Doors to the new Premier Inn on Sandown Esplanade have opened today (Friday) for the first time as the team welcomed certain guests to the brand new 100-bedroom hotel.
Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, has invested £10 million in the new hotel and Cookhouse & Pub family restaurant as it continues to grow its network in popular leisure and staycation hotspots across the UK.
The Sandown Premier Inn is one of three new seaside openings planned by Premier Inn in late February and March this year.
In line with government regulations and public health advice, the new Premier Inn Sandown hotel has opened initially to guests staying for work, education or other legally permitted reasons. The Cookhouse & Pub family restaurant will also not be serving any food or drinks on opening in line with Government guidelines.
New Openings Manager for Premier Inn at Sandown, Jordan Tomkinson, said:
“It’s a wonderful feeling to finally open our doors and welcome our first guests to the new Sandown Seafront Premier Inn.
"The new building looks fantastic and we have an excellent team led by hotel manager Joni ready to offer our guests the warm Premier Inn welcome and service we are renown for. As freehold owners of the new hotel and restaurant, we are investing in Sandown for the long-term and are looking forward to supporting the local economy and becoming part of the community in the years ahead.”
The Sandown Seafront hotel is the third Premier Inn on the Isle of Wight and the first hotel on the Island to feature the Cookhouse & Pub restaurant format.
Working with the Job Centre Plus, Premier Inn has recruited 20 new team members to work at the new hotel and sees the potential for further roles in the hotel and restaurant once travel restrictions are lifted and the hotel fully opens.
Visit Isle of Wight Managing Director, Will Myles, said:
“The addition of a new Premier Inn directly opposite the award-winning Sandown Bay demonstrates the belief that Whitbread have in the Island, recognising its importance as a ‘premier’ destination. The level of investment has been matched by their drive to complete the new Premier Inn and Cookhouse & Pub restaurant through these difficult times.
“The Isle of Wight has so much to offer - from award winning beaches, plenty of leisure activities or opportunities to sit back and relax, fine places to eat and history to explore – and it is no coincidence that the Island currently holds the title of the UK’s Holiday Destination of the Year and is home to Visit England’s Tourism Superstar of the Year!
“We look forward to working with the Premier Inn team in welcoming visitors to the Island for years to come and believe that the new hotel and Cookhouse & Pub Restaurant will be an asset to Sandown and the Island as a whole, encouraging visitors and adding to continuing investment in the Sandown Bay area from local businesses.”
Premier Inn’s latest addition to the island is built on the site of the former Carlton Hotel on the seafront. Site preparation and demolition work started in 2017 with construction of the new Premier Inn and Cookhouse & Pub commencing in early 2019.
The construction and fit out of the new five-storey hotel and family restaurant was completed in late 2020, with Whitbread’s in-house construction team overseeing the build directly. Cardiff based Carter Lauren were appointed as principal contractor for the development.
Councillor Wayne Whittle, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Business Development at the Isle of Wight Council, said:
“I am absolutely delighted to see this level of confidence and investment in the Sandown Bay economy from Whitbread. This is great news for the Bay area as we start the economic recovery process from COVID-19.
“The hotel will further enhance and bolster the town as a tourist destination with huge potential to drive investment into the area. It will generate new employment of around 20 permanent jobs, with further roles possible in the future, and attract thousands of guests each year bringing additional tourism spend.
“As a council, we want to create confidence in our coastal towns, and increase and improve their profiles to act as a catalyst for further investment in facilities, services and new developments for local communities and the Island as a whole.”
Bob Seely MP for the Isle of Wight, added:
“I am pleased to see more investment in the Bay area and the creation of jobs for Islanders and I wish to congratulate Premier Inn. I am hopeful that the council’s regeneration plans will enable more opportunities like this to come forward. The Island looks forward to welcoming visitors once again when the time is right, and restrictions allow.”
The Premier Inn Sandown Seafront hotel has opened with Premier Inn’s enhanced hygiene promise, Premier Inn CleanProtect, in place to help guests stay with confidence. An opening date for the Cookhouse & Pub restaurant will be confirmed in due course.
Cllr Debbie Andre, County Councillor for Sandown North, said:
"I'm delighted that the long-anticipated opening of Premier Inn in its prime seafront position has finally arrived. Such a landmark investment in Sandown signals the start of the renaissance of our town and is warmly welcomed by residents.
“With the likelihood of an increase in staycations in the UK, the benefits to the local area of having a well-known brand to complement our tourist offer will be a boost to our visitor economy at a time when it is needed most. I'm also delighted that Premier Inn have recruited locally to provide jobs for local people throughout the year rather than on a purely seasonal basis. This really is good news for the future of Sandown."
Premier Inn has said it is currently exploring a potential new location in Ryde.
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