I went to the groundbreaking event for a new Premier Inn hotel in West Sussex – it should be open next year

After almost six months of work to demolish the former Waitrose supermarket in Anchor Springs, construction has started on a new 130-bedroom Premier Inn hotel.

I went along to the site to speak with construction project manager Jordan Tomkinson about the project, why it’s important for the town and what residents can expect from the construction process and beyond.

Jordan, who also managed the recent project to bring a new Premier Inn to Bognor Regis, said: “When you look around the town, this is the perfect location for us. Our site fits perfectly within the boundaries and it means we can get enough rooms in without it being too tall and looking out of place.”

The £16m new hotel is being developed by Premier Inn owners Whitbread and will be three stories high, with a restaurant, 100 parking spaces and new landscaping.

Jordan added: “There’s lots going on along the coast – we have a new development in Brighton, Hastings, Bognor Regis, planning permission for a site in Chichester. So, there’s a lot this will bring to the town and the local economy in general.”

Jordan said Premier Inn was particularly committed to the south coast because of the ‘huge pull’ of Goodwood, and a demand for business travel the firm was struggling to meet in the area. Plus, with the current cost of holidays abroad going up, it was also seeing leisure travel bookings increase. The current sites in Bognor and Rustington in particular were continually booked-up, so a hotel in Littlehampton was a priority.

“We have had more support than I could have asked for,” Jordan said when speaking about the project so far. “When I grab a sandwich from Upper Crust across the road, people often tell me they’re happy something is being done with the site. The neighbours have been incredibly patient with us during demolition, and we’re so grateful for their patience and support. They have a lot of goodwill towards us because I think they’re happy about the investment in their town.”

Work to demolish the Waitrose supermarket, which had been closed since 2015, started in November last year and took longer than planned due to the discovery of steel girders under the ground. But it is still hoped the hotel will open as planned in early autumn 2027.

The principal contractor on the project, Carter Lauren, has worked with the team on many other Premier Inn builds across the UK, which Jordan said is a massive benefit. “There’s just so many variables in construction, the more you can eliminate the smoother your ride will be,” he said.

“They know what our end product should look like, we know what their challenges are, so we can make each other’s lives easier. Having that relationship is vital.”

As part of the build, the public realm space around the hotel will be tidied up and the bus stop reinstated. Access for drop-offs and pick-ups at nearby River Beach Primary School will be reinstated once the car park is reopened.

I asked Jordan about the belief that people should support local businesses over national chains. He said: “We do economic impact studies to see what happens around the area when we open. A good example is that only about 25 per cent of guests have dinner with us. Meaning 75 per cent of the people that stay with us are having dinner in the local town. The local community ends up benefiting because of this.

“One study found that per bedroom people spend around £140 per night in the area, which for a typical Premier Inn hotel at 80 per cent occupancy would equate to around a £3/4m spend a year.

"So yes, we’re big, we’re branded, but it’s about local value add and people going out to experience what this area has to offer.”

He also pointed to the job offering, with the new Littlehampton hotel providing around 25/30 local people with reliable, regular, year-round employment. Recruitment is likely to begin next summer.

Something people have suggested is that the new Premier Inn might be used to house asylum seekers, but Jordan said that is not the case: “All Premier Inn hotels are owner operated, not franchised, and housing asylum seekers is not in the business model. We expect to be trading at 80 per cent occupancy, so there’s not really a need to do that. The guests here will be here to add to the local economy or enjoy the local economy.”

Jordan, who lives in Worthing, added: “For me, personally, my kids regularly went to Harbour Park, we’ve been out and enjoyed the films on the big screen in the summer. To be able to be opening a really lovely hotel in this town I know so well is really rewarding.

“People are grateful for the investment as it does give other developers confidence in the area. We often see more things pop up two or three years later, so it’s nice to see you can have a really positive impact on the town.”