So what do you do with a fort that is about 134 years old and was decommissioned in 1982 by the Military of Defence? If it is the Spitbank Fort located about a mile away from the coast of Portsmouth in Hampshire, UK then you spend £3 million and transform it into an exclusive luxury island retreat, as has been done.
The current private owner of the fort purchased it back in 2010 and in 2012, the luxury hotel opened its doors for visitors. The Spitbank Fort Hotel offers 9 guest rooms that are nothing short of luxurious along with three restaurants that come with bars, champagne bar on roof, library, hot on rooftop, wine cellar, sun decks and a sauna. Many of the original features from the fort have been retained such as the exposed brick walls, original fortress windows and a few cannons as well.
Those who are visiting the hotel are met at Gosport and then taken to the hotel via a private boat. The second approach is to fly to No Man’s Land Fort – big brother to the Spitbank – and then take a boat ride lasting ten minutes to reach the luxury hotel.
The Spitbank Fort offers Twilight dinner and Sunday lunch – both of which are experiences that you will never forget. The fort can be hired privately as well for sailing weekends, parties and weddings. But mind you, the stay at the hotel is not cheap with the per head cost being £350. Check out the youtube video below for more details:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcDl7WlqEbg