£20m Butlins hotel opens its doors

The first tourists to enjoy the 200-bedroom Ocean Hotel will today check in with Butlins launching its 20m holiday attraction the previous day.

Demand for its spa facilities has been high with some 1m of bookings taken by holidaymakers eager to experience the most stylish rooms Butlins has offered.

Nick Stuart-Nicolson, Bognor Regis Chamber of Commerce's chairman and president, welcomed the imminent arrival of the town's biggest hotel.

"The hotel is bringing positive attention to Bognor and that can only be a good thing," he said.

"I'm sure a lot of businesses will be taking notice of how much money Butlins is putting into the town and how well they are doing, which can only be a good thing for us in the long term.

"There is no doubt people who are holidaying in Butlins come into the town and spend money in the shops and businesses.

"So the more guests they have, and the better they enjoy their time here, the more Bognor as a whole will continue to benefit from Butlins' presence.

"It should also be remembered the hotel has generated 100 jobs which is very welcome, especially in the middle of a recession."

Mr Stuart-Nicolson's wife, Mary, jointly named the 160-bedroom Shoreline Hotel before it opened in Butlins four years ago.

Its success prompted the holiday firm's owner, Bourne Leisure, to create the Ocean Hotel named after a former Butlins hotel in Brighton.

But its comforts are purely 21st-century and include colour-change lighting, rainfall showers and private balconies with a view of either the sea or the South Downs.

All-day check-ins, chic restaurant and bar, unique spa facilities, room service, landscaped gardens and full access to all the entertainment on the resort add to its attractions.

What do you think? Click here to send a letter to [email protected] or leave a comment below.

Click here to go back to Chichester news

Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news

Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news

To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.

MAP