Premier Inn has confirmed it will occupy a new 400-bedroom hotel in Westferry, east London, in what will be one of the largest Premier Inn hotels in the UK.
Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, will take a 30-year lease of the hotel and restaurant within the 30-storey mixed-use scheme which is at the gateway to Canary Wharf, next to Westferry DLR station.
The development will also include private and affordable residential accommodation, community space, retail units and a ground floor Whitbread-branded restaurant all set in a landscaped public realm.
Rockwell Property, the development partner leading the development, was granted planning permission on the site – which has been derelict for more than a decade – by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in October.
On completion, the hotel will be the tallest Premier Inn in the UK and Whitbread’s largest hotel in London (outside of airport hotels).
Louise Woodruff, Acquisitions Manager for Premier Inn, who secured the hotel site for Whitbread, said, “We’re very excited to bring Premier Inn to Canary Wharf Westferry in what will be our tallest hotel in the UK. Aside from our hotels at Gatwick and Heathrow Airports, this 400-bedroom hotel will be the largest Premier Inn in London, which reflects the strong demand we’re experiencing in east London and especially around Canary Wharf.
'We’re delighted to secure the deal with Rockwell for a fantastic development that will make a positive contribution to Tower Hamlets by creating local jobs alongside new public areas and affordable homes.”
Donal Mulryan, Founder of Rockwell Property, said, “I’m delighted that Rockwell have secured Premier Inn as the operator for our new hotel-led development at the Westferry gateway to Canary Wharf. Premier Inn’s emphasis on being a force for good aligns perfectly with our aspiration to deliver exceptional schemes which make a positive and lasting difference.
'It is an exciting time for Rockwell and this agreement further expands our growing hotel portfolio as well as illustrating our proven track-record. The desirability of this scheme is a testament to Rockwell’s expertise. We are eager not only to deliver it to our high standards but to continue building upon this with similar projects in the future.”
The consented development, designed by SimpsonHaugh and Partners, will be 30-storeys high, with 28-storeys occupied by the Premier Inn hotel, alongside 66 new apartments. The scheme will also include ground floor retail and community space, half an acre of gardens, an urban arboretum and children’s play space.
Construction is due to commence in summer 2019.