La Folie: market consultation

Ports of Jersey is launching a market consultation exercise, supported by hotel specialists Christie & Co, to assess the level of interest in developing the La Folie site. All the land, including the former pub, will be open to ideas from interested organisations with proven experience in the development and management of high-quality visitor accommodation and hospitality venues.

This area between the English and French harbours has had a wide-ranging history from maritime use to part industrial and part hospitality. Ports of Jersey has been the long-term leaseholder of the land and buildings on the La Folie site since it was incorporated in 2015, and the whole area was highlighted in the Harbour Master Plan as a possible multi-use development. The Plan stated that La Folie Inn would be retained and renovated in partnership with key stakeholders due to the building’s listed status.

Ports of Jersey’s CEO, Matt Thomas, said: “This site is ripe for sensitive development that keeps in mind its rich maritime and social history. We want to offer both Islanders and visitors a renovated La Folie Inn and high-quality visitor accommodation, through a careful redevelopment of all the land and buildings on this site.”

Jersey’s Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, said: “The long-term success of our connectivity relies on investment in visitor accommodation. We have said we would enable investment in additional and diverse visitor accommodation, to ensure there is sufficient, attractive capacity for all the people who consider visiting Jersey. If this can be achieved by renovating La Folie, and developing an area which has been under-used for many years, it will be of huge benefit to islanders, visitors, and the local economy.”

Visit Jersey CEO, Tricia Warwick, said: “We know that when visitors come to Jersey, they often seek out unique places to stay and experiences that showcase the history and heritage of our island. The redevelopment of the La Folie site presents an exciting opportunity to create a dynamic, thoughtfully considered new hospitality venue that can be enjoyed year-round by visitors and islanders alike.”

Co-CEOs of the Jersey Hospitality Association, Ana and Marcus Calvani, said: “Along with the floating accommodation pods in St Helier Marina, we are excited that the enormous potential for alternative and quirky accommodation is being explored by Ports of Jersey. La Folie is an important historic site that holds memories for many islanders, but it needs to be put to effective use. Creating another opportunity for visitors and islanders to stay in historic properties will really enhance the experiences that Jersey can offer. It’s just the kind of project that Jersey needs to make it even more appealing as a destination. We hope that Ports finds a suitable partner to make this exciting project a success and add to their growing list of unusual properties for islanders and visitors to stay in.”

Any business interested in this redevelopment and management opportunity should contact Christie & Co at lafoliesitejersey@christie.com