BUDGET hotel operator Premier Inn has completed a deal to open a new 100-bedroom hotel and restaurant in a West Midlands regeneration site.
Whitbread plc, the hotel chain operator’s parent company, has acquired the site opposite the art gallery in Walsall’s Waterfront development from owners Urban Splash in a deal with Advantage West Midlands.
Whitbread said it would be investing £7m into the town and creating in excess of 65 jobs as part of a company-wide strategy to grow to 55,000 rooms in the UK within four years.
Walsall Waterfront is a 17-acre, multi-million pound development in Canalside which includes retail, leisure and housing which council chiefs recently predicted would be part of a £800m investment into the Black Country town, creating around 4,000 jobs.
John Bates, head of acquisitions for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, said: “Walsall Waterfront is an outstanding development and one of the most exciting regeneration projects in the West Midlands.
“Being part of it is good news for Premier Inn and good news for our customers.
“What’s more, our investment will bring jobs as well as increased visitor spend to the town, strengthening the local economy and helping Walsall to prosper.”
Nathan Cornish, managing director of Urban Splash which also owns Fort Dunlop and the Rotunda in Birmingham, added: “We are thrilled that Whitbread is committed to Walsall and the Waterfront.
“In a time of economic uncertainty it is reassuring that their business model is robust and they are investing in new sites.
“We are excited about Walsall’s future and this is a great start in our comprehensive plans.”
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