Whitbread Gets the Go-ahead to Build One of London’s Largest Hotels Metres From Nelson’s Column

• UK’s largest hotel business secures planning permission to build a giant 693-bedroom hub by Premier Inn hotel metres from Nelson’s Column at 5 Strand
• The hotel will be one of the largest budget hotels in London and the largest hub by Premier Inn hotel in Whitbread’s portfolio
• Planning permission from Westminster City Council paves the way for construction of the 16,000+ sqm hotel to begin in 2025
• The development underlines Whitbread’s commitment to expanding its presence in the popular London market

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel business and owner of Premier Inn, has secured planning permission from Westminster City Council (WCC) to develop a hotel at 5 Strand in the heart of central London. 

The 693-bedroom hotel, which will be one of London’s largest budget hotels when it opens, will be operated under the popular hub by Premier Inn brand on a prime site off Trafalgar Square, metres from Nelson’s Column.

Whitbread acquired the development site freehold as part of its strategy to expand its presence in the popular London market where a significant proportion of Premier Inn’s future UK rooms pipeline is located.

The £200m+ investment, which includes construction and related costs, underlines the company’s commitment to the hub by Premier Inn brand which is designed to bring Premier Inn’s affordable hotel bedrooms into the heart of London and other major UK cities.

Mark Anderson, Managing Director for Property and International for Whitbread, said:

“hub by Premier Inn was launched a decade ago in St. Martin’s Lane, a few hundred metres from 5 Strand.  The brand has blossomed into a network of 18 popular hub hotels in Central London and Edinburgh and has become a proven model for bringing our affordable bedrooms into the most central, vibrant, and connected locations for our guests. 

“5 Strand is an excellent example of how we think the hub by Premier Inn brand can evolve in Central London.  It also shows how we can use Whitbread’s strong balance sheet to acquire the best positioned, most accessible, and high-demand locations in the capital to grow our brands. With planning permission now secured we will move quickly to begin construction of the new hotel and deliver a true flagship location for our guests.”

Whitbread has been investing heavily in London as it seeks to redress an under-supply of branded budget hotel bedrooms in the capital.  The company currently offers its customers more than 100+ locations within the M25 with a further 12 locations in its secured development pipeline in the capital. It is also seeking new sites in 40 locations in inner and outer London for its Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn brands.

The consented 16,000 sq metre hotel at 5 Strand will be set over thirteen storeys with a generous ground-floor space fronting onto the Strand and Northumberland Street to the east of the site.  Whitbread expects around 150 team will work at the hotel on opening, with recruitment focused within the City of Westminster and other inner London boroughs.

hub by Premier Inn hotels offer compact hotel bedrooms – approximately half the size of a ‘standard’ Premier Inn room – with a contemporary design style, a focus on technology and a relaxed ‘Lounge’ style food and beverage offering.

In line with Whitbread’s commitment to managing its direct emissions to zero by 2040 (scopes 1 and 2) the hub by Premier Inn at 5 Strand will be powered solely by electricity generated by renewable sources.   

The planning permission was granted by Planning Officers at Westminster Council under delegated powers.

The hub by Premier Inn brand was launched in November 2014 on St Martins Lane in Covent Garden.

At 693 bedrooms, the hub by Premier Inn at 5 Strand will be one of the ten largest hotels in the capital as ranked by BusinessTraveller (Jan 2019)