Proposals for a new Premier Inn in Dorchester town centre will be shared with the community at two public engagement events in September.
Whitbread – parent company to Premier Inn – has previously announced its plans to bring a new hotel of around 100 beds to Dorchester Town Centre at the site of the former Marks & Spencer store on South Street.
Now the project team is in a position to share further details of the proposals at the upcoming public engagement events, where members of the public will be able to see the plans, speak to the development team and share their views.
There will be a drop-in exhibition on Wednesday, September 6th from 2pm to 7.30pm at the former Marks & Spencer store, 48 South Street, Dorchester, DT1 1DQ.
This will be followed by an online webinar on Thursday, September 7th from 7pm.
The former Marks & Spencer store closed in February 2020. Whitbread purchased the vacant property at the beginning of June 2023 with a view to redeveloping the site into its second Premier Inn hotel in Dorchester.
Louise Woodruff, Property Acquisitions Manager at Whitbread, said:
“We opened the doors to our first Premier Inn at Brewery Square in Dorchester more than ten years ago. The hotel has traded consistently well over this time, often reaching maximum capacity, and we want to invest further and expand our presence in Dorchester to meet current and future demand from our customers.
“As a brand, Premier Inn is known for its consistency, service, affordability, and the great locations we offer our customers. The former M&S store provides a rare opportunity to bring Premier Inn into the heart of Dorchester Town Centre at a location which is economically viable for a budget hotel. We are investing in the site for the long-term, securing its future use, and creating and supporting jobs in the town centre, which can only be a good thing.
“We have an opportunity to create a new asset for the town and the engagement events we are holding are an opportunity for us to share our latest thinking with members of the community and get their feedback on what we are proposing. It is also an opportunity for us to explain why comprehensively redeveloping the former retail store is the only realistic option for us.
“I’m excited about what we have to offer and am looking forward to sharing our plans with residents, businesses and stakeholders in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Research commissioned by Premier Inn and undertaken by Turley and Ipsos Mori in autumn 2022 calculated the economic contribution of a 100-bedroom Premier Inn hotel to be around £3-million per year as its guests make the most of where they are staying.
To register for the online webinar, please visit: www.premierinn-dorchester.co.uk/register
Registration is not required for the in-person consultation event but is welcomed. The website also provides an opportunity to sign-up for updates on the plans as they progress.
Artists impression of new Premier Inn
In recent times the former M & S store has been occupied by Dorset Carers Hub