Hotel begins returning belongings after September fire

Summarised from BBC Kent's report · Updated 9 Oct, 11:31 · Archive

Guests at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone are beginning to reclaim belongings after a fire on 19 September forced 280 people to evacuate.

About 280 guests were forced to leave the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone after a blaze took hold at 01:05 BST on 19 September. Around 90 residents from neighbouring homes were also evacuated. Britannia Hotels Group, which owns the hotel, said it hoped to rebuild parts of the building and was continuing to assess the full extent of the damage.

The hotel has begun the process of returning belongings to guests and is identifying vehicles affected by the fire. A spokesperson said guests were being contacted with details of how to arrange collection, with security measures in place to ensure the process was carried out safely. Some guests reported significant losses: Rob Hassan said two cars being used in a charity drive to Barcelona were destroyed in the underground car park, whilst Maria Zheng had spent about £500 replacing essential items and was still waiting for news about her digital piano.

Kent Police arrested a 38-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman on suspicion of arson following the fire. Both were released while investigations continue.

Read the report

• Items being returned to guests after fire, hotel saysOwners of the hotel in Folkestone say they are also identifying vehicles affected by the blaze.BBC Kent · 8 Oct, 18:17

In this story: Grand Burstin Hotel · Folkestone · Britannia Hotels Group · Kent Police · Rob Hassan · Maria Zheng

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