Families eagerly awaiting their first trip to the coast this year will soon have a new £7.5m seafront hotel to try out.

Eastern Daily Press: The edge leisure complex will also include a cinema and casino. Picture: Joe NortonThe edge leisure complex will also include a cinema and casino. Picture: Joe Norton (Image: Archant)

Albert Jones, the man behind the Edge leisure complex in Great Yarmouth, has confirmed the Premier Inn is on schedule to open in time for Easter.

Phase one of the development on the golden mile will also include a Beefeater restaurant.

Mr Jones, who also owns Pleasure Beach, said there is still a lot of work to be done on the hotel but expects the building work to be completed by developers Whitbread at the end of February.

Eastern Daily Press: The Premier Inn is on course to open at Easter on Great Yarmouth's seafront. Picture: Joe NortonThe Premier Inn is on course to open at Easter on Great Yarmouth's seafront. Picture: Joe Norton (Image: Archant)

He said: 'I have been told the hotel will be ready for an Easter opening.

'The final building work is being completed and the lifts have been fitted this week.

'As I start planning for the summer this is really exciting news.'

Eastern Daily Press: An image of what the new Premier Inn taking shape at The Edge will look like. Photo: Arch e-tech Design LtdAn image of what the new Premier Inn taking shape at The Edge will look like. Photo: Arch e-tech Design Ltd (Image: Arch e-tech Design Ltd)

The Edge leisure complex will also include a new casino and cinema which will take shape during phase two of the development.

It will also help to deliver 70 new jobs in the area.

Mr Jones has described the continued investment into the town's tourism industry as great.

'We are not trying to compete against anyone else it is just a case of bringing something different to Great Yarmouth.' he said.

'By doing this we are extending the seafront by almost half a mile which can only benefit the town.

'Great Yarmouth is definitely on the up.'

The Pleasure Beach boss said he expected the new Premier Inn to start taking bookings imminently.

He said progress on phase two is also being made and that there has been a lot of interest from various partners.

Outline planning permission for the additional entertainment complex was granted last summer, however, no completion date has been set as of yet.

Mr Jones said: 'We are looking all the time to get everything going with phase two and progress is being made.

'Once the hotel and restaurant have been built, everything for phases two and three should start to come together.'

The 81-bedroom hotel will be Premier Inn's second in the town, a move said to reflect a 'strong demand' for its offer.

For more information visit https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/home.html.