Whitbread PLC, a British multinational hotel and restaurant company headquartered in Houghton Regis, England, UK, has obtained planning permission to convert Dorset House, a former office building located in Southwark, a district of Central London situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, forming the north - western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark into a 421 - room Hub by Premier Inn hotel.
This development marks the first hub by Premier Inn south of the River Thames and is part of Whitbread’s recent expansion efforts in Central London.
The company acquired the 90.000 square foot Dorset House freehold in May 2025 and initiated discussions with Southwark Council to change the building’s use from office to hotel.
Dorset House is a prominent eight storey office building of circa 81.000 square foot constructed around 1930 and comprehensively modernised and refurbished in the 1980s located on the south side of Stamford Street between Hatfields and Paris Garden. The property features an attractive and ornate stone façade and the floors comprise good quality open plan space with excellent natural light.
Construction is scheduled to commence in the latter half of 2026, with hotel expected to open in summer 2028. The planned conversion will maintain the existing structure’s floorplate, adding compact hotel rooms and a new entrance on Stamford Street. The design includes a basement - level food and beverage area visible from the ground floor through cut - out concrete sections.
The future Premier Inn hotel hosted in Dorset House is strategically located in Southwark, a vibrant, historic borough on the south bank of the River Thames, known for blending rich history with modern culture, close to iconic sites like Shakespeare’s Globe, Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral, Elizabethan Globe Theatre, and the Shard, within a ten - minute walk of Waterloo Station, Blackfriars Station, London’s South Bank, and the Royal Festival Hall.
Southwark is a major transport hub, historically significant as London’s entertainment district and gateway to the city and is now a very dynamic area offering diverse dining, arts and entertainment amidst Roman roots and regenerate railway arches, attracting new residents with its cultural scene, leafy parks, and mix of housing.
Dorset House is one of the four properties Whitbread PLC acquired in 2025 for development into Premier Inn hub by Premier Inn hotels, collectively adding nearly 1.000 rooms and approximately 262.000 square feet of development space to its pipeline in London. Other acquisition include:
• 35 Lion Square, also known as Churchill House, located at 35 Lion Square, Holborn London, WC1 : A 150 - bedroom hub by Premier Inn is planned for this 47.500 square foot former headquarters building, acquired in February 2025.
• Phoenix House located at 10 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall London, SW8: An 80.000 square foot former office acquired from Lambeth Council in March 2025, with conversion work - beginning eight months post - acquisition.
• Victory House located at 30 - 34 Kingsway, Midtown, London, WC2B: A 45.000 square foot office building on Kingsway, intended for a 200 - bedroom hub by Premier Inn, pending planning approval.
These acquisitions represent over £100 million in direct investment. All new hotels will operate using electricity, from renewable sources, aligning with Whitbread PLC’s sustainability initiatives.
Whitbread PLC’s expansion in London is part of its strategy to increase its UK and Ireland hotel estate by 45%, aiming for a long - term target of 125.000 rooms. Currently London hotels account for 18% of Whitbread PLC’s approximately 86.000 rooms in the region.
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