Whitbread to open a Premier Inn at Belfast International Airport

Whitbread will be opening an 81-bedroom Premier Inn hotel at Belfast International Airport in 2026, having signed an agreement-for-lease with JHT Hotels Limited, a subsidiary of Northern Irish developer JH Turkington and Sons in late December 2024.  

Local planning authority, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, granted planning permission for the development in mid-November 2024, paving the way for construction of the new hotel to begin in 2025. 

Around 30 new permanent roles will also be created at the hotel when the doors open in mid-2026.

The deal is the latest in a series of investments by Whitbread in UK airport locations. Since September 2024, the company has added more than 550 Premier Inn bedrooms at Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast airports as part of its strategic growth plan.

Currently, in its main UK and Ireland market, the business operates more than 85,500 bedrooms from 855 locations and has an ambition to expand its offer to 125,000 UK&I rooms.

The Belfast Airport development will bring Premier Inn’s “signature combination of quality and affordability” to Northern Ireland’s busiest airport, and a travel hub serving around six million passengers a year – according to 2023 data – travelling to 55 domestic and international destinations.

The hotel will feature an on-site restaurant and bar, dedicated parking facilities with 125 car spaces and seven mobility-impaired spaces, landscaped grounds, and improved site access.  

Jill Anderson, acquisition manager at Whitbread, said: “Securing such a prime location at Belfast International Airport reinforces our commitment to growing our network in key travel hubs across the UK and Ireland. 

“The Belfast acquisition is the third airport hotel Whitbread has signed in six months, reflecting the consistently strong and growing demand for travel and the excellent investment opportunities these locations offer.”