Premier Inn opens most northerly hotel in Scottish Highlands today


UK’s leading hotel business has added 566 rooms to its Scottish network this year

A new 85-bedroom hotel in Thurso in the Scottish Highlands has opened today (Friday 9 July) creating the most northerly Premier Inn in Whitbread’s growing network.

The opening, which is the fourth new Premier Inn hotel to open in Scotland this calendar year, is well-timed for a busy summer of staycations and adventure tourism in the UK.

Located in the heart of Thurso on Ormile Road, the hotel brings Premier Inn’s latest format bedrooms to the town made famous by the North Coast 500 and has created 35 new permanent new jobs.

Richard Aldread, head of construction for Whitbread in the UK regions, said:

“We have been extremely busy in Scotland this year with four new hotel openings in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hamilton and now Thurso. Together the new hotels add 566 Premier Inn rooms to our growing network in popular urban and leisure locations in Scotland and we are continuing to invest with a further 60-bedroom extension to our popular Edinburgh Princes Street hotel which currently on-site.

“Our guests have always sought out Premier Inn hotels for their leisure trips and holidays. Thurso adds another unique location to our network, and with many new Premier Inn’s opening in other adventure and leisure hotspots this year, we are able to offer our guests even more choice for their get-away or extended break.”

In total Whitbread expects to open around 3,000 new Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn bedrooms this financial year.

The new openings to date in Scotland include a new Beefeater restaurant at Hamilton and Scotland’s first Bar + Block Steakhouse restaurant which opened as part of the new Premier Inn at St Enoch Square in Glasgow.

The company is also currently looking for new locations for Premier Inn across Scotland in Dunblane, Ballater, Callandar, the Isle of Skye and Largs as it continues to grow its brands in strategic locations where it sees long-term demand for its style of affordable accommodation.