News

Sales up at budget hotel chain Premier Inn

Total sales at budget chain Premier Inn rose by 14.3% in the first quarter of the year.


The figure emerged as parent company Whitbread issued a trading statement for the 13 weeks to May 28.


Premier Inn achieved like-for-like sales growth of 6.3% and an 8.2% increase in rooms available.


Total revenue per available room (revpar) grew by 6.1% and occupancy at 80.6%.


Outgoing Whitbread chief executive, Andy Harrison, said: “In London we saw pleasing sales growth of 21.6% driven by a 23.2% increase in rooms available, whilst maintaining high occupancy at 86.2%.


“In the regions we delivered another good performance growing total sales by 12.3%, with occupancy of 79.7%.”


Premier Inn opened 333 rooms in the period to give a total of 61,174 as part of a plan to open around 5,500 in the UK this year.


“Our committed UK pipeline has grown to 13,339 rooms and construction is underway on 42 new hotel sites as well as 19 hotel extensions,” said Harrison, who is to retire on December 7 with Alison Brittain joining from Lloyds Banking Group as chief executive designate on September 28.


Total like-for-like sales covering Whitbread’s Costa coffee chain, Premier Inn and restaurants was up by 4.3% over the same period last year.

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.