A POOLE hotel once earmarked for a major redevelopment has undergone a rebrand after Thistle confirmed it would no longer operate it.

The Thistle, in Poole Quay, has been named the Poole Quay Hotel after Thistle ceased its ownership earlier this month.

All guests have been contacted, Thistle said, and been advised new bookings can be made directly with the hotel.

A Thistle spokesperson said: “Thistle Poole ceased to operate under the Thistle brand from March 4.

“Thistle managed the property on behalf of the owning company, MHA Burleigh Poole (Opco) Limited.

“The management contract came to an end of term and the owning company did not renew the management agreement. 

“We understand the owning company is undertaking the management of the hotel themselves.

 “We have been contacting all our guests impacted by this change to advise that new bookings may be made directly with the hotel.”

An MHA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Thistle is no longer involved with the operation of the hotel.

“We remain as owners and will now directly operate the rebranded Poole Quay Hotel, offering the same excellent service and warm welcome that our guests have grown used to.

“We’d like to recognise the commitment and resilience of the hotel staff as they continue to look after our loyal customers. It’s very much business as usual.”

In October last year, plans for a 118-bed hotel and 228 flats in four blocks on the site were rejected.

Councillors objected to the height and bulk of some of the buildings, a lack of affordable housing and claimed the re-worked site would bring extra traffic problems to the area as well as overshadow existing housing.

More than 200 objections has been lodged to the proposals including from the main resident’s associations in the area.

At the time, MHA said: “We are very disappointed by the committee’s decision. We believe that our scheme, which is the culmination of three years’ work, is a fantastic example of how a brownfield site can be brought forward as a catalyst for regeneration.

“We will now need to consider our options.”