Hastings Premier Inn: '25 jobs' to be created as recruitment drive for new 84-bedroom hotel to be launched
A company behind the building of a new Premier Inn hotel in Hastings is launching a recruitment drive for staff.
Building work on the hotel at the site of the former Cornwallis Street car park started last year.
Diggers and other machinery arrived there in August 2024 preparing and flattening the ground to make way for the start of construction of the hotel.
In January this year developers said they were currently ‘on track’ with the timetable of works.
A sign has now gone up at the site saying Premier Inn is recruiting prospective staff for the new hotel ‘from Winter 2025’.
Jordan Tomkinson, project manager at Whitbread, said: “Work on our new 84-bedroom Premier Inn in Hastings town centre is progressing really well, and we’re on track to open the doors and welcome guests before Christmas.
“The tower crane is due to come down in July, followed shortly by the scaffolding, which will reveal the hotel in its setting for the first time. Internal fit-out work will continue right up to opening as we prepare to welcome guests.
“This hotel is a particularly exciting development for us - our first Premier Inn by Hastings town centre - and we believe it will deliver long-term benefits to the town.
“Recruitment is set to begin in the autumn, with around 25 new roles available across a variety of positions. It’s a great opportunity for local people to join the UK’s leading hospitality business, play a key role in launching the new hotel, and build a rewarding career with us.
“We actively recruit for Premier Inn roles through the Jobcentre Plus, and all vacancies will be advertised on our careers website at whitbreadcareers.com.”
The Cornwallis Street car park was shut more than two years ago to make way for the construction of the 84-bedroom Premier Inn.
In February 2022, planners at Hastings Borough Council approved proposals to build the new five-storey hotel.
The application was led by the authority, which owns the land.
The proposals, submitted by Whitbread plc in late 2021, attracted opposition from some residents in the area.
Objections included fears that the building would lead to a loss of light and privacy for nearby residents in Mann Street, South Terrace and St Andrews Square.
The site of the former Cornwallis Street car park was also sold by the council early in 2024 to make way for the new Premier Inn after the building project’s cost almost doubled.
When first agreed in October 2019, the project was expected to cost around £7m. But in September 2023 cabinet members backed proposals to increase the project’s capital programme budget to £13.6m.
The council said the hotel, when it opens it will provide around 30 jobs and bring an estimated visitor spend of £2.1m a year.