge people go to."
Another villager said: "The new owner has never more incorrectly read the room here. It doesn't matter if you throw £30billion at it – Hope Cove doesn't want a large, extended "luxury waterfront resort".
"It is totally out of keeping with this quaint unspoilt fishing village – it's the family-run 'retro charm' that regular visitors flock to – purposely avoiding the 'luxury resorts in nearby Salcombe'. It was nice while it lasted."
Vernon Moss, 72, has been staying at the hotel with her family every year since the 1950s. He said: "It's the traditional values of it. It's a little family beach, and it's been lovely over the years.
"My biggest concern is that they will change this environment because this is a family holiday place. You have to move forward with times but it'd be a shame to spoil the place by a lot of money.
"I think it needs to be kept as a hotel to keep everything in the village. If this was holiday flats, it would be dead during the winter."
Local shop owner Zofia Wisniewska concurred: "People here don't like changes; they like to keep the old coastal path the way it is, and they want to protect it.
"They don't like big developments here like in Salcombe and that's fair enough because if we lose the beauty if it gets developed too much I don't think people would like it."
Zofia continued: "People like the village, small and enclosed. We've got lots of visitors in the summer anyway. I think they don't want the place to become too expensive as well because not everyone can afford very expensive holidays."
Sean Hassell, 60, has lived in the village since 1973. He said: "We knew it was on the market probably about three months ago and everyone was always very nervous about who we were going to take it over.
"It's iconic really, it's part of the village, part of what we do. So there was a concern about whoever was taking it over. We understand that they live in Dubai, their money has come from the oil business.
"I tend to think they bought it maybe as a bit of a vanity project, which could be a good thing. We're hoping that they've got the money to spend, and these are good refits; But bear in mind that we're not Salcombe, we are Hope Cove.
"I think we're a lot nicer than Salcombe, but they can't push those prices to Salcombe prices. People are very concerned it's going to get very upmarket and be very expensive.
"It would have been devastating if someone had bought it and turned it into flats. That would have just been terrible for the village but I don't believe that is the business model."
Independent hotel broker Simon Stevens, of Simon Stevens Associates, and Jon Clyne, director of commercial property agency Charles Darrow, worked closely on the deal as joint agents for the family who sold it.
Hope Cove Residents Fear Luxury Hotel Plan Will Price Out Families