Making The Cut at New Marlborough Yard

Senior Acquisition Manager for London
Whitbread

It has certainly been a challenging year for the leisure and hospitality industry and, as I write from home during lockdown mark II, we continue to operate in complex circumstances.

But Whitbread’s long-term strategy remains the same. We are focused on growing our network, bringing new Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels to locations across London where our guests want to be, and being a force for good in our communities.

London’s Southbank is a vibrant and busy hotel market with strong demand for bedrooms and where we don’t yet have a substantial presence. When we were presented with the opportunity to bring a Premier Inn to the New Marlborough Yard development off The Cut in Southwark, we jumped at it. We knew the location was perfect for our customers and matched our network strategy for the area.

Working with development partner Frogmore, we have created a development that’s much more than a new budget hotel. With a new park, courtyard and outdoor seating area for our destination Bar + Block steakhouse restaurant, it’s a fantastic new public space for the local community to enjoy too.

Bar + Block Steakhouse bar area

The design was led very much by the local context. The hotel and restaurant building uses different tones of brickwork to reflect the Victorian warehouses that were once common around Waterloo, while the public realm is the focal point of the scheme, complementing The Cut’s liveliness with its peaceful setting. Three means of access into the development invite the community in.

As a business, we always try to focus the benefits of Premier Inn hotels locally. Our principle contractor Gilbert Ash worked closely with the LB Southwark to advertise and fill construction apprenticeships during the build. As we near opening, our recruitment team will work proactively with the local Job Centre Plus and other employment agencies to encourage Southwark residents to join us.

New Marlborough Yard (Premier Inn Southwark Station) hotel and vegetation

When we do open our doors, and the world returns to some form of normality, I have no doubt that many of our guests will go out to enjoy the local area during their stay too – supporting local restaurants, cafés, pubs and shops, visiting the theatres and generally contributing to the local economy around The Cut and Waterloo.

New Marlborough Yard is a scheme which challenges perceptions about what branded budget hotels like Premier Inn look like and contribute in central London. With our partners, we were bold, we created a fantastic design which was a vital aspect of our discussions with local planners, and we galvanised a committed development team around a shared ambition to deliver something outstanding.

We believe budget hotels like Premier Inn have a bright future in London and we will keep searching for similar opportunities in strategic locations like The Cut across London, where we don’t yet have a presence and where we know Premier Inn customers want to stay.

For though central London is not as busy as it usually is, there is no question in my mind that the city will rebound and continue to be an important destination for leisure and business visitors for years to come.

Jonathan Langdon

Senior Acquisition Manager for London
Whitbread

Making The Cut at New Marlborough Yard

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