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The first major hotel to open in Plymouth for more than a decade has welcomed its first guests – but many rooms will remain closed until the Covid-19 crisis eases.

The 94-room OYO Plymouth Central hotel in the city centre has entered a “soft opening phase” from December 3, 2020. , occupying 50,000ft2 over two storeys.

Before being converted into a hotel this year, the building was used as office spac, and for many years before that it was the open-plan stockroom for Plymouth’s branch of Woolworths.

The site was bought and developed into a three-star hotel by Red Lions Estate Ltd, which will operate the property in partnership with hotel brand OYO, with OYO providing services including revenue management, customer services, technology and brand.

The general manager of OYO Plymouth Central is Janice Carpenter - a familiar face on the Plymouth hospitality scene having held roles at Future Inns and Novotel Plymouth over the past 20 years. The hotel will employ 16 staff during its soft opening period.

“Since 2018, OYO has entered into partnership with over 250 established independent hotels in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, so we’re delighted to now be working with Red Lions Estate to bring a brand new property to the market,” said Rishabh Gupta, head of OYO º£½ÇÊÓƵ & Europe.

“Its central location, flexible room options and affordable price point suit a variety of different guests and we believe that OYO Plymouth Central will become a flagship property both for OYO º£½ÇÊÓƵ and for the city.”

Zul Virani from Red Lions Estate said: “As a coastal destination, a university city, a business centre, a hub for major events and with a military heritage that dates back several centuries, we saw an enticing opportunity to expand upon the tourism infrastructure in Plymouth.