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The coastal resort has welcomed back its water park and a new market, visitors say the seafront has ‘improved 100 per cent’ – and that’s just the beginning

The Welsh seaside resort of Rhyl was once a magnet for generations of holidaymakers. But in recent years, the tourist crowds have ebbed away as cheap foreign holidays have drawn them abroad.

The North Wales town has struggled with its reputation and the cost of living has also hit hard. But after a recent makeover, this once rundown resort is on the up – and last week it featured in a new ranking of the UK’s best seaside towns. Meanwhile, another UK seaside town named the cheapest place to live is in revolt over plans to flatten a historic area.

North Wales Live reporter David Powell paid a visit to Rhyl on a sunny afternoon to find out what visitors had to think about the improvements, and the consensus was clear.

The promenade has been raised and widened and sea defence work has also taken place as part of a £69m programme of work.

A number of new and returning amenities are hoping to lure visitors back, including street food hall the Queen’s Market, which opened last month with a host of stalls and bars.

The town’s SC2 waterpark also recently reopened, having shut 18 months ago due to storm damage, while the former Vue cinema complex is being brought back to life by new operators Merlin Cinemas.

The site of the SeaQuarium aquarium, which closed in 2023, has also been cleared, ridding the seafront of a derelict eyesore.

Sitting on a bench on the promenade, Kenneth and Janet Hensall, from Denton, Manchester, spoke positively about the improvements.

Kenneth said: “Whoever’s bright idea it was to do this work deserves a pat on the back. I’ve been coming here for 70 years. The front has improved 100 per cent.”

Janet added: “It’s just a pity about the back.”

Further along, towards the lifeboat station, a family-of-four from Stoke-on-Trent were also enjoying their visit to Rhyl.

Andy Walsh, who was visiting with wife Kathy and their children Charlie, nine, and Hattie, six, said of the prom: “It looks a lot better. It’s just a shame there’s not many people here and there’s so much litter.”

Litter was a problem also noticed by 68-year-old Kevin, from Wrexham.

“It’s a shame it’s not as busy as it once was many years ago,” he added.

“The only thing that bothers me is having to pay to park down a side street.”

On the beach, Steve, in his 40s and from Stockport, was enjoying a family break. He said his children were too young to enjoy the new facilities just yet and the beach remained the main attraction for them.

“I have always thought Rhyl was a quite a nice place,” he said. “We come here quite often.

“We’ve only really come for the sand. I like this beach because even at high tide there’s still some sand. It’s not a five-mile walk to have a paddle!”

Denbighshire County Council described the work to Rhyl’s seafront as a “dynamic revival” that will deliver “a major impact for residents, businesses, and visitors”.

Craig Sparrow, Chair of Rhyl Neighbourhood Board, added: “It’s fantastic to see so much positive change happening across the promenade.

“This progress is about more than buildings and infrastructure – it’s about pride, aspiration and unlocking Rhyl’s potential as a great place to live, work and visit. These projects are a direct result of community input and collaborative leadership.”

The transformation isn’t over yet. At the cleared SeaQuarium site, a new public area has been opened up and plans are being developed for future use of the space.

Work is also progressing on a brand-new Drift Park on West Parade, which will replace the former children’s play area with more modern and inclusive facilities.

Sandra Sharp, newly appointed Programme Manager for Ein Rhyl/Our Rhyl, added: “This is just the beginning. We’re seeing real energy and momentum building in Rhyl, and we’re working to ensure local people are central to the journey.”

The Hollywood Premiere Motel doesn’t get a lot of rave reviews — in fact, it’s among the lowest ranked lodgings in the city. But thanks to its mid-century Googie design, it is the first motel to join the L.A.’s Historic-Cultural Monument List.

The City Council approved that designation on Wednesday, singling out the 1960 motel and its weathered neon sign as prime examples from the glory days of roadside architecture. There was no opposition or discussion, nor did the motel owner, listed as Yang Hua Xi, take a position.

“It may have a 1.7-star Tripadvisor rating, but we don’t judge our landmarks by thread count,” said Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, whose 13th District includes the motel, in a statement.

That Tripadvisor score ranks the motel 110th of 118 motels in Los Angeles, and its Yelp reviews aren’t any better. “Felt like puking,” wrote one Yelp user in May.

The two-story motel, which stands at Hollywood Boulevard and Serrano Avenue, was nominated by preservationist James Dastoli.

“This, to me, is a landmark that defines the entire neighborhood of East Hollywood,” Dastoli said at a city Cultural Heritage Committee meeting in March.

“My initial response, looking at the nomination, was, really?” said commission President Barry Milofsky. But he went on to support the designation.

Though the motel parking lot is often empty, its look has attracted frequent filming in the last decade, including TV’s “Twin Peaks,” “Fargo” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” along with Justin Timberlake’s 2016 “Can’t Stop the Feeling” music video.

In their report on the site, city staffers found that the motel serves as “an excellent example of a 1960s motel that accommodated automobile tourism in Hollywood” and is “a highly intact and rare example of a 1960s motel in Hollywood.”

After the 1960s, the staff report noted that “motels began to fall out of favor as chains such Holiday Inn increasingly dominated the industry” and tourists turned to more compact building types with corridors indoors, not outside.

Soto-Martinez called the Hollywood Premiere “a survivor — still standing after decades of change in Hollywood.”

The Hollywood Premiere was built in 1960 with 42 units in a two-story, stucco-clad building, with a tall, Googie-style neon sign on a pole, parking near the guest rooms and a swimming pool at the corner of the lot behind breeze blocks. It once had a coffee shop, but that space is now idle. The architect was Joyce Miller, a woman working in a trade then dominated by men.

With Tuesday’s vote, the motel joins a Historic-Cultural Monuments list that includes more than 1,300 businesses, homes and landscape features. Begun in 1962, the list includes familiar icons like Union Station, the Bradbury Building and the Hollywood sign but also many less obvious choices, including Taix French Restaurant (built in 1929); the Studio City site of the Oil Can Harry’s bar (which operated from 1968 to 2021; and Leone’s Castle, a 1936 San Pedro apartment building designed to resemble a French castle.

Designation as a city Historic-Cultural Monument doesn’t automatically protect a building from changes or demolition, nor does it trigger any government spending on preservation. But once a building is designated a landmark, the city’s Office of Historic Resources must review permit application before any alterations are allowed. Demolition is forbidden unless an environmental review has been approved.

The city’s staff report also cited several other roadside lodgings that serve as “exemplary and intact examples of the Mid-Century Modern architectural style,” including the Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel (1964), the Wilshire Twilighter Motor Hotel (1958; now known as the Dunes Inn) and the Hollywood Downtowner Motel (1956), which is being converted into 30 interim residences for people at risk of homelessness as part of the state’s Project Homekey. So far, the Downtowner’s twinkling neon sign above Hollywood Boulevard has been preserved.

A popular seaside town stung by negative reviews of being ‘tatty and rundown’ has almost finished its huge £10.8million refurb plan to bring the resort back to life

A snubbed seaside resort described by visitors as ‘tatty and rundown’ has unveiled ambitious plans to come roaring back to life.

Situated in the centre of the dramatic Ceredigion coastline in Wales, Aberystwyth (also known as Aber) has been a popular holiday destination for decades. Famed for its crescent-shaped beach, historic pier, and pastel-coloured homes, the town – in theory – ticks all the must-haves for any successful coastal resort.

In the summer, the promenade sees music, choirs, and other performances liven up the street, while Constitution Hill, snuggled at the quieter northern end of the Promenade, features a cliff railway with the largest camera obscura in the world. “On clear days, the beach offers wonderful views of North Wales, including the peaks of the Llyn Peninsular and Snowdonia,” Visit Wales states.

However, just like many seaside towns up and down the nation – Aber has struggled keeping its pristine reputation. Just three weeks ago, one traveller left a scathing review of the town’s seafront on Trip Advisor – stating he was ‘really disappointed and pretty disgusted too’.

“Very difficult to find parking and the seafront and town streets were filthy,” the user wrote. “I have honestly never seen so much dog poo on the pavements anywhere in the whole of Britain.” Older reviews from 2023 describe the town as ‘drab, grey, and run down’ while other say it’s not somewhere you should go ‘out of your way’ to visit.

But, last year, Aberystwyth started revamping the promenade as part of a £10.8 million investment funded by the UK Government. Work started on October 9, 2024, and has already seen new lighting foundations along the promenade as well as the installation of a slate poem celebrating the town’s ‘deep connection with the sea, history, and community spirit’.

Other works include kerb-line replacements, creating more parking spaces, and widening the promenade between the Hut and Castle Point. “The road and widened footways along the promenade opened to the public on December 20, 2024, meeting the goal of completion before Christmas,” the council stated. “Remaining tasks, including cobble-effect surfacing for table tops, bollard reinstatement, and street furniture installation, will be addressed later.”

£43 million is also being pumped into restoring Old College, a Victorian university building which was gutted by a fire which killed three people. Upon completion, it is expected to attract 200,000 visitors a year and become a centre for ‘learning, heritage, culture and enterprise’ as well as homing a four-star hotel.

Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council said the revitalisation of the promenade and the development of the Old College are ‘pivotal projects’ for the town’s future. “Thanks to UK Government funding, we are seeing the physical and economic transformation of our town, enhancing opportunities for residents and visitors alike,” he added.

Dame Nia Griffith MP also welcomed the investment plans, arguing the UK government is ‘committed to investing’ in Wales. “Projects like the Old College and the improvements to Aberystwyth Promenade are crucial for driving local economic prosperity and creating spaces that benefit the whole community,” she added.

Visiting Aberystwyth – everything you need to know

Located some 238 miles from London, getting to Aber from the Big Smoke takes around five and a half hours in the car. However, you can slash 45 minutes off the journey by taking the train – which will usually include a stopover in Birmingham. If you’re flexible with dates, you can grab single adult fares for as little as £31.50.

For example, a weekend’s stay (Friday, June 20-22) at the Starling Cloud Hotel will set you back £239. This is based on two adults sharing a Standard Double Room. If you’re looking for a more luxurious stay – check out the five-star Awel Mor Holiday Apartments. Here, a three-bed apartment with a sea view will cost £690 on the exact same dates.

*Prices based on Trainline and Booking.com listings at the time of writing.

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A well-known seaside town in the south of England, which was recently crowned one of the ‘worst’ in the UK, has welcomed a huge upgrade to its insatiably popular Butlin’s resort

A once regal seaside town loved by Brits has watched its glitzy reputation slowly wash away. Snuggled on England’s south coast in West Sussex, some 70 miles from Central London – lies the coastal town of Bognor Regis.

Boasting half a dozen golden sandy beaches, crystal-clear water, and a Victorian pier originally built in 1865 – Bognor Regis attracts a whopping four million tourists every single year. Like any quintessential seaside resort, it’s filled with all of your staycation essentials: Fish & Chip shops, ice cream vans, arcades, and souvenir shops.

But, the town was recently snubbed in Which?’s seaside league tables, where it came joint fourth from last with Burnham-on-Sea. Scoring a measly 47 per cent out of 100, survey participants gave the town just two stars for its beaches, tourist attractions, scenery, and food and drink offerings – and a brutal one-star rating for its pier and range of shops.

Bognor Regis, known as one of three UK homes to Butlins, opened its resort back in 1960, during the UK’s coastline glory days. It was the third complex to be built in England and reportedly witnessed a staggering 3,000 visitors on the opening day.

And just last month, Butlin’s announced it had finished a huge £1.8 million upgrade to the resort – helping to bolster tourism in the region. The transformation means Bognor Regis is now home to Butlin’s biggest-ever indoor Soft Play centre and Puppet Theatre.

Opening in time for the busy Easter half term, the four-storey soft play centre, which is a whopping 3,000 square feet, has the capacity to entertain up to 200 children – while adults can kick back and relax in the new 100-person eating area. The Soft Play centre features new slides, climbing challenges, log ramps, cargo nets, and a multi-sensory area for babies. The Puppet Theatre will put on new shoes for guests, including Under The Sea, Jingle in the Jungle and Christmouse.

Jon Hendry Pickup, CEO at Butlin’s, said he was ‘delighted’ to open the Soft Play and Puppet Theatre at Bognor Regis. “Both are included in the price, providing incredible value for our guests,” he added. “They have always been popular with guests, and these incredible new spaces are full of personality, just like the Skyline Gang and their performances which are always a standout part of family’s breaks.”

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It takes around two hours and 17 minutes to drive to Bognor Regis from London, but direct trains can slash the journey time down to just one and a half hours. If you’re flexible with dates, you can grab single adult fares for as little as £10.

Accommodation in Bognor Regis varies depending on your budget. For example, a weekend’s stay (Friday, June 13 -15) at the four-star Beachcroft Hotel will set you back £322, based on two adults sharing. But, the Keedwell Studio Apartments offer a double room on the same nights for just £198. Butlin’s offers weekend breaks for the May Half Term for as little as £253.

*Prices based on Trainline, Booking.com, and Butlin’s listings at the time of writing.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured.