The Abbey Motor Hotel was built around 1962, at the very top of a multi-storey car park development which eventually included a petrol station, shopping arcade, cinema, restaurant, and bar. The name changed a number of times over the years, becoming the Eaton Bray Hotel, then the Queens Hotel, Hotel St James, Days Inn, then last of all the Sky Plaza Hotel. At 1:30am on 7th November 2012 a fire broke out, forcing the evacuation of 133 people. It has remained closed since. Very odd one this, stumbled into it by accident while taking some shots of the skyline from the car park. The place has a very Mary Celeste feel to it, sitting pretty much untouched since everyone fled during the fire.
The hotel had a bit of a reputation in more recent years, here's a few glowing testimonials!
"The showers were so filthy I didn't get in for fear of getting out dirtier then when I stepped in. The beds were poor and one of the team was asked in reception if he fancied a girl for the night (at a price)!"
"As we pulled up the outside was scary and reminded me of the restaurant from the Simpsons that spins round."
"some of the other hotel residents were giving statements to police in the reception"
"People next to me were smoking joints and smell was all over my room too."
"The crowning glory was at breakfast the next morning - food good value but one of the assistants sneezed 2 or 3 times into his hands and the next minute was handling food to put out without washing his hands"
"When we returned to our hotel late on Saturday night we were CONTINUALLY harassed by people calling our room and knocking on the door with inappropriate suggestions, over 6 times we were bothered within an hour. We repeatedly called the reception desk for help, but we quickly became aware that it WAS the men at reception that were harassing us."
"The rest of the hotel looks and smells cheap and old. There are lots of dodgy looking middle aged men sitting around. The continental breakfast consists of toast [except the toaster was broken] cornflakes and plastic processed cheese [the sort you have to unwrap]."
"However on the morning we were leaving we discovered a blood stain on the mattress and a poo stain on the bottom of the bed. This wasn't a brown suspicious mark that could have been poo, it was definitely poo."
Video of the fire...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBqPiCkM81E[/ame]
DSC_0358 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0321 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0310 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0327 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0335 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0354 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0037 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0318 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0313 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0355 by Goldie87, on Flickr
The hotel had a bit of a reputation in more recent years, here's a few glowing testimonials!
"The showers were so filthy I didn't get in for fear of getting out dirtier then when I stepped in. The beds were poor and one of the team was asked in reception if he fancied a girl for the night (at a price)!"
"As we pulled up the outside was scary and reminded me of the restaurant from the Simpsons that spins round."
"some of the other hotel residents were giving statements to police in the reception"
"People next to me were smoking joints and smell was all over my room too."
"The crowning glory was at breakfast the next morning - food good value but one of the assistants sneezed 2 or 3 times into his hands and the next minute was handling food to put out without washing his hands"
"When we returned to our hotel late on Saturday night we were CONTINUALLY harassed by people calling our room and knocking on the door with inappropriate suggestions, over 6 times we were bothered within an hour. We repeatedly called the reception desk for help, but we quickly became aware that it WAS the men at reception that were harassing us."
"The rest of the hotel looks and smells cheap and old. There are lots of dodgy looking middle aged men sitting around. The continental breakfast consists of toast [except the toaster was broken] cornflakes and plastic processed cheese [the sort you have to unwrap]."
"However on the morning we were leaving we discovered a blood stain on the mattress and a poo stain on the bottom of the bed. This wasn't a brown suspicious mark that could have been poo, it was definitely poo."
Video of the fire...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBqPiCkM81E[/ame]
DSC_0358 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0321 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0310 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0327 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0335 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0354 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0037 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0318 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0313 by Goldie87, on Flickr
DSC_0355 by Goldie87, on Flickr
