Opening date of new 84-bedroom Hastings Premier Inn announced

The near-completion of the hotel comes after more than a year of construction work.

The company said the hotel will open on Wednesday, December 10.

Construction on the new 84-bedroom Premier Inn started last year.

Diggers and machinery arrived in August 2024 preparing the ground to make way for construction.

Around 25 new roles at the hotel will be available.

Jordan Tomkinson, project manager at Whitbread, said: “We’re counting down the days to the opening of our newest Premier Inn hotel, right in the heart of Hastings.

“This location brings together everything that makes Premier Inn special: our guests will be able to enjoy our latest room design in a superb location, and we’re proud to be creating quality, permanent jobs with real opportunities for progression. Once open, the hotel will deliver lasting year-round economic benefits to Hastings.

“Recruitment for the site team is well under way, and as we prepare to open, we have launched a £9,000 community fund to support local charities and social enterprises in Hastings. It’s part of how we connect our new hotels with the communities they serve, through Whitbread’s Force for Good sustainability programme, and we are encouraging local organisations to apply.

“With opening day fast approaching, it’s a busy and exciting time at the hotel as we get ready to welcome our first guests on December 10. For anyone planning a stay or looking ahead to the festive season and beyond, booking channels are open – with the best prices always available at premierinn.com.”

The company said organisations can put themselves forward for the community fund via the ActionFunder platform by visiting app.actionfunder.org/fund/757.

The Cornwallis Street car park was shut more than two years ago to make way for the construction of the Premier Inn.

In February 2022 Hastings Borough Council approved the scheme 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 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.