Working with partner Frogmore, Whitbread has also created a new public park and courtyard for the community to enjoy, as part of the development.

The new hotel, trading as Premier Inn Southwark (Southwark Station), sits between Ufford Street and The Cut in Southwark. It is located just 100m from Southwark underground station, a five-minute walk from Waterloo station and near to a range of theatres, bars and restaurants.

The hotel consists of two hotel buildings connected via a glass bridge and a Bar + Block restaurant – Whitbread’s latest restaurant brand – is located on the ground floor with outdoor seating. The development was designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

Whitbread is continuing its network growth in strategic parts of the capital where its brands are under-represented and where it remains confident of the long-term demand for hotel bedrooms.

“Covid-19 has impacted the hospitality industry in the short-term. But our long-term strategy remains to grow, to be ambitious about securing the best sites in strategic locations, and to identify outstanding opportunities where we know there will be demand for our bedrooms,” said Derek Griffin, head of acquisitions at Whitbread.

“Our new opening at The Cut in Southwark is an excellent example and will be an important destination for leisure and business visitors for years to come. We’re looking to secure more locations like this in 2021 and have live requirements for new hotels in similar locations across London.”

The Southwark Station Premier Inn is one of three significant central London openings for Whitbread in its 2020/21 financial year. A new 110-bedroom hub by Premier Inn hotel is scheduled to open on Berwick Street in Soho in early 2021 while a 246-bedroom hub by Premier Inn will be coming to Quaker Street in Shoreditch in February 2021.