Whitbread has surpassed 1,000 new rooms with the opening of seven Premier Inn hotels since March 2024, reinforcing its growth ambitions in the UK and beyond.
Sustained expansion across the UK The opening of the Premier Inn at London Waterloo, with 137 rooms, helped Whitbread pass this symbolic milestone. This new hotel represents the third opening in London since the spring of 2024.
In total, seven Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels have opened since March 2024, reflecting Whitbread’s goal to expand its presence in key locations across the UK. The new hotels opened during the FY24/25 financial year include strategic locations such as:
- Torquay Harbour: A 120-room hotel, the second for Premier Inn in this popular tourist destination.
- York (Layerthorpe): A 188-room hotel offering stunning views of York Minster, combining modern comfort with historic charm.
- Bristol Parkway (M32): A 103-room Premier Inn hotel with a Beefeater restaurant, targeting visitors to the University of the West of England and local businesses.
- Paddington Station: An innovative dual-brand site with Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn, featuring shared dining spaces, located near the Elizabeth Line and national rail.
- Cambridge City Centre (Lion Yard): A 120-room hotel repurposed from vacant office space above a bustling city centre shopping mall.
- Lambeth North, London: A 137-room hotel in the heart of cultural South London, offering panoramic views and easy access to major attractions.
A promising future and ambitious goals Whitbread aims to further strengthen its presence in the UK and Ireland, with the goal of expanding its network to 125,000 rooms in the coming years. The group is targeting 40 new locations around the M25, a key growth market for the brand, as well as thirteen sites in Ireland. In 2024, Whitbread already offered more than 85,500 rooms in 855 properties across the UK and Ireland.
International expansion Beyond the UK, Whitbread is experiencing strong growth in Germany, where it has developed a network of over 10,000 Premier Inn rooms, aiming to become the country’s leading hotel operator.
With strong demand for affordable hotels, Whitbread remains well-positioned to meet travelers’ expectations while capitalizing on the strong reputation of the Premier Inn brand.
“All of these new openings, completed since March 2024, are leasehold developments – a testament to the strength and appeal of the Whitbread covenant among our development partners. Notably, three of these hotels were created through the conversion of vacant office buildings, a process that not only revitalises unused spaces but also prevents tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere during construction.
“As hotel development becomes ever more complex, Whitbread’s collaborative and flexible approach to identifying and delivering new development opportunities is more critical than ever. Growing our estate across the UK and Ireland remains a top priority for the business, and my team and I are eager to connect with potential partners to secure and deliver the next generation of Premier Inn hotels.” – Alex Flach, UK & Ireland Development Director
