An evening of celebration marked a multi-million-pound investment in one of the South East’s flagship hotels, now officially recognised as one of the best in the region.
The Dover Marina Hotel and Spa has been named as a ‘Best Western Premier’, which puts it in the top rank of the brand’s flagship hotels nationwide.
The evening, attended by civic dignitaries and business and commercial representatives, also saw the unveiling of a stunning ‘hyper-realistic’ watercolour of the whole of the front of the hotel, which dominates the waterfront at Dover.
Visitors toured 13 new luxury rooms, including two Presidential Suites, created following extensive conversion work to an adjacent building in Waterloo Crescent which has been incorporated into the hotel.
Guests were also given an insight into owner K Rajaseelan (Seelan)’s vision for further development following his purchase of Protea House, again adjacent to the existing hotel.
That work, set to begin early next year, will add a further 24 more bedrooms, a large bistro bar and a function room to the impressive facilities at the Best Western Premier Dover Marina Hotel and Spa.
Seelan told guests at the event: “Achieving Best Western Premier status is not the end of our road, but the beginning – and I am delighted to be travelling that road with such a fantastic team. We have great plans moving forward and Protea House will be the next step on the journey.”
Artist Nigel Ward, whose landscapes, seascapes and architectural subjects are sought after by collectors, watched as his latest work, a giant painting of the hotel in ultra-fine, photographic detail, was unveiled by the chairman of Dover District Council Cllr Gordon Cowan.
After the unveiling of the painting, guests were able to see for themselves the luxury rooms in the hotel’s new extension and enjoyed cocktails, food and live music, along with tours of the Waterfront Health Club and Spa, which is now offering Ayurveda and yoga classes.
With the creation of the new rooms and the plans for Protea House amounting to an investment of around £4m, Seelan said: “I love Dover and I believe in its potential as a tourism destination. It is a great honour for the hotel to have been given the top rating as a Best Western Premier.”
He added: “Achieving Premier status amongst the superb hotels that make up the Best Western family has taken a lot of work by a lot of people, a lot of belief and an unwavering determination to ensure that we deliver the best possible experience to all our customers.”
The extension was unveiled by Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, who paid tribute to Seelan’s entrepreneurial vision and his support for the town.
