Plans for a 150-bed Hilton Hotel along with housing at the site of the old Quality Hotel on Plymouth Hoe are still to go ahead at some point despite there having been no progress.

The old hotel that was formerly a Holiday Inn and originally the Mayflower Post House opened in 1970 and closed suddenly in 2014.

The writer of this article stayed there three times and remembers wonderful views but on the last time concrete was crumbling down and falling in the terrace and garden below which had been cordoned off for safety reasons.

The hotel was described on booking websites as: ‘Located on Plymouth Hoe in a quiet location situated near the City Centre with fabulous sea views, modern and traditional with 112 en- suite rooms, meeting rooms with natural light, bar and restaurant and primly located in the city centre offering panoramic sea views.

Ample private car parking, en-suite rooms with sea views, tea and coffee making facilities, direct dial telephone and satellite TV.’

In her book Kate Caffrey described the hotel in the early days in this way: “It is uncompromisingly modern, luxurious and designed for businessmen as well as tourists.

Conferences are referred to the Standish Suite and there’s the Boston Bar.

An enormous carved black mural in the lounge hall shows a somewhat grim-faced, mournful procession of Pilgrims trailing towards their ship.

The restaurant serves Chicken Barbican and a Scampi and Veal Massasoit.’

A spokesperson from Plymouth City Council said: ‘Propiteer Hotels Limited is still in contract with the Council to deliver a hotel and housing.

There have been legal matters concerning the area around the site which the Council is addressing and this has slowed progress.

In the meantime, the site has been used on a temporary basis to store material to support the city’s public realm schemes.

This a prime location, potentially the best development site in the city and we remain firmly committed to seeing this incredible site redeveloped.”