A 123-room Premier Inn, delivered by a joint venture between Mace Developments and Doric Properties for Whitbread, has started welcoming guests on the outskirts of Oxford.

Whitbread, the owner of the Premier Inn and Hub by Premier Inn brands, has increased its footprint in Oxford – and plans to open another hotel in the city this summer.

Expansion in Oxford

Premier Inn at Botley is now open, marking the prolific brand’s first hotel to the west of Oxford city centre. This is one of two major investments that Whitbread is making into Oxford this year as part of its strategic expansion in the area.

The new eight-storey hotel houses Premier Inn’s latest format bedrooms, along with first-floor restaurant Thyme, and benefits from a prominent position by the A34 and West Way. The Botley Development Company, a joint venture between Mace Developments and Doric Properties, delivered the hotel as part of the mixed-use West Way Square scheme.

The property’s 30-strong team is led by a hotel manager who previously opened Premier Inn’s hotel at Oxford Airport in March 2020.

“It’s always a delight to welcome the first guests through the doors of our new hotels,” said Caroline Burt, estate development project manager at Premier Inn, who has led the opening of the hotel. “The new Oxford Botley hotel looks fantastic, the team are raring to go, and we are all set to provide the excellent standards and service Premier Inn is known for.”

Awaiting Premier Inn’s inaugural site in Oxford city centre

Following on from this opening, the new Premier Inn at Westgate is set to make its debut this summer.

“We talk a lot about ‘strategic’ growth in the business,” said Burt. “It’s our approach to investing in locations we are expecting strong long-term demand from our guests for our affordable hotel rooms. Oxford is one of our strategic growth markets and an exciting city for us with our first opening in Botley this week and a new 90-bedroom flagship Premier Inn at Westgate to follow this summer.

“While Covid19 has impacted the hospitality industry in the short term, there is no question in our mind that Oxford will rebound and will continue to be an important destination for leisure and business visitors for years to come.”

The hotel has been earmarked for a plot opposite the Westgate Oxford shopping centre at Paradise Square. This 90-key part-six, part-five and part-three storey property will be home to 17 enhanced Premier Plus rooms.

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