£9m new Premier Inn draws admiring crowd

Dozens of people flocked to the five-floor hotel in Smithfield Road to take a look inside when it opened at noon yesterday.

The hotel, which has been built on the former Telephone House site overlooking the River Severn and Frankwell Quay, has 136 bedrooms, as well as a bar and restaurant with space for 150 customers.

It has created 46 full and part-time jobs, including positions such as receptionists, housekeepers and bar and restaurant staff.

Helen McLean, 62, from Powys, and Carol Hamnett, 68, from Leintwardine, near Ludlow, were among the first guests to check in at the hotel at about 2pm yesterday.

The friends had decided to go on a 'girl's weekend' to Shrewsbury to enjoy a spot of shopping and a night at the cinema.

Helen said: "We didn't realise it was the opening day, we have just come for a girl's get- together.

"It's really close to the railway station so it's very convenient for us to get the train."

Many of the visitors yesterday were not staying overnight, but simply wanted to see inside the hotel which has been under construction for more than a year.

Sally Harll, from Gains Park, took her four-year-old son Charlie for a tour around the hotel.

She said: "He had been watching the hotel being built and every time we go past he asks when it is going to open.

"I think it is going to be great, it's so close to the town centre."

Peter and Jean Davenport from Harlescott also called in for an afternoon drink in the hotel's Thyme restaurant.

Mr Davenport said: "We have come to check it out – our daughter has booked a room for July so we wanted to see what it looks like. So far it seems really nice.

"This is what has been required in Shrewsbury, a hotel at a reasonable cost with a beautiful river view. We had a lovely welcome from staff."

It was a busy day for the hotel's operations manager, Nicole Lissaman, who had been up since 6am preparing for the official opening at about noon. She said more than 30 rooms had been booked by yesterday afternoon.

She said: "People in Shrewsbury have been watching the hotel being built and they want to come and see what it's all about.

"We have a really good working relationship with other town centre businesses, there is a really nice community spirit in Shrewsbury."

The hotel is the UK's 652nd Premier Inn. It is one of only four hotel's in the country to features a high-tech reception area – complete with touch-screen check-in facilities.

Its exterior design has been modelled on Premier Inn's international hotels in countries such as Dubai.

All the rooms are of standard size and come with a double bed, free view television and an en-suite bathroom.

In preparation for the opening, staff had ordered 400 duvets and 600 pillow cases – as well as 15 cases of shower gel.

The opening of the Premier Inn has been welcomed by Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski, who said the hotel should help to attract more visitors to the town.

"There had been discussions Shrewsbury needed a budget hotel and this is something we haven't had for a long time," he said.

"I believe strongly the service the Premier Inn will be providing will attract people in. I know people who will only stay in Premier Inns and they would have bypassed Shrewsbury in the past."

Planning permission for the hotel was granted in November 2011. Construction work got under way in February last year.

In January, more than 700 people attended a recruitment day held in the town's Theatre Severn. Hotel bosses worked with Shrewsbury job centre in a bid to recruit young, unemployed people looking for their first step on the career ladder.

Ms Lissaman said a third of the staff hired were aged between 16 and 24, and 75 per cent had previously been without employment, education or training.

Hotel bookings can be made on line at www.premierinn.com and restaurant bookings can be made calling (01743) 276980.