A Teignmouth hotel that has specialised in holidays for the blind is about to open its rooms to the public, providing a big boost to the local economy.

The Cliffden Hotel on the Dawlish Road has catered for many years for the visually impaired, their guide dogs and relatives, but now anybody will be able to stay there.

With 47 bedrooms it is far and away the largest hotel in the resort and has just obtained a three-star rating from the AA.

A national marketing campaign is being launched by the owners, the charity Action for Blind People, and it should see an extra influx of visitors to Teignmouth, seeking a more upmarket hotel.

Simon Hough, the manager since 2001, says if all goes well he may stay open throughout January – the month when Cliffden has usually closed down for a winter break.

Local businesses have welcomed the new policy, and Brenda Battershill, chairman of the Teignmouth Traders' Association, said: 'This is going to bring in more holidaymakers to the town, all the year around.

'Many of them will spend in local shops, pubs, restaurants and it is just the fillip we need in the middle of a recession that is hitting traders.

'This is really good news because we have lost all our bigger hotels – such as the Royal, the London and the Ivy House – in recent years.

'If the proposed budget hotel at Broadmeadow gets off the ground as well, it will make a big difference to the town.'

Cliffden in set in seven acres of superb grounds in what used to be the Mules Estate near the cliffwalk. It boasts an indoor swimming pool, a restaurant, direct access to the seafront and a summer house. It can also host marquee wedding receptions in the grounds.

'We are very proud to have been awarded three-star status, and have always had close links with the town. Hopefully, the new policy will benefit both the hotel and Teignmouth itself,' Mr Hough added.

Action for Blind People is also opening its other hotels in Windermere, Weston-super-Mare and Bognor Regis, to the public.

A spokesman admitted their hotels had been 'a well kept secret', but they were now going all out to market them to the visually impaired and the general public.

'We have never made a profit from the hotels and have subsidised them quite substantially, because visually-impaired guests require a higher staffing level than mainstream guests. We want to reduce the level of subsidy.'

She said they were aiming to increase the number of guests – both visually impaired and the public – through increased marketing, including advertising and the internet.

Priority would still be given to the visually impaired, and a modernisation programme would be implemented to enhance the services, with new menus, an easier booking system and more flexible holiday packages.