'I bought 18-bedroom hotel for £60k in UK seaside town where pints cost just £1.80'
Duncan Ridgley bought an 18-bedroom hotel in Blackpool - where a burger costs a quid - after researching the best place in the UK to set up a hotel for digital nomads
A man who snapped up an 18-bedroom hotel for a mere £60,000 in an iconic British seaside town explained he did so because burgers and pints of bear are literally cheaper than chips in most other places.
As Blackpool's once-thriving holiday hotels stand neglected and gathering dust, Duncan Ridgley sees a chance for revival. Speaking to YouTuber Wandering Turnip, Duncan shared his journey.
He explained: "I was living in the Sahara Desert, and had a certain amount of money and so I spent quite a bit of time researching the whole of the UK on where's the best place to set up a hotel for digital nomads."
He believes Blackpool - just voted England's friendliest seaside town - will appeal to digital nomads - people who travel freely while working remotely using technology and the internet - because it is "the cheapest cost-of-living town in the UK".
Seizing the moment, he revealed that the sprawling property on Blackpool Beach appeared ideal. Highlighting local amenities, he continued: "There's a pub up the road you can get a pint for £1.80, my neighbour runs a burger bar across the street, and he charges a quid for a burger, so you can have a night out for a fiver."
With an increasing number of digital nomads - individuals who work remotely and rely on strong internet connections - Duncan's new business could be set for success. He pinpointed Blackpool as the optimal location due to its affordability and unique charm, reports the Daily Star.
Duncan explained his rationale: "Blackpool massively came up on the radar as it was the most cost-effective place in the UK. You have everything you need within a 15-minute walk from here but this is the cheapest cost of living town in the UK."
Blackpool - once the UK's premier seaside resort - attracted millions of holidaymakers in the first half of the 20th century. The town was a magnet for factory workers from Lancashire and beyond, with as many as 17 million tourists flocking to buy Kiss-Me-Quick Hats and marvel at the famous illuminations in the early 1950s.
However, the allure of cheap foreign travel lured Brits away to destinations like Benidorm and Faliraki, causing Blackpool's grand hotels to lose their charm. Duncan is among several investors aiming to breathe new life into them.
Duncan revealed how he launched his "digital nomad " business from one of Blackpool's hotels. He said: "I had a budget of about £100,000. There was a shed in the middle of nowhere that was a scout hut but like my guests were going to say 'What's there to do? '".
"Then this place came up at an auction and I thought it was too good to be true. It was advertised as £45k at auction. It was an 18-bedroom hotel. I thought 'There's got to be a catch,' but I ended up paying £61,000 for it."
With some modernisation and crucially, fast broadband connection, the former holiday hotel is now a live-work space for people from as far away as Japan. They come for an extended stay, working remotely from their offices while savouring stunning sea views from their balcony windows.
In a time when tales of Britain's cities and high streets falling into decline due to the rise of out-of-town superstores and online retailers are all too common, this is a rare and uplifting example of successful regeneration.
A £450,000 Grand Hotel, boasting 62 rooms and a coveted seafront location, has caught Duncan's eye. "That's the price of a bungalow in the Lake District," he exclaims.
