Hospitality company Whitbread says it is “actively looking” for locations for three more Premier Inn hotels in Northern Ireland.
The UK’s largest hotel company confirmed that its property division is seeking development opportunities in north Belfast, Enniskillen and Newry.
It comes as Whitbread - which currently operates seven Premier Inn hotels in the north - has committed to opening an 81-bedroom hotel at Belfast International Airport.
It follows its signing of an agreement-for-lease with JHT Hotels Ltd, a subsidiary of Portadown developer J H Turkington & Sons, in late December, paving the way for the delivery of the new £6 million hotel at the airport in 2026, creating 30 new permanent roles and a number of part-time positions.
Construction work will begin later this year for what will be the first Premier Inn to be built in Northern Ireland since its Lisburn hotel in 2019.
Jill Anderson, acquisition manager for Whitbread, said: “Securing such a prime location at Belfast International Airport reinforces our commitment to growing our network in key travel hubs across the UK and Ireland.
“The site offers an exceptional opportunity to serve the airport’s six million passengers annually, providing them with the quality, comfort, and affordability Premier Inn is known for.
“The Belfast acquisition is the third airport hotel Whitbread has signed in six months, reflecting the consistently strong and growing demand for travel and the excellent investment opportunities these locations offer.”
Whitbread operates more than 85,500 bedrooms from 855 locations in the UK and Ireland, and has an ambition to expand its offer to 125,000 rooms.
As well as seeking three development opportunities in the north, Whitbread confirmed it was eyeing at least a dozen potential sites in the Republic, not just in Dublin but also in towns/cities including Kerry, Waterford, Westport, Sligo, Tralee, Kilkenny, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Kinsale.
Premier Inn currently has seven trading hotels in the north - Belfast (Alfred Street, Titanic Quarter and Cathedral Quarter), Bangor, Carrickfergus, Lisburn and Derry.
Its new hotel at the north’s business airport (Belfast International had a passenger throughput of 5.9 million in 2023 to 55 destinations) will feature an on-site restaurant and bar, dedicated parking facilities with 125 car spaces and seven mobility-impaired spaces, landscaped grounds, and improved site access.
