Notorious St Kilda boarding house Gatwick Hotel up for sale

THE notorious Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda is for sale after years serving as a boarding house for the city’s disadvantaged.

Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda. Thursday, Dec 11. 2015.

THE notorious Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda is for sale after years serving as a boarding house for the city’s disadvantaged.

The infamous hotel on Fitzroy Street was the scene for some of Melbourne’s most notorious murders, police raids and violent attacks on residents.

The property was listed by real estate agents Lemon Baxter in the past few days.

Agent Richard Hutton said the owners, sisters Yvette Kelly and Rose Banks were thinking about putting it on the market for a while.

“They have been there for a long time and it’s time to move on,” Mr Hutton said.

The 66-room hotel was reviled by traders along the busy strip.

Night manager Michael Jewell has been at the hotel for the past six years and said it had changed enormously.

“There’s a lot more drugs, ice has changed the people here and they’re aggressive and awake for days,” he said.

The manager and resident said he was concerned the residents would be pushed out onto the streets and other boarding houses.

“I think it will be a bad thing for the area, for people here and for the area. Part of what makes St Kilda the way it is, is the Gatwick.”

The agents believe they will get interest from developers in the new year.

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