THE new £6.5 million Holiday Inn Express, on the A5 at Dunstable’s southern gateway, is now set to be launched next month.
Monday, May 28 is the date when the London Road hotel opens its doors to the public for the first time.
The venue is expected to appeal to the corporate market and as a base for visitors keen to explore regional attractions.
This week, the hotel team said that 20 people had been appointed to in-house posts after a recruitment open day at Dunstable Leisure Centre.
And about another 20 new jobs are expected to have been generated within the housekeeping agency involved in the project.
Now the hotel team is getting set for the big day.
General manager Louise Thrussell said: “We are looking forward to opening the hotel.”
And she emphasised: “Guests are at the heart of everything we do.”
Features include 120 bedrooms, available from £39, bar and lounge facilities, and business and conference rooms.
The launch of the smart new hotel, opposite the Beech Road junction, is giving a new lease of life to one section of the former BTR rubber factory site.
Funding for the four-storey hotel was provided by the Julian Hodge Bank team.
Contractor Vinci Construction UK Ltd created the striking new venue.
And about 60 people were employed during the construction work.
> Earlier this month, the Gazette told of how ideas to create new offices elsewhere on the ex-BTR site are now taking a major step forward.
The Julian Hodge Bank team is pressing ahead with marketing for the development plans.
Gateway Dunstable is the new name for the site, and detailed planning permission is already in place for high-specification two-storey and three-storey offices there.
Now the bank is giving the project a boost by providing “competitive funding options” and a design team geared up to interpret and meet the needs of clients who are interested in the scheme.
Offices up to 40,000 sq ft at Gateway Dunstable will be offered on a freehold or leasehold basis.
Planning consent has also been gained for a 70-bed specialised care home and 64 houses on the site.
> For more information about the development project, call Lloyd Spencer or Paul Jessop at Lambert Smith Hampton, on 01582 450444.