THE reopening of Southend’s Palace Hotel will create 60 new jobs for the town, bosses have said.

The landmark hotel is being restored and will reopen later this year as the Park Inn Southend, part of the Rezidor Hotels group.

At a Southend Business Partnership meeting, Naomi Phillips, from the Rezidor group, said Southend had been picked as a Park Inn site because of the regeneration work in the town.

She said: “We believe Southend is well placed for the type of three-star hotel accommodation which we provide with the Park Inns brand.

“The hotel will be employing 40 full-time and 20 part-time staff as well as a pool of casual workers who can be called on for functions and special events.

“We would be looking at recruiting all the staff for the hotel locally.”

She said the hotel would have a contemporary feel to it with vibrant use of colours.

There will be 137 bedrooms, with conference facilities for 200 delagates and a 120-seater first-floor restaurant and bar area, open to the public.

The largest of the conference rooms, with space for 200 people, could also be used for dinners and other functions.

This would be on the first floor with panoramic views over the estuary. Reception would be on the ground floor with lifts to the other floors.

At the top of the hotel, 28 luxury flats have been built, which will be managed separately to the hotel.

At the same meeting, council head of tourism, Scott Dolling said the rebranding of Southend would also seek to change people’s perception of the town.

He said: “We have a low spend per head of visitors to Southend and the aim will be to encourage people who visit to stay longer and spend more.”