Old Portsmouth's Duke of Buckingham fails to sell at auction despite 'good levels of interest'
A vacant pub and hotel has failed to sell at auction
The Duke of Buckingham Pub and Hotel, which was rebuilt in 1954 after the founding site suffered severe wartime damage, remains unsold after being listed in an online auction on March 26.
The Old Portsmouth property was previously operated as a pub, before being taken over by Florio’s D’Italia on the ground floor in 2023. The Italian restaurant relocated to Palmerston Road in April 2025.
Robert Marchant, regional director and auctioneer at Clive Emson Auctioneers, based at Whiteley, said: “Despite good levels of interest, both before and after the auction, the property remains unsold, though discussions are on-going with interested parties.”
Joe Rocks, auction appraiser for Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers, previously said the property “would be ideally suited to continued use as a pub/restaurant with hotel rooms in a popular tourist area of the city.”
The building also benefits from 14 guest bedrooms with en-suites across three floors and it currently has planning permission for residential conversion.