Butlins in Bognor Regis opens its new hotel

Around 300 premium visitors enjoyed all the facilities of the 20m Ocean Hotel on its opening day on Wednesday, August 12.

They are about to be followed by thousands more tourists to the building, which dominates the entrance to the Butlins resort.

The hotel is fully booked from tomorrow for five weeks once the select guests leave. More than 700 guests at a time will then be able to luxuriate in its spa treatment and modern en-suite rooms.

The initial holidaymakers' stays formed part of a phenomenal 1.5m of pre-bookings made while the hotel has only existed as an artist's drawing.

Resort director Jeremy Pardey said: "It's a fantastic feeling to be at the opening of the hotel. It's all about the guests from now on. The amount of pre-booking compares to the 120,000 for the Shoreline.

"I'm a little bit surprised by how well the Ocean Hotel has gone. It's been a success without any media coverage to make anyone aware of it. The interest has been phenomenal '“ both from the media and our guests. And the building looks fantastic."

Richard Bates, Butlins' managing director, paid tribute to the Bognor and Arun councillors who had made the company feel wanted in the town.

The hotel was officially opened at noon on Tuesday by Arun District Council leader Gillian Brown.

The council owns the Butlins site and set up a new 125-year lease for the land to enable Butlins' parent company, Bourne Leisure, to make the investment needed for the hotel.

Cllr Brown said the hotel's arrival ensured the fortunes of Butlins and Bognor were more closely linked than ever.

It was a relationship which was paying dividends for the town and would continue to do so.

"No-one can deny the significant levels of investment Butlins have made, and are continuing to make. This is playing a large part in the regeneration of Bognor.

"The Ocean Hotel will bring 20,000 guests a year all of whom, hopefully, will have money to spend not just in Butlins but also in Bognor.

"That's a challenge to Bognor to make sure we have enough choice to attract those visitors into the town," she said.

She stressed the hotel's opening proved wrong the detractors who doubted Bognor's regeneration.

Her ceremonial cutting of the ribbon was greeted with a fanfare by two trumpeters. They formed part of a range of entertainment put on by Butlins to show the firm still retained its showbiz flair alongside the new era heralded by the arrival of the hotel.

Among the several hundred individuals at the ceremony were representatives of the national media.

They filled a specially-hired carriage of a train from London Victoria for the day out by the seaside in another example of Butlins' marketing skill.

*Butlins in Bognor Regis occupies 60 acres on the seafront. It welcomes 302,000 staying visitors a year in its 4,800 beds and 85,000 day visitors. It employs up to 850 staff, including 25 Redcoats.

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