£20m hotel could help Bognor Butlins join the race for Olympic glory

The holiday company is exploring the prospect of taking advantage of the worldwide interest in the 2012 games in London.

Its site in Bognor will be in prime position to benefit from the multi-million-pound spin-offs sure to be generated from the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

It will be well placed to offer accommodation to the hordes of spectators or participants in the sporting extravaganza.

The 20m Ocean Hotel opened yesterday to complement the Shoreline Hotel, which greeted its first guests in 2005.

Further plans for a 20m swimming complex, 240 self-catering units of accommodation, a 1m watersports centre and a third hotel are also under consideration by Butlins' directors.

This potential multi-million pound investment will carry on the transformation of the site which has taken place since Bourne Leisure acquired Butlins in 2000.

This potential funding reflects the desire by Bourne Leisure to capitalise on Bognor's relative closeness to London and the affluent home counties compared with the two other Butlins' sites.

Richard Bates, Butlins' managing director, said: "The 2012 Olympics will be an exciting occasion for the UK.

"It would be great if we could be a part of that. We are exploring the opportunities in which we could get involved in some way.

"One of our main board directors is part of a group looking at the impact of the games on the tourism industry. Something might come out of that."

Mr Bates said Butlins had plenty more improvements planned for its Bognor site.

"We have plans for new self-catering accommodation on the drawing board. We are also starting to look at designs for a third hotel in Bognor as well as designs for a new swimming pool complex.

"But we don't have a limitless budget and we are in the middle of a recession."

He added: "I don't want to raise people's expectations too high and we need to have a full year's trading from the Ocean Hotel before we make any firm decisions.

"That said, the hotel has got off to a good start and we are really excited about its future."

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