BUDE’S new 67 bedroom Premier Inn was officially opened last Thursday afternoon, January 25, by 99-year-old Mr Laurence Burrows, writes Christine Williams.

The new hotel has replaced the demolished Strand Hotel, originally owned and built in the early 1970s by Mr Burrows, who previously owned a hardware store and restaurant on the site. As he cut the tape he wished the hotel every success for the future.

Among the guests at the ceremony were the mayor of Bude, Peter Moores, and Conservative MP for North Cornwall, Scott Mann.

Cllr Moores said the Bude and Stratton Town Council had been pleased to support the project and that it had been constructed with the minimum of disruption to the town.

Mr Mann said the hotel would be a great addition to the town. Local businesses would benefit all year round and 26 new full time and two part time jobs had been created.

On the day Claire Varker, operations manager for Premier Inn Bude, said: “We’re delighted to have such a special group of VIPs to help us officially open the hotel so we can start welcoming guests from near and far. We hope that even more people will now be able to enjoy all that the area offers. As a business, we’re absolutely committed to investing back into the areas where we operate, and are really pleased to have been able to bring so many important new year-round jobs to the town.

“We are looking forward to quickly establishing ourselves as a valuable and successful member of the community.”

Mr Mann said: “It’s fantastic to see a great British business investing in our town and I am delighted that the new Premier Inn is now open for business. The new hotel is a good news story to Bude — it has created 28 new jobs and offers increased consumer choice which will help support local businesses through increased tourism spend.”

The hotel, which has six floors, was built by Lancer Scott, architects and builders from Bristol whose aim was to create a design, which fits in well with the seaside image of Bude and reflects the traditional look of the original building and warehousing that existed there many years ago.

The ground floor is open plan with a reception desk, bar and Thyme restaurant, which serves breakfast and a limited menu evening meal.

Caroyln Floyd, new openings manager, said they had worked with the local community and completed the construction of the hotel in one year. They were now looking forward to welcoming their first guest.

For the opening week, guests and visitors can also take a walk through some of The Strand’s historic past with a selection of images from past to present on display in the hotel’s reception area.