THE Premier Inn chain is making good progress constructing its new flagship hotel in the heart of Oxford city centre.

New drone images of the 90-bedroom hotel on Paradise Square show the frame of the building under construction across the road from the Westgate Centre.

Carter Lauren, the principle contractor for the Whitbread development, is building the hotel for Premier Inn with on-site controls and working practices to ensure social distancing and protect site workers and members of the public from the spread of coronavirus.

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Richard Aldread, Head of Construction in the UK regions and Ireland for Premier Inn, said: “We’re making good progress constructing our new flagship Premier Inn hotel at Oxford Greyfriars.

Oxford Mail:

The new Premier Inn opposite the Westgate Centre

“The frame of the new 90-bedroom hotel is progressing well and our contractor teams are on programme.

“It’s a busy time and we’re currently planning for the hotel to be open and ready to welcome guests by the middle of next year.

“I would especially like to thank Oxford City Council and our neighbours who have been exceptional to work with on the challenging city centre site throughout the build.”

For years the city council was concerned there were not enough budget hotel rooms in the city centre.

But there are now more options, with the Travelodge on Abingdon Road and the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Paradise Street.

Oxford Mail:

Building work starts in 2020

Its rooftop terrace for guests offers some of the best views in the city.

Whitbread secured planning permission to build the Greyfriars Premier Inn opposite the Westgate Shopping Centre in December 2017.

A vacant former accountant’s office block occupying the site was demolished in 2019 to make way for the new hotel.

On completion Oxford Greyfriars Premier Inn will be Whitbread’s first Premier Inn hotel in the city centre and is expected to create about 35 new jobs when it opens.

Premier Inn currently operates one hotel at Oxford Business Park and is on track to open a new 120-bedroom Premier Inn and Thyme restaurant on West Way in Botley in early 2021.

A 101-bedroom Premier Inn and Beefeater restaurant also opened at Oxford Airport Kidlington in March.

Oxford Mail:

A drone picture of the new Premier Inn

Premier Inn was named the UK’s top-rated hotel chain for 2019 according to Which?

With more than 800 hotels and 80,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland, Premier Inn guests are never far from a place to stay at value rates.

The chain’s 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 ensuite 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 out of five.

Oxford Mail:

The new Premier Inn being built at West Way

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.

Last year Premier Inn was also named the UK’s top-rated hotel chain for the fifth year in a row by Which?

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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 £10m, which formed part of the funding towards the Premier Inn Clinical Building, officially opened by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge in January 2018.

Outside the UK, Premier Inn’s expansion plans are focused on Germany.

The chain opened its first hotel in Frankfurt in 2016 and is planning for 10,000 hotel rooms across Germany.