AN iconic seafront building, directly overlooking the beach at Whitley Bay, is undergoing the finishing touches of an extensive restoration programme to transform it into a striking new care home.
The former Rex Hotel building – which started life in 1907 as The Waverley Hotel – has been almost completely rebuilt and fully refurbished at an overall cost of £12m by its owners, Prestwick Care Group.
Named Bay View House, it is expected to welcome its first residents this summer and will provide residential care, general nursing, dementia residential care and dementia nursing.
Behind the property’s façade the building has been totally remodelled to provide 86 bedrooms over five floors.
And the top floor will provide four luxurious penthouse suites for residents who wish to be cared for while maintaining maximum independence.
Each of the 86 bedrooms will have its own, private, en-suite bathroom facilities, along with specialist beds, bespoke fitted furniture, TV and free Wi-Fi.
Elsewhere within the home residents and their visitors will also be able to enjoy a bar, cinema room, restaurant and hair salon as well as numerous lounges and family rooms for social events and entertainment or simply for quiet times.
Many of the bedrooms and communal rooms have windows offering uninterrupted views of the sea front, with its extensive beaches and historic St Mary’s Lighthouse to the north and the coastal village of Cullercoats to the south.
Outdoor spaces and seating are also available where residents and visitors can enjoy sunny weather and clean sea air within the home’s courtyards, or at the secure fourth floor roof terrace.
Prestwick Care – which has been providing care services in the North East for more than 35 years and is part of Malhotra Group PLC – estimates that around 80 full and part-time and associated jobs will be created at Bay View House.
Staff recruitment is already well underway and Prestwick Care CEO, Bunty Malhotra, said the home, “will restore this beautiful building to its rightful place at the heart of the seafront community.
“Many people have very fond memories of the former Rex Hotel,” he said, “and will be very pleased to see that not only has the building been brought back to life but that it is offering the highest standard of care and facilities.
“We look forward to opening our doors to them and to all those who are keen to secure the very best residential care for their loved ones.”
For more information call Bay View House on 0191 5003600 or email bayview@prestwickcare.co.uk or visit www.prestwickcare.co.uk.