BLACKBURN'S latest hotel has opened to the public.

The Best Western 99 with 18 bedrooms at the junction of Mincing Lane and St Peter Street is now in operation.

It opened after an extensive renovation that saw it converted from a nightclub.

The new hotel plans to open a Steakhouse restaurant soon.

The pub - originally the Wheat Sheaf Hotel and then the Stage Door - has been empty since 2017..

The three-storey building is within Blackburn’s Darwen Street conservation area.

In 2016 it was briefly the Ego night club.

The Best Western outlet''s launch follows the opening of the Premier Inn in the Cathedral Quarter and Hampton by Hilton Blackburn on Frontier Park near the M65’s Junction Six.

The hotel will create 30 jobs.

A Best Western spokeswoman said: "Located right in the centre of town close to the historic cathedral quarter as well as key entertainment hotspots such as King George’s Hall and natural beauty at Witton Park, the Best Western Hotel 99 is in an ideal location for exploring Blackburn whether you’re there for business or pleasure.

"The Hotel 99 has undergone a full renovation and restoration as part of the refurbishment process, converting the former nightclub into a hotel with 18 en-suite bedrooms as well as a breakfast room and lounge.

"The bedrooms and public areas have been decorated to a high standard, utilising modern touches to compliment the hotel’s original features.

"Originally an 18th century coaching inn called The Wheat Sheaf, the pub retails a handsome brick façade with carvings that hint at its original name.

"Subsequently the inn was re-named The Stage Door after it became a popular venue for acts and audience members at nearby theatres, but has remained empty since it closed in 2017.

"The new hotel brings a popular and iconic building in Blackburn’s city centre back into use, and preserves its heritage for years to come."

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Phil Riley said: “It is good news that the hotel is finally open

"It shows confidence in Blackburn town centre.

"I wish them well."

Cllr Paul Marrow, the regeneration spokesman for the council Conservative group, said: "It's a positive move for the borough. Hopefully it will help revive the town's nightlife with people staying in the centre."

The town was without a front-line hotel for decades after the closure of The County Hotel, formerly The Saxon Inn, in Preston New Road in 2001.