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Whitbread has formally opened the Hub by Premier Inn London Farringdon (Old Bailey), its latest flagship development.
The 212-bedroom hotel is situated within the Grade II listed former Snow Hill Police Station, a Victorian-era landmark dating back to the 1870s.
The project represents a significant heritage restoration in the Square Mile, retaining original features such as the historic entrance, a reading room, and a central staircase.
These elements are integrated with a new eight-storey extension via a publicly accessible atrium that serves as a cultural space within the city’s Culture Mile initiative.
To support the local arts scene, Whitbread commissioned 16 collage pieces from Goldsmiths-trained artists Hilary Yip and Leily Mojdehi.
The metal-printed works are displayed throughout the lobby and reading room, layering architectural drawings and historic photographs to document the site’s evolution from the Saracen’s Head tavern to a pioneering police station and now a modern hotel.
Jonathan Langdon, senior acquisition manager for Whitbread, said: “We have poured our heart and soul into creating a showcase development at Old Bailey, demonstrating how affordable hotels can breathe fresh life into vacant historic buildings in Central London.”
Tom Sleigh, chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation, added: “The transformation of the former Snow Hill Police Station shows how heritage and planning innovation can work hand in hand.”
