The UK‘s Largest Premier Inn Opens At London Gatwick Airport

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Premier Inn has recently celebrated a double milestone with the announcement of their 50,000th room at the opening of their largest ever Premier Inn at Gatwick Airport.The new 630 bedroom hotel, which has created 77 new jobs for people in the local area, was officially opened on the 29th November by Whitbread Managing Director Patrick Dempsey, and Employment Minister, Mark Hoban MP.

Premier Inn London Gatwick Airport, which sees over £60 million investment into the local economy, follows the recent opening of the high profile Premier Inn site on Leicester Square, and is one of nine hotels to be opened in Greater London by the end of 2013 as part of a major expansion drive for the chain.

Patrick Dempsey, Managing Director at Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants said: “Reaching 50,000 rooms across the portfolio is a great achievement that we are very pleased with. Our growth across Greater London is particularly exciting as it means we can offer even more people a great night’s sleep in the best locations and we look forward to opening many more over the next few years.”

Mark Hoban, Minister for Employment, said: “Tackling youth unemployment is a priority for the Government, and that’s why we launched the Youth Contract offering nearly 500,000 opportunities for young people to pick up the skills and experience they need to find work.
“It is great to see companies like Premier Inn continuing to expand and being passionate about getting young people and the long-term unemployment back into jobs.”

Jon Walters, General Manager at Premier Inn London Gatwick Airport, said: ‘”We are delighted to be opening our biggest Premier Inn hotel allowing people who are travelling to and from Gatwick Airport to have a great night’s sleep.”

Daniel Fountain / 04.12.2012

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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