Whitbread PLC, the UK’s leading hotel business and owner of Premier Inn, has officially started construction on a new hotel in Rochdale Road, north of Manchester city centre.
The project, which GMI Construction Group will lead, involves the creation of a 10-storey Premier Inn with 229 bedrooms. The construction officially began with a ground-breaking event held on 16th October 2024.
Whitbread purchased the Rochdale Road site from Premcor in February 2024 as part of the company’s strategic investment in locations where it currently has less representation. The new hotel will feature the latest Premier Inn bedroom products, including the highly rated Premier Plus rooms, as well as a contemporary restaurant, bar, and reception area on the ground floor.
Will Steward, Whitbread’s project and Programme Manager, expressed his enthusiasm for the project. He stated that the new Premier Inn will cater to customer demand in an area of Manchester where their presence is currently limited. He also highlighted the company’s efforts to transition acquired development sites into functioning hotels quickly.
The Rochdale Road project is the latest in a series of strategic investments by Whitbread in Manchester in 2024. The company also announced plans for the largest Premier Inn in Northern England at Manchester Airport and the sale of its Deansgate Locks hotel for redevelopment.
Once completed, the Rochdale Road Premier Inn will be one of Whitbread’s largest hotels in Manchester, adding to its current portfolio of over 20 locations in the city. Anthony Judge, Regional director for GMI Construction, expressed his excitement about the project, highlighting the continued partnership between GMI and Whitbread.
