Source: Whitbread PLC

Whitbread, the owner of the Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotel brands, is set to double its presence in Oxford this calendar year as the business continues its strategic expansion in the city.

The UK's largest hotel business is gearing up to open its new 123-bedroom Premier Inn hotel at Botley in April with the flagship 90-bedroom hotel opposite the Westgate Shopping Centre due to welcome guests in the summer.

Together, the two new hotels grow Premier Inn's network to four locations across the city and will create approximately 50 new jobs on opening, with recruitment focused in the local area.

Alex Flach, Development Director at Whitbread, said:
"We have a busy few months ahead of us in Oxford as we complete our new hotels at Botley and Westgate and get them ready to welcome our guests. The openings are important milestones for the business as we strategically grow our network in popular and accessible locations across the city where we see strong, long-term demand for our bedrooms.
"While Covid-19 has impacted the hospitality industry in the short-term, there is no question in my mind that Oxford will rebound and will continue to be an important destination for leisure and business visitors for years to come. We're very upbeat about the long-term prospects for our hotels in the city and we're on the lookout for the next generation of locations for our customers, especially in the city centre and to the east of the city."
On opening, the 123-bedroom Botley Premier Inn will be Whitbread's first hotel to the west of the city. The eight-storey hotel, which features Premier Inn's Thyme restaurant format, occupies a prominent position overlooking the A34 and West Way.

The Botley Development Company, a joint venture between Mace Developments and Doric Properties, delivered the new hotel for Whitbread as part of its mixed-use West Way Square development.

David Banks from Botley Development Company, said:
"We are delighted to have worked in partnership with Whitbread on the forthcoming opening of the Premier Inn hotel, which will mark another milestone in the successful redevelopment of Botley Centre."
Whitbread is continuing to grow its hotel brands in popular locations like Oxford and with further identified requirements for Premier Inn in Oxford City Centre and to the east of the city. A full list of target locations is available on the property pages of the Whitbread website.

Recruitment for the hotel is due to commence in the next few weeks, with applications accepted via the Oxford branch of the Job Centre Plus and online at www.whitbreadcareers.com.

About Whitbread PLC 

Whitbread PLC is the owner of Premier Inn and restaurant brands including Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Bar + Block, Whitbread Inns and Cookhouse + Pub.

From booking to bed, Premier Inn is here to help its guests rest easy. Whether it's a choice of 80,000 rooms across 800+ hotels, beds guests won't want to leave, tasty food, flexible rates or friendly team members who genuinely care, these are just some of the reasons Premier Inn is one of the most-loved hotels in the UK and beyond.

Outside of the UK, Whitbread's expansion plans are focused on Germany. It opened its first hotel in Frankfurt in 2016 and has an open and committed pipeline of 73 hotels and over 13,500 rooms in H1 FY22.

Whitbread is committed to being a force for good in the communities in which it operates. It's sustainability programme, "Force for Good' is focused on enabling people to live and work well and is built around three pillars of Opportunity, Community and Responsibility.

Whitbread PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE.

James Anderson
Property Communications Manager at Whitbread
07850 944 798
Whitbread PLC