A hotel in a quiet Somerset village has caused quite a stir among local residents, with its £80-per-night sex parties sparking outrage.
Located within the picturesque Exmoor National Park, the Croydon Hall Hotel, initially looks to be your typical grand country hotel. However, there is far more going on than meets the eye.
The hotel has a reported eight themed adult ‘playrooms’, including a Fifty Shades of Grey themed ‘Red Room’ complete with whips and a sex swing.
However, this ‘Disneyworld for adults’ could now be under threat, with the Exmoor National Park Authority currently investigating whether or not Croydon Hall has breached planning laws by holding private members’ parties at a venue which has been registered as a hotel.
Croydon Hall, nestled within the pretty Somerset village of Rodhuish, was purchased by 59-year-old former BP mechanic Allen McCloud in November 2018.
In January 2019, Mr McCloud began host monthly parties through his business, Exclusively Silks, which reportedly offers ‘intimate parties for classy, sophisticated couples and single ladies’.
Party patrons pay £60 each year for exclusive membership, before spending an additional fee on attending the parties, which have so far included ‘Trio Night’, ‘Fetish Party’ and ‘Discovering Swinging’.
Now Mr McCloud is applying to extend Croydon Hall’s alcohol licence from midnight up until 3am, a move which has sparked fury among local residents.
Residents have claimed guests end up ‘spilling out into the gardens and pool’ at nighttime, with noise from their parties preventing them from sleeping.
66-year-old Anne Pitts, who moved to the area nearly 10 years ago, said:
People come to Exmoor on holiday and they do not expect to stumble across a sex club in this beautiful area. It makes me feel sick.
However, Mr McCloud has argued that the guests at his establishment are respectful, and that he has even soundproofed the hotel to prevent too much noise.
Mr McCloud said:
You have to have a special licence for sex things if you are selling anything sexual, like DVDs, but this is just a hotel. It’s basically Disneyworld for adults.
What people do in a hotel is up to them. They hire the venue for an evening where they have a dancefloor, a bar, and if they want to go up to the playrooms and have some fun, they can go and do that.
We went from eight to twelve couples and at our last party we had 75. We’ve got doctors and a barrister who comes. They are quite well-to-do and we have some nice sports cars parked outside. We’re a high-end club.
The licensing application will reportedly be considered Monday, April 29.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.