SANDOWN's new Premier Inn is set to open to guests for the first time, today (Friday).

The 100-bedroom seafront hotel will open to guests staying for work, education, or other legally permitted reasons only.

It will not be open for leisure tourism.

The opening date of the Cookhouse & Pub restaurant will be confirmed before the summer.

Premier Inn said 20 new jobs have been created at the hotel initially, with further opportunities to follow once government regulations allow restaurants to open.

Commenting on the opening, Niall Hyslop, new openings manager for Premier Inn Sandown Esplanade, said previously: “We are extremely grateful for the warm welcome we have received in Sandown since announcing our plans to open a new hotel and restaurant on the Esplanade.

"We are investing here for the long-term and are very much looking forward to becoming part of the community.

“Though we are opening our doors with a limited service in line with government restrictions, we expect the hotel and restaurant will be fully operational later this year.

"Premier Inn hotels in leisure locations like Sandown were very popular last summer and once we’re allowed to welcome leisure guests and open our restaurant fully in Sandown, we’re expecting strong demand from guests and local diners.”

The Sandown Premier Inn will be the third Premier Inn hotel on the Isle of Wight and the first hotel on the Island to feature the Cookhouse & Pub restaurant format.

Whitbread has been working with the local Job Centre Plus to recruit an initial 20 new jobs.