Whitbread has agreed a deal with Lambeth Council to lease the local authority’s former office in Vauxhall and operate it as a Premier Inn hotel.
Subject to planning, the 10-storey Phoenix House will be converted by Whitbread into the latest format Premier Inn hotel.
The council will grant a lease on Phoenix House to Whitbread while retaining the longer-term head lease, which has the majority of its 999-years remaining.
Jonathan Langdon, senior acquisition manager for Whitbread, said: “We have been actively seeking the right location for a Premier Inn in Vauxhall for nearly 10 years. Phoenix House offers an ideal location for our customers, and we anticipate it will be a popular choice for guests looking for excellent transport connections, unique cultural experiences, and vibrant nightlife.
“The first Premier Inn in Central London was an office-to-hotel conversion at County Hall in north Lambeth in the late 1990s. Since then, we have successfully transformed former office buildings into thriving hotels across the capital – revitalising spaces, creating fantastic destinations for our guests and new job opportunities for local people.
“We look forward to bringing our expertise to the transformation of Phoenix House and, subject to planning permission, adding Vauxhall to the growing list of high-profile Premier Inn locations in Central London.”
David Amos, Lambeth Council’s cabinet member for finance, added: “I’m delighted that we have agreed a rental agreement that will see this property brought back into use, boost the local area and create income for the council at a time of unprecedented financial strains on our budget.
“A hotel operator was chosen as the best option for Phoenix House because as well as getting rent for the council it supports our work to boost evening activity in the area which is one of the London Mayor’s Night Time Enterprise Zones. The building will also be brought back into use at a high level of environmental sustainability standards and create new job opportunities for local people.
“We are ambitious for our town centres and expect that this agreement, if concluded, will be a catalyst for making further improvements to Vauxhall with the aim of making it a far more attractive and safe place to both live and visit.”
