A bride-to-be has been left "devastated" after finding out that her wedding venue, Poole Quay Hotel in Dorset, has closed unexpectedly. Anne Chilcott said she had spent £4,000 for the location but no one has responded since it shut down last week.
Anne and her fiance, Les Way, are feeling anxious because they fear they cannot afford another venue until they get their money back. Last year, developers MHA Burleigh Poole were given permission to revamp the former Thistle Hotel into a scheme of five buildings, which would consist of 179 flats and a new hotel.
However, last week a notice was placed on the entrance of the old property stating it was shut with "immediate effect" and urged anyone needing help to reach out to the developer. Despite Anne's attempts to contact the hotel, she received no reply, reports Somerset Live.
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The websites of both Poole Quay Hotel and MHA have been deactivated. Many people who organised events at the hotel, such as weddings, have voiced complaints on social media about not being told about its sudden closure.
Ms Chilcott told SomersetLive that she knew about the hotel's plans to change, but last August they said her wedding would be fine. She found out the hotel was closing when a friend saw it online and told her.
She said: "We are devastated. We were getting our dream wedding. We are thinking of postponing unless we can find a venue, but with the loss of £4,000 how can we book? If that money doesn't come through - how do we pay? " She booked her "dream wedding" 18 months before and paid for the whole day.
She added: "A refund would be a start and allow us to start planning again. It's not done my health any good either. I have Crohn's disease and I have had a flare up. I could have done without it. We found somewhere that would do everything for us. It's just too much."
According to Companies House, MHA Burleigh Poole is in the process of being struck off the register. The process was paused in March after an objection was lodged, which can happen when a creditor is owed money.
It means the company will not be dissolved until another application has been made and no objections received, or the directors place the business in liquidation.
Mohamad Hossein Abedinzadeh is listed as the director of MHA Burleigh Poole on Companies House. Mr Abedinzadeh is associated with 79 companies, some of which have been dissolved.
SomersetLive has contacted MHA for comment.
