FOR a town to have a good leading hotel is important not only for the basic purposes of providing travellers with a place to stay and somewhere for functions to be held, but also for it being a measure of the town itself.

That is because the main hotel is, in effect, a gateway where visitors form their first impressions of the town -- from the nature of its welcome and the quality of its services and facilities.

And subjective though their assessments may be, they can be so vital to the town's economy when the hotel's guests are often people who could bring work, jobs and new investment to the community -- and when their decisions are influenced by their comparisons of places elsewhere.

How encouraging it is, then, that Burnley's landmark hotel, the Keirby, is undergoing a £300,000 refurbishment to take it back to the 'good old days.'

And many people will recall what a strong reputation for quality and luxury the seven-storey hotel gained in that era after it opened in 1960 as the flagship of the town's old Massey's brewery -- all of it sufficient for the Keirby to merit a prestigious four-star rating.

Since then, the hotel has had a number of owners and chop and change over its name while its rank has slipped to two stars. But now, determined to improve its rating, new proprietors Crown properties are busily upgrading its rooms and function suites and its appearance.

Their effort and recognition of the Keirby's potential is welcome -- both for the good of guests and for the town itself. For, as Chamber of Trade official Neil Hartley rightly observes, "it sets Burnley up for anyone who visits the town."

Promisingly, the changes taking place -- ones that the new owners say should have been made ten years ago -- have boosted occupancy already.

Let's hope that is a sign that the Keirby is indeed on the way back to the good old days -- for the benefit of the business itself and for Burnley as a whole.