Plans for a new 60-bed hotel on an eyesore site in Aviemore look set to be approved next week.
Premier Inn hopes to open a new branch in the village – potentially creating 25 jobs and opening up £6.5million in investment.
The project has won the backing of planning officials in the Cairngorms National Park, who have recommended the scheme is granted permission when it goes before a committee next week.
Aviemore would the third location in the Highlands for the Premier Inn chain which already operates an outlet in Fort William and four in Inverness.
They hope to build on the site of the former Cairngorm Service Station on Grampian Road at the southern end of Aviemore.
The garage has been closed since 2005 and the shell of the petrol station was demolished in recent years.
The proposed building would be built over three storeys at the front and four at the rear, as it would be built down the hill sloping away towards the River Spey.
As well as 60 bedrooms, the hotel would include breakfast and restaurant facilities, as well as a car park with 53 spaces.
A previous plan for a 53-bed budget hotel was approved by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) in 2011 but the development never materialised.
The new plan has met with the approval of Aviemore Community Council, who said the the design was more in keeping with area than the previous plan.
Nicholas Johnston, acquisitions manager for Premier Inn, said: “Aviemore is a brilliant location and gateway for many into the Caingorms.
“As well as expanding the choice available to visitors, if approved the new hotel would regenerate a derelict site and deliver significant investment and year-round jobs to the local area.”
The CNPA planning committee will consider the plans at a meeting in Ballater on Friday.
In her report, planning officer Karen Donnachie said: “The proposed development for a new hotel on a brownfield site in Aviemore is welcomed in principle, providing further facilities for visitors to the area thus supporting its economic prosperity.
“Whilst the building is large, representing the limit to what can reasonably be accommodated on the site, the design, detailing and landscaping are of a good quality which will enable it to help enhance the landscape character of this approach into Aviemore over time.”
