Plans to open Sandown's new Premier Inn in November are not yet guaranteed, however it remains 'an ambition.'

The brand behind the hotel chain has issued a statement to the County Press.

It comes as Covid-19 continues to impact 2020.

Asked if the November opening of the new Sandown seafront hotel would be going ahead, a Premier Inn spokesperson said: "We are very proud of our new Premier Inn and Cookhouse & Pub restaurant on Sandown Seafront.

"We have invested in an excellent location, right on the seafront, and are looking forward to becoming part of the community and welcoming guests and diners when our doors open.

“In August we informed residents and stakeholders that we were aiming to open the new Sandown Premier Inn and Cookhouse & Pub restaurant at the end of November.

"Whilst our ambition to do so remains, as a responsible business, we also need to respond to the evolving COVID-19 crisis and its impact on customer demand.

"We will share our plans for opening the hotel and restaurant as soon as we fix a date internally.”

The project has faced numerous significant delays, with previous opening dates suggested for both spring and summer 2020.

Even before opening dates were considered, the project's build was held up by technical issues with the site.

Isle of Wight County Press:

In 2018, Premier Inn reassured locals that it was committed to the opening of the hotel.

Work on the £10 million project started later that year.

In September, Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn, announced it may have to cut thousands of jobs, due to a collapse in demand caused by coronavirus.