A hotel in Barry Island has rebranded itself as ‘What’s Occur-Inn’ in honour of the final episode of Gavin and Stacey, set to air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas Day.
The previous instalment of the much-loved series, which aired in 2019, left viewers on tenterhooks as Nessa proposed to Smithy in a dramatic cliffhanger.
The 2019 Christmas special was viewed by over 17 million people by New Year, making it one of the most-watched programmes in UK history.
Since the announcement of the show’s finale, fans have been flocking to Barry to see the real-life setting of Nessa and Stacey’s hometown. Now, they can immerse themselves even further in the world of the show by staying at the newly renamed hotel during the festive season.
The Premier Inn, situated in the iconic location where the hit series was filmed, has changed its name in tribute to the show’s famous catchphrase, coined by Ruth Jones’ character, Nessa.
One guest at the hotel, Sam Boothroyd from South Yorkshire, said: “It was so exciting to see the What’s Occur-Inn sign. We were very surprised but really pleased. It’s really cool.”
The ‘What’s Occur-Inn’ was inaugurated by none other than Nessa herself – or at least a convincing lookalike. The Nessa impersonator, dubbed ‘Knock-Off Nessa’, shared: “As a Barry local myself, it’s been great to be involved in this opening.”
“Ever since the final episode was announced, the town has come alive with the Gavin and Stacey buzz. It has been very exciting, especially when the filming started in September, so this is the cherry on top of a lush year.”
A representative from Premier Inn chimed in: “The last ever episode of Gavin and Stacy is a hotly-anticipated national event and as the UK’s biggest hotel company here to help people rest easy this Christmas, we hope our tribute to this beloved sitcom will make people smile.”
“People visit our Barry Island hotel from as far and wide as China and even Hawaii, swapping Sunset Beach for Barry Beach to get a taste of what the Island is really like.”
“With bookings at the hotel seeing an increase with guests flocking to the area to get a glimpse of the stars, so we thought this name change was very apt.”