Totland Bay became a fashionable holiday resort in the late 1800s brought about by the Island’s popularity, due to Queen Victoria choosing to live on the Island.
Pilots Point was built in 1919, as a holiday home for the family of Lord Northcliffe, founder and owner of both the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror and owner of the Times. At that time the Daily Mail was the country’s top circulation of daily newspapers, but also they were leading edge in the homes market as founder and promoter of the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition.
The site of Totland Bay was chosen for it’s stunning natural beauty and tranquility. At that time, Totland Bay was a small gentle seaside resort, which today is very much the same. Pilots Point was the last property to be built on Totland Beach, now almost 100 years ago.
Two of the first known visitors to holiday at Pilots Point were Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford on the occasion of their honeymoon in April 1920. At that time they were known as” Holywood Royalty “. The couple were forced to “escape” from London because of the riots from fans and problems caused by the paparazzi.
Lord Northcliffe died in 1922. His brother Sir St John Harmsworth, continued to live at Pilots Point until his death in 1935. He had sold his shares in the Daily Mail in order to purchase and develop a little known health spa in the South of France.
During his time at Pilots Point he changed the business, from being a health spa, to the bottling of the spring water. He developed the brand to become one of the most famous mineral water companies in the world – Perrier Water.
He personally designed the bulbous shaped green bottle, as a copy of the Indian clubs which he used to exercise with at Pilots Point – he had previously lost the use of his legs in a car accident.
Every day throughout the summer season he was carried down to the waters edge to bathe in the sea. After several years he built a swimming pool in the gardens of Pilots Point as he was not happy with the tourists seeing him being carried to the beach. The pool was demolished in the 1980’s
This famous iconic bulbous shaped Perrier bottle has survived the test of time and continues to identify Perrier Water today.
Sir St John Harmsworth was a keen florist and planted the cliff between Pilots Point and the Turf Walk with a magnificent display of flowers. Due to its central position on Totland Beach, it was the very first house seen by travellers crossing the Atlantic on cruise ships after having left New York.
The property was used as a hospital during the period of World War II.
In the early 1950’s, the property became a part of the enterprises know as the Totland Bay Hotel and Pier Company. For a limited time, Totland Bay enjoyed a further period of revival as a popular British holiday resort. Pilots Point was used as a cafe/restaurant for the then booming tourist industry. Many of the visitors arrived at Totland Pier from Bournemouth by paddle steamer.
However, with the advent of air travel coupled with cheap package holidays abroad, the newly popular resort was soon on the decline and the prominent hotel on the cliffs above the Bay was eventually demolished in 1979.
Pilots Point fortunately survived and lay empty until the early 1980’s, when it was converted back into residential accommodation.
During the last five years it has undergone a major refurbishment program, to provide unique luxury beachside apartments.