A budget chain which has been building a new hotel in the centre of Hitchin for months has announced an official opening date.

The Comet: Site of the new Premier Inn on Hermitage Road, HitchinSite of the new Premier Inn on Hermitage Road, Hitchin (Image: Archant)

The Premier Inn in Hermitage Road had been expected to open its doors next month, but now parent company Whitbread says it will start welcoming guests on Monday, August 10.

The firm says that the 60-bed hotel represents a £3.5 million investment and brings 26 new jobs to the town.

The hotel also includes an on-site restaurant, although there is no dedicated parking.

The chain’s new openings manager Alex Bower said: “It is really exciting to be opening right in the heart of Hitchin.

The Comet: Site of the new Premier Inn on Hermitage Road, HitchinSite of the new Premier Inn on Hermitage Road, Hitchin (Image: Archant)

“We have been looking to open in the town for some time, and it’s great that we are now only a few weeks away.

“We will be offering brand new, modern accommodation at an affordable price, which we hope will encourage visitors to the town and help bring tourist and retail trade into the area.”

Each bedroom caters for up to two adults and two children aged 15 and under and includes an en-suite bathroom, a king size bed; remote control TV with Freeview, tea and coffee making facilities and a WiFi internet access.

Prices start at £39 for a family of four.

The Hitchin hotel will form part of a chain of nearly 700 across the country. There are already two Premier Inns in Stevenage and a new 57-bed hotel is on the drawing board for Letchworth town centre, with public consultation into the scheme held earlier this year.