The new hotel will grow the hotel chain’s network in and around the lakes to six locations
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The Lake District's first Premier Inn will open its doors on Monday for the first time.
Owners Whitbread have announced the opening of the 71-bedroom hotel at High Hill in Keswick and said it was the first of its hotels in the Lake District. Despite a few setbacks, the hotel is now on track to open next week.
The new hotel will grow Premier Inn’s network in and around the lakes to six locations and more than 400 bedrooms. Premier Inn Keswick will offer guests the chain's "standard" bedrooms and 12 "enhanced" Premier Plus rooms, with rates starting from £61 per night for a standard room.
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Premier Inn anticipates that around 30,000 guests will stay there every year based on its latest occupancy rates, and they're anticipated to generate £1.8 million per year in additional visitor expenditure in Keswick and the surrounding area.
Karl Hetherington, manager of Premier Inn Keswick, said: “Opening a new hotel is always a big moment. It is even more special when you have a connection to the local area like I do in Keswick.
"I am very proud of the team we have recruited to run the hotel with me, many of whom are from Keswick and the local area, and I know they will do an excellent job of welcoming our guests and giving them the warm Premier Inn welcome we are known for. I can’t wait to open the doors and start playing a positive role in the local community.”
To get the hotel up and running, 24 new team members have been recruited. As part of their structured training programme, Karl and the new site team partnered with the West Cumbria Canals and Rivers Trust to undertake some voluntary conservation work in late January.
Offering more than 70 hours of time in total, the team worked with representatives of the Trust to remove plastic tree guards from young trees planted along How Beck near Thirlmere as well as planting a few new hawthorn and hazel saplings between the established trees.
The team is also fundraising for the Great Ormond Street Hospitals (GOSH) charity, Premier Inn’s national charity partner.
The hotel is located on the former site of the Ravensfield Residential Care Home and will provide 29 customer parking spaces including four disabled bays charged at £10 per night. It's a short walk from Keswick town centre and is adjacent to the River Greta and less than a 10-minute drive from Derwentwater.
Permission for the hotel was granted by the Lake District National Park Authority in October 2020 despite a strong public campaign against it, which was backed by Keswick Town Council.
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