By Ed Chatterton and Kerry Coupe via SWNS
A couple who spent three years and $1.3 million transforming a run-down hotel into a quirky Alice in Wonderland-themed guest house are raffling it off – for a FIVER.
Gary and Dee Allen purchased the 1920s building in Skegness, Lincs., in 2021 for $700,000 before converting in into a ‘mad’ fairy tale kingdom called Hatters Hotel.
The pair and their business even featured on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed where they left guests stunned with their colorful Disney-themed décor.
They spent $300,000 converting the 29-bedroomed hotel into its Alice in Wonderland theme, inspired by Dee’s love for the film and book.
The couple also hit the headlines in 2021 when they refused an ‘obscene’ amount of money, said to be $10,000 a week, from the Home Office to house asylum seekers.
Gary, 67, and Dee, 37, are now offering their family-run establishment in a raffle for just $5 a ticket after seeing a decline in tourism in the seaside town.
Gary said: “We thought raffling off the hotel would be a fun and quirky way to do it to match with the quirkiness of the hotel itself.
“The opportunity is super. It’s a unique hotel and it is massive. We thought if we sold it by more traditional routes it could take us longer.
“It has been rewarding owning it. We have had a cracking time. We used to have bands and entertainment, as well as weddings and birthday parties.
“We also appeared on Four in a Bed, which wasn’t the best experience as the producers were just trying to constantly manufacture conflict.
“But it was interesting nonetheless and was all publicity for us but unfortunately that has not been enough.
“In September 2021, we were asked if we would house 51 immigrants, however we turned this down. They were then moved into other hotels.
“We had a lot of support for that decision but also a lot of backlash too.
“Since then, there has been a steady decline in tourism, so we decided to enter the hotel into a raffle and we’re looking to move away from the UK.
“We need to sell 240,000 tickets to put the hotel up for the prize. That includes the hotel, stamp duty and legal fees.
“If it doesn’t reach the target, we will have to rethink what to do but we hope there will be enough interest as its a rather quirky place.”
The building was formerly the Crown Hotel, which closed down in the late 80s-early 90s, before the couple took on the business.
Gary added: “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into this place. When we bought it, the place was very tired and needed quite a bit of work.
“We’re both pretty handy so did a lot ourselves – the Alice in Wonderland theme was all Dee’s idea – it has been a million pound project.”
Dee said previously: “I’m mad on Alice. I’m totally obsessed with her. I have always been a fan of Alice for as long as I can remember.”
The establishment has rooms dedicated to the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit and Alice herself and statues of The Mad Hatter and Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
The hotel was recently awarded ‘The Most Unique Hotel of 2024’ and boasts a wedding license, a large function/event room, restaurant, sports bar and a large car park.
