Expansion Plans Set To Boost Dover’s Appeal

More expansion plans have been announced at the Best Western Premier Dover Marina Hotel and Spa in what is set to prove a major boost for tourism in the town.

The four-star hotel, which unveiled 13 new luxury rooms and a Presidential Suite just four months ago, has put forward plans to add a new conference facility and function room alongside 24 new bedrooms and a bistro bar.

This new phase would see the hotel expanding into the Protea House building to the east, and comes after September’s upgrade saw new rooms created in an adjacent building to the west of the hotel.

September’s unveiling was part of a celebration evening that also saw the hotel receive the ‘Best Western Premier’ accolade, putting it firmly in the top rank of the brand’s flagship hotels nationwide.

Hotel managing director Kanagaratnam Rajaseelan (known as Seelan), said the planned expansion would attract more visitors to Dover and allow the hotel to expand its wedding and conference venue offering. The new venue would be capable of holding 140 seated delegates and up to 200 at less formal events.

The expansion plans reflect the hotel’s increasing popularity, with the new rooms pressed into service the day after they were unveiled in September’s ceremony. That expansion, plus the new rooms planned for Protea House will, if approved, take the hotel’s capacity from 85 to 122.

The application submitted to planners points out that Dover “does not have a four-star, high-quality venue that can cater for weddings, meetings and functions, for between 80 and 200 people”.

It contines: “This means people will go to Folkestone, Canterbury and surrounding areas if they want a wedding function or conference if they need this capacity. The development of this additional facility for Dover Town would add to its tourism portfolio.”

Planning permission was previously given for the enlarged venue, with the revised submission reflecting a number of changes in the detailed application. The aim is to complete the work by this summer.

The proposed development will make the Dover Marina Hotel the only facility within the town centre with a spa, gym, accommodation and conference facilities under one roof, allowing both public and commercial users to use one location rather than having to travel to different venues for different facilities.