Whitbread Plc has announced plans for a new Premier Inn hotel in Carlisle, located on the Victoria Viaduct site. The 104-bedroom hotel will also feature a restaurant and bar. This development follows the demolition of the Central Plaza Hotel in 2020.
The new Premier Inn is expected to fill a significant gap in Carlisle’s city center and provide much-needed accommodation for both visitors and the local community. The location is placed near Carlisle Train Station and the University of Cumbria’s Citadels campus, which is set for expansion. The hotel aims to offer affordable, high-quality lodging and contribute to the city’s economy by creating job opportunities.
Design and sustainability features
The design of the hotel, led by Allison Pike Partnership Limited, has been influenced by the original Central Plaza Hotel, with elements of Victorian architecture such as cornices and window designs. The building will rise five stories with a flat roof and parapet, using materials like fiber cement and stone-effect cladding. The rear wall of the hotel, which forms part of a continuous structure linking Carlisle Castle to the Citadel, will be carefully restored.
Guests will have access to nearby car parks, including West Walls and Caldew Riverside Car Park. In keeping with sustainability goals, the hotel will incorporate energy-efficient systems, such as heat recovery and air source heat pumps, to help reduce its environmental impact. Additionally, the hotel will be fully accessible, with lifts and universally accessible rooms on every floor.
Premier Inn to revitalize Carlisle
The Premier Inn is part of Whitbread’s broader strategy to offer well-located, sustainable hotels that cater to both business and leisure travelers. It is expected to revitalize a key area of Carlisle that has been vacant for over 20 years, bringing this historically significant site back into use.
This development not only supports the ongoing growth of Carlisle but also provides a valuable addition to the city’s accommodation options, complementing the expansion of the nearby university campus.
