Bosses behind a long-awaited six-storey hotel have announced when the first visitors will be able to stay the night.

The Hampton by Hilton Ashford International will open on the corner of Beaver Road and Victoria Road in July.

Staff are accepting bookings from Thursday, July 1, with a one-night stay for one adult in a 'king room' priced at £59.

Boasting 140 rooms, bosses had initially hoped to open in December but the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic delayed construction.

The summer opening will mark the end of a lengthy journey to realise the venture, with an initial 120-room planning application being lodged with Ashford Borough Council six years ago.

Despite council approval in November 2016, design changes were later requested by the applicant, resulting in 20 extra rooms.

Construction had begun in earnest in December 2019, utilising a speedy shipping container-esque method of building the rooms.

Some residents were concerned by the look of the project at this stage, however the company noted this is now an industry standard and said it would look completely different when finished - a statement that has now been proven correct.

Its July opening is the latest in a long line of construction projects that have been completed in its immediate area.

Aldi launched its first Ashford branch only a few hundred metres away in August 2018, while Chapel Down's Curious Brewery opened the next year.

In November last year, the 216-flat Victoria Point scheme was completed on a site adjacent to the new hotel.

Businesses have already moved into units underneath the flats, including a Premier convenience store and Cafe Grace.

Dan Bullard, who owns the cafe with wife Danielle, says business has been surprisingly good despite opening during the pandemic.

He hopes trade will be even better as lockdown is gradually eased, and believes the Hampton by Hilton's opening will see it boom.

"I think it's going to help business," Mr Bullard said.

"There's over 100 rooms and hopefully we will see a lot of those guests coming down for breakfast, lunch or dinner."

The new hotel could be literally overshadowed if approval is granted for a 16-storey apartment complex, nicknamed the 'Ashford Shard', earmarked for a site opposite the hotel.

A decision on allowing the 207-apartment project is set to be made at a planning committee meeting later this month.

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