Construction of Brighton’s new flagship Premier Inn has reached a milestone with a topping out ceremony this week.
This means the structural frame of what will become the Brighton’s second Premier Inn is now complete, paving the way for the opening of the new 187-room budget hotel in early 2028.
The building, on the site of the former Sherry’s nightclub, was first given planning permission in 2026, but the covid pandemic and other issues have meant a lengthy construction period.
Whitbread, which owns the Premier Inn chain, bought the construction site from a private developer in October last year.
Yesterday, representatives from the company and principal contractor Gilbert Ash gathered at the highest point of the building on Brighton’s West Street to celebrate the achievement and recognise the teams delivering the development.
Simon Lancaster, head of construction for Whitbread in London and the south, said: “It is always a proud moment topping out a new Premier Inn hotel, and it is especially significant at a location as prominent as West Street in Brighton.
“Completing the frame brings us another step closer to delivering a flagship new Premier Inn for the city, and I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication, expertise and hard work in reaching this stage.
“Brighton West Street demonstrates the capability of Whitbread to continue to grow Premier Inn in some brilliant but complex city-centre locations.
“It reflects the deep experience we bring to development projects and the depth of our relationships with Gilbert Ash. The hotel will occupy one of Brighton’s historic hospitality locations and will become an important addition to both the Premier Inn network and the city’s visitor economy when it opens.”
The West Street development forms part of Whitbread’s continued investment in expanding Premier Inn in attractive city-centre locations across the UK where customer demand is high.
Set to trade as Premier Inn Brighton City Centre (Seafront), the new hotel will offer Premier Inn guests the choice of the brand’s latest format bedrooms and enhanced ‘Premier Plus’ rooms, with an integrated guest-focused restaurant on the ground floor.
Once open, the hotel is expected to create approximately 40 new hospitality jobs and bring a long-term future to the former nightclub site.
Over the past decade Premier Inns have gone from well staffed mid range hotels with decent menus to grossly understaffed budget quality hotels with cut down menus and higher prices.
I refuse to use them now as the decline has been blatantly obvious. Wouldn’t be surprised if Private Equity isn’t a big part of the cuts.