The doors to the new Premier Inn on Sandown Esplanade were finally cast open today (Friday 26th February 2021) for the first time as the team welcomed guests to the brand new 100-bedroom hotel on Sandown Seafront.
Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, has invested £10million 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.
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.
It was in December 2015 that Island Echo exclusively revealed that the Carlton Hotel was to be demolished to make way for a brand new Premier Inn hotel. Now, more than 5 years later, the hotel is open for business.
Jordan Tomkinson, New Openings Manager for Premier Inn at Sandown, 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 family-friendly 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.
Councillor Debbie Andre of Sandown North says:
“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.”
The Sandown Premier Inn is 1 of 3 new seaside openings planned by Premier Inn in late February and March this year.
Now the parking problems start with where to park, Sandown doesn’t have enough parking as it is. When I asked the question when they applied for planning I was told they had a green policy in force whereby they tell guests to leave their cars at home and use public transport. There is no mention of this on their website or when enquiring about booking. so they got planning under false pretences.
This place like all other holiday lets can be booked online no questions asked, so will people travelling for non essential reason s be turned away.Easter will be busy here we know that,let’s hope these selfish people don’t affect our chances of opening up in April .
You should embrace new business, simple solution take the hole in the ground by the library and fill it turn it into a carpark and as other towns an event platform with a weekly outdoor market… And remove one of many Sandown eyesore’s … Sandown Has been destroyed by former businesses but our own council are not without blame leaving the once majestic town hall for there retirement unit in the Broadway…. people need to wake up and make themselves heard……
Good luck staying there… bit of mould apparently
Good on them I say!
At least one business is giving it a go and contributing to the regeneration of Sandown.
There may be a lack of parking and perhaps some some mould in a spot but it beats another massive empty decaying hotel. Can’t do much about the parking but once and the heating is on, the mould could be rectified.
Let’s hope that the rest of Sandown can be turned around.
From £32.50 per night for a double bed, hypnos mattress and good bathroom, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be constantly booked. That’s less than half of what most of the privately owned, run down, aged flock wallpaper B&Bs or their nemesis, airb&b charge. Good luck to ’em. Decent competition better late than never.
Yes …FROM being the operative word. You might get that rate booking 3 years in advance and work for whitbread.
Other than that Sandown is a dump and i cant imagine anyone in there right mind holidaying there.
“The team welcomed guests to the brand new 100-bedroom hotel”…
Ermmmmmm, aren’t we in lockdown at the moment? HELLO
I love the island and get there as often as possible but where is everyone going to park?