New 115-bedroom hotel planned for the Eden Project

The Eden Project has announced plans to develop a £6m, 115-bedroom hotel within what is the most popular visitor attraction in Cornwall.

Plans have been submitted to Cornwall Council for the mid-market property which has been designed to blend into the countryside and have high standards of accessibility, energy-efficiency and sustainability. If given the go-ahead, the private-funded project will create around 25 new jobs.

A hotel at the Eden Project, which boasts the world's largest rainforest in captivity, is expected to help sustain business at the attraction all year round. The timber-clad structure will be designed on simple lines, similar in style to Eden's Foundation Building.

David Harland, Eden executive director, said it an been an aspiration for the project to establish on-site accommodation since opening 14 years ago.

"The proposed hotel is intended to support Eden's activities, its educational aspirations, its existing and future conference events, weddings, and the annual Eden Sessions series of concerts.

"Many of these events require visitors to arrive the previous evening and then remain on site until the next day or day after. This new accommodation would enable us to meet their expectations and secure Eden's identity as a conferencing and events venue."

Performers lined up to perform in this year's Eden Sessions of concerts include Elton John, Paolo Nutini and Motorhead.

A new YHA hostel, which recently opened within the Eden site, is primarily aimed at school groups.

Eden, which has received 16 million visitors - spending £1.6b in the wider Cornwall economy - since its launch in 2001, is talking with a number of potential partners regarding the management of the proposed hotel.

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