Whitbread says “Failt erriu” to Isle of Man
Premier Inn’s first Isle of Man hotel officially opens for business
Whitbread has officially opened the Isle of Man’s first Premier Inn hotel, situated on Market Street in Douglas. The 85-bedroom hotel and Thyme restaurant was opened by Simon Ewins, Managing Director of Premier Inn UK, and Minister for Enterprise, Hon. Laurence Skelly MHK, at a special ceremony today (27th June).
The new six-storey hotel and restaurant was developed by Isle of Man based property developer Dandara, which handed it over to Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, last month.
The hotel welcomed its first guests on Monday 24th June. Three days on, the hotel today played host to many high-profile stakeholders to celebrate the milestone and see the stunning transformation of the central Douglas site.
Speaking at the launch, Managing Director of Premier Inn UK Simon Ewins, said:
“We’re thrilled to have brought a latest generation Premier Inn hotel to the Isle of Man. The new hotel represents a significant multi-million-pound investment into the island, has created quality new jobs and diversifies the choice of hotel accommodation for leisure and business visitors. We have high hopes for the hotel given its central location and the Island’s strong year-round business and visitor economies.”
Thirty-five new roles have been created at the new Premier Inn, with recruitment focused through the Isle of Man Job Centre and University College Isle of Man. The new team has started Whitbread’s industry leading training programme and will benefit from its ongoing apprenticeship and career advancement opportunities.
Minister for Enterprise, Laurence Skelly MHK, commented:
“As we look to continue to establish and promote the Isle of Man as a quality visitor destination we are committed to significant investment in our visitor economy. Key to our success is the diversification of our offer to satisfy the requirements of a wider range of audiences. It is fantastic to see such a well-known and respected brand support our confidence in the visitor and business economy.
“We are delighted that Premier Inn is here to welcome both new and returning visitors as they choose to visit the Isle of Man for business or to make the most of our diverse landscapes and wildlife, wide range of outdoor activities, delicious local delicacies and extraordinary heritage. As a UNESCO Biosphere region, the Isle of Man truly is a special place to live, work and visit.”
Premier Inn Douglas is the latest specification Premier Inn hotel. All 85 bedrooms showcase Whitbread’s latest high-spec, modern design with a 40″ flat screen TV, a luxury king-size Hypnos® bed, well-specified bathroom, free WiFi and self-service check-in facilities. The on-site Thyme restaurant will also serve Premier Inn’s renowned breakfast as well as light evening meals.
Dandara Managing Director Seamus Nugent commented:
“It has been a pleasure to partner with Whitbread in bringing the first ever Premier Inn to the Isle of Man. It is a project which shows our continued confidence in investment in the Island and one which will provide a host of social and economic benefits.”
With more than 800 hotels, Premier Inn is the UK’s largest hotel chain. Whitbread is continuing to grow the brand across UK and Ireland from 76,000 rooms today to a target of 110,000 rooms.
Outside of the UK, Premier Inn’s expansion plans are focused on Germany where it has two hotels open in Frankfurt and Hamburg and more than 7,000 Premier Inn bedrooms in its secured development pipeline.
About Premier Inn
Premier Inn was named the UK’s top-rated hotel chain for 2018 according to Which? With almost 800 hotels and more than 76,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland, Premier Inn guests are never far from a great night’s sleep at fantastic value rates. Premier Inn hotels are in more locations than any other UK hotel brand for the ease and convenience of leisure and business travellers alike.
All Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, a luxurious Hypnos® bed, a choice of pillows, TV with Freeview and free Wi-Fi. A bar and restaurant is situated either on-site or next door to each hotel, offering a wide range of food and drink including a delicious all-you-can-eat breakfast.
Across the estate, the average Trip Advisor score for Premier Inn hotels is 4.2. Premier Inn has been awarded the Best UK Family Hotel in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, Best UK Hotel Group in the Silver Travel Awards and the Business In The Community Environmental Leadership Award. In 2018 Premier Inn was also named the UK’s top-rated hotel chain for the fourth year in a row by Which?
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity is the National Charity partner of Premier Inn and to date team members, guests and suppliers have reached the milestone of £10 million, which formed part of the funding towards the Premier Inn Clinical Building, officially opened by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge in January 2018.
