Whitbread is charging ahead with an ambitious plan to convert vacant office buildings into hotels across the UK. The company recently started construction on Phoenix House in Vauxhall, London, transforming it into a 180-bedroom Premier Inn hotel. This project follows a 30-year lease agreement signed with Lambeth Council in March 2025 for the 10-storey building spanning 7,469 square meters. The location, opposite Vauxhall Underground Station, had been sought by Whitbread for at least a decade.
The conversion strategy represents a sustainable alternative to new construction. Phoenix House exemplifies this approach by repurposing empty office space into much-needed hotel accommodation. This strategic direction demonstrates Whitbread’s commitment to Premier Inn hub development in prime urban locations. The approach aligns with Whitbread’s commitment to sustainable hotel development through office conversions. Whitbread secured planning permission just 20 weeks after signing the lease and gained full building control eight months after the initial contract, allowing strip-out works to begin promptly.
London remains a key focus for Whitbread’s expansion plans. The company has acquired four central London offices this year for conversion to hotels, with total investments reaching £100 million. Notable acquisitions include Dorset House in south London, earmarked for a 400-room hub by Premier Inn, and a 45,000 square foot office space intended for a 200-room hotel conversion. The recently acquired Victory House on Kingsway will retain its original stone façade during redevelopment while introducing the compact room format typical of Whitbread’s hub hotels.
London remains the epicenter of Whitbread’s ambitious £100 million office-to-hotel conversion strategy, with four major acquisitions already secured this year.
Beyond London, Whitbread is extending its office conversion program across the UK. In Leeds, Verity House was acquired in late 2024 for conversion into a 120-room hotel. Cambridge has already welcomed a new Premier Inn converted from vacant office space above a shopping center.
The company has also secured sites in Carlisle city center and St. Ives, Cornwall, while airport projects are underway in Edinburgh and Belfast.
The Phoenix House development will feature enhanced Premier Plus rooms and a first-floor restaurant when completed. This project is particularly notable as the building was formerly occupied by Lambeth Council before the local authority reduced its office buildings from fourteen to two as part of a town hall scheme that also created 219 homes.
Whitbread continues to fast-track these conversions as part of its strategic portfolio expansion.
