Plans for 'The Beauty Bar' at the Dolphin in Felixstowe

Part of the Dolphin Hotel in Beach Station Road in Felixstowe is set to be converted to provide three treatment rooms and a reception area for the business, which will provide services for hotel guests, as well as outside customers.

In August, this newspaper revealed the hotel had reopened after being bought by publican John Flett, who gave the premises a facelift, fitted a new bar and made changes to the toilets at a cost of £100,000.

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Mr Flett also made improvements to the upstairs accommodation, replaced the old bedding and furniture in the 13 letting rooms and carried out repairs to the roof, which had been leaking.

Now the hotel is planning to sub-let the old dining room, which is empty space, to the new business which will be known as 'The Beauty Bar', according to planning documents submitted to East Suffolk Council.

John Flett outside the Dolphin Hotel (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The decision to let out the vacant space will also provide some revenue for the hotel.

READ MORE: Grand reopening of Felixstowe's Dolphin Hotel on Friday

As part of the planning application for the beauticians, Mr Flett said: "The Dolphin Hotel currently provides food and drink and hotel accommodation.

"We are asking for change of use in the additional dining room, this will be a beauticians incorporating three treatment rooms and a reception area providing services for both internal hotel guests and outside clients."

READ MORE: Suffolk: Potential buyers can view closed Dolphin Hotel

The hotel began life in late Victorian times as the Station Hotel, opening opposite Felixstowe Beach Station - now demolished - which in its heyday was the arrival and departure point for thousands of families every summer enjoying a day at the seaside.

It was rebuilt in the 1950s and retained its name until the late 1960s, after the closure of the station, when it became the Dolphin.