Eastbourne hotel company faced winding up – again

The 108 bedroom seafront three-star hotel in Grand Parade is one of three in an independent family group owned by Abid Gulzar, who bought Eastbourne Pier four years ago.

The others are Albany Lions Hotel, also on the town’s seafront, and the 16th century Boship Lions Farm Hotel in Lower Dicker, Hailsham.

Last year HM Revenue & Customs issued a winding up petition against Mansion Lions Hotel Ltd for an undisclosed debt which had been paid by the time the case reached the High Court’s Insolvency and Companies Court in London and the petition was dismissed.

Today the same thing happened again as Judge Sally Barber was told by HMRC that the latest debt had been settled. The figure involved was not disclosed. The judge also dismissed the latest petition.

The taxman had issued this second winding up petition last November.

Mansion Lions Hotel hit the national headlines in August 2012 when it featured in an episode of The Hotel Inspector, presented by TV celebrity Alex Polizzi.

Had the company been wound up today its affairs would effectively have been handed over to an Official Receiver, whose job would then have been to do his best to ensure that debts are paid off by selling any assets available and then bringing business to a close.