Merchants' Quay, St Helier Jersey

Ports of Jersey is looking to engage with an experienced, committed development partner to, design, build, fund, and operate (itself or through an experienced third party) a hotel on the Merchants’ Quay site in Jersey, Channel Islands.

The Opportunity, which is part of Jersey’s broader Harbour Master Plan, is a rare occasion for a developer to play a wider role in Jersey’s medium to long-term development strategy, collaborate with an array of local partners, and leverage Jersey’s socio-cultural assets to support a thriving, but underserved, tourism market.

A preliminary study suggests that a hotel development of approximately 10,000m² could be delivered, which, depending on required room sizes, could deliver 125-150 guest rooms (subject to Planning). Supplementing this, a comprehensive facilities programme could include: (i) an all-day dining restaurant; (ii) a rooftop or upper-level bar; (iii) a destination bar and restaurant (La Folie Inn), (iv) a spa and wellness area; and/or (v) event/meeting spaces.

Any future development must carefully respect the significance of both the Grade 1 listed harbour infrastructure and the Grade 3 and 4 listed buildings. The vision for La Folie Inn and South Pier House is to have them restored and integrated into the overall development. The Opportunity must strike a careful balance between commercial viability and the conservation of these important heritage assets.

At this stage, Ports of Jersey is intending to enter into a long-term lease with an organisation for the design, build and operation of the hotel. Ports of Jersey would like to use this market engagement phase to engage with prospective developers and understand the market view in relation to the appropriate length of the lease, as well as explore different options to maximise the return on investment.