Premier Inn Looks Again at London

Whitbread, the group behind the Premier Inn and Hub hotel brands, has launched a fresh focus on growing its portfolio in the outer London area.

While the group already has dozens of Premier Inn hotels across greater London and the south east of England, it says there is space for plenty more. Using its own research, it has developed a wish list of new locations which are currently underserved, where it would like to add new properties in the coming years.

Addressing a Series of Local Opportunities

“Each of London’s boroughs has its own distinct personality and feel, so it’s no wonder that the capital’s appeal to our leisure and business customers extends beyond the city centre,” commented James Hall, Whitbread’s acquisitions and development manager. “With a strong track record of delivering a wide variety of London sites – from office-to-hotel conversions like Dorset House by the Southbank to innovative developments like the subterranean hub by Premier Inn at The Brunswick Centre – we’re flexible in the opportunities we’re seeking.”

The group has opened no new hotels in the outer London ring since 2022. Now, it has identified 17 localities where it would like to find a new hotel, whether it develops itself, converts an existing property, or works with a local development partner.

The full list of target areas is as follows: Abbey Wood, Acton, Beckenham, Canada Water/Surrey Quays, Clapham Junction, Finchley, Golders Green, Greenford Station, Old Oak Common, Peckham Rye, Silvertown, Stratford / Hackney Wick, Streatham, Twickenham, Walthamstow, West Hampstead, and Woodford Green.

Currently, Premier Inn has more than 85,500 hotel rooms across the UK. The group has a medium term goal of 98,000 rooms by 2030, and believes the UK portfolio could ultimately grow to 125,000 rooms. These would predominantly be Premier Inns, with the compact Hub by Premier Inn format deployed in more expensive city centre sites.

Research undertaken for Premier Inn underlines the economic benefit of a hotel, for its surrounding area. On average, hotel guests are reckoned to spend GBP143 per room per night, benefitting local restaurants and bars, plus entertainment and visitor attractions.

Three Hub by Premier Inn projects are currently progressing in central London. Hub Snow Hill Police Station is preparing to open, on the edge of the City of London, with the 212 room property including a historic police station in its build.

Work Under Way on Sites across London and Germany

Close to Trafalgar Square, Hub 5 Strand is under construction, and will open in late 2028 with 693 rooms. And in Kingsway, the group recently acquired an office block for conversion to a Hub hotel. The property’s 1920s facade will be retained, with around 200 hotel rooms created from conversion of the office floors within.