New hotel opening for Premier Inn at Kingston upon Thames

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Officially opened by Team GB sprinter and former BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who began his athletics career in Kingston, and Simon Jones, Managing Director of Premier Inn UK, the 700th Premier Inn hotel was officially opened on the 1st July in Kingston upon Thames.
Team GB sprinter and former BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, with team members at the Premier Inn Kingston upon Thames and Simon Jones, Managing Director of Premier Inn UK

Tanja Kuveljiic, the Chief Executive of Believe in Young People (BiYP), a charity committed to helping young people find the right career destination, also spoke at the event about BiYP’s and Premier Inn’s dedication to encouraging school leavers into the hospitality industry. Some local schoolchildren were also invited to attend the opening to meet Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

Councillor Roy Arora, Mayor for Kingston upon Thames and Surbiton, and his wife supported the ceremony.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Team GB sprinter and former BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, commented:
“To have the opportunity to come back to Kingston to celebrate the opening of Premier Inn’s 700th hotel was fantastic. I grew up training at Kingsmeadow Athletics centre – not far from this hotel – and Kingston has always been a town close to my heart so it’s great to see a new hotel that will allow more people to come and enjoy their stay in the area.”

Situated on Wheatfield Way in Kingston upon Thames, the new Premier Inn features an en-suite bathroom, king size Hypnos bed and spacious work desk with free WiFi (for 30 minutes). An on-site Thyme restaurant serves the All You Can Eat ‘Premier Breakfast’ and a mix of contemporary and classic dishes.


The Hypnos kingsize bed

Daniel Fountain / 05.08.2015

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

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Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
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During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

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