Premier Inn gains approval for two hotels

  Premier Inn has secured planning permission for two hotels with a combined end value of £15m in Sunbury, Surrey, and Hanger Lane, near Ealing, in Greater London.   Premier Inn is developing a 100-bedroom hotel in Sunbury with Arlo Holdings and a 160-bedroom hotel with Rhyhill Properties in Hanger Lane. Both sites, which are office conversions, are scheduled to open in summer 2010.   Premier Inn opened 54 hotels – 4,000 rooms – during the 50 weeks to 12 February 2009. It is targeting 2,000 rooms to be delivered during the trading year and plans to open 55,000 rooms by the end of 2013.   Derek Griffin, head of acquisitions at Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants, said: “Developing new hotels at prime locations will be core to our expansion strategy over the next 24 months.    “In line with current market conditions, we are adding capacity to our overall portfolio in London where we can be confident about the demand and about seeing a return on our investment.”   annabel.dixon@rbi.co.uk