FORMER fishermen’s cottages which were left to fall into disrepair are being transformed into a hotel so hi-tech it will not need any staff.

Three terraced houses in Hartington Road, Southend, formerly known as Marine Villas, will reopen as the Beach Retreat luxury hotel at the end of November.

The properties were guest houses for more than 50 years, but their former owner died at the beginning of the year.

As well as their Sixties decor, they were in such poor repair, construction firm Sorrel had to undertake significant structural work, including laying new flooring, as much of the original was unsound.

By the time they are done, however, the hotel will effectively run itself, with each guest receiving a security card to let themselves in, while the power will automatically switch off when their time is up.

Project manager Adam English, 28, said the £450,000 development of the 23 rooms, which began in August, would be ultra-modern while respecting the heritage of the more than 100-year-old buildings.

He said: “We’re going to keep the facade of the building more or less as it is with a matt grey paint job in keeping with the rest of the street, but inside is going to be modern, very hi-tech and luxurious, with things like walkin wardrobes, high-speed broadband, LED lighting and integrated iPod docks.

“I’m a bit of a gadget geek, so it’s the perfect project for me – there will be no reception area because, when people book, they will have a card sent to them to let them. When their time’s up, the electricity goes off, and they get charged if they don’t send the card back.

“The idea is to do away with fuss and allow people to book on the go, with everything done by card and over the internet.”

Many of the rooms are b e i n g k n o c k e d through to provide large, openplan, living spaces with views of the Thames Estuary and the pier.

Mr English added: “The hotel will target people coming for the weekend, but also business travellers from the airport looking for somewhere comfortable to stay close to London. The owners also want to inject a bit of amodern hipster feel to Southend – there’s really going to be nothing else like it in town.”