PREMIER INN CHECKS INTO LOMONDGATE, CREATING NEW JOBS

The Rt Hon John McFall MP for West Dunbartonshire, chairman of Strathleven Regeneration Company and chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, today welcomed David Lobb, Acquisitions Manager, Whitbread plc, to Lomondgate, Dumbarton, to celebrate work starting on site for a new 60-bedroom Premier Inn hotel and Table Table restaurant.

The 60 bedroom hotel is expected to create approximately 80 new jobs. Ogilvie Construction has been appointed as the lead contractor, and completion is scheduled for 2009.

The new hotel and restaurant will occupy a 1.8 acre site and forms part of the new £60m Lomondgate development, a mixed use scheme spearheaded by Strathleven Regeneration Company and Walker Group (Scotland).

Welcoming this significant boost for the local community John McFall MP said, “This is a significant development not just for Dumbarton - but for the whole of West Dunbartonshire.

The new hotel and restaurant will create a significant number of new jobs in the services sector on the main A82 route between Glasgow and Loch Lomondside and it is sufficiently close to Glasgow Airport to make it a convenient stopping off spot for air travellers.

There’s a lot going on at Lomondgate with the ongoing expansion of the BBC Scotland drama production centre, new roadside services and a business park. Work starting on the hotel is a real shot in the arm for the development.”

The Lomondgate hotel further enhances Premier Inn’s Scottish portfolio which now comprises of 53 hotels. The Table Table restaurant is a new concept launched earlier this year by the hotel and restaurant company and aims to cater for today’s busy and eclectic lifestyles, providing pub meals, sharing platters and three course meals.

David Lobb added, “Lomondgate is an exciting new development for the area and we’re proud to have a role in its future. This is a great location for a Premier Inn and somewhere we can build a successful business.”

further information

Sharon McEwan
Bright PR
sharonm@brightpr.com
Tel: 0141 248 1234

Notes to editors:

Whitbread PLC
Whitbread PLC is the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant company operating market-leading businesses in the budget hotels and restaurant sectors. Its brands include Premier Inn, Beefeater, Table Table, Brewers Fayre, Taybarns and Costa Coffee.

Whitbread PLC employs over 33,000 people and serves 8.5 million customers every month in its 1500 outlets across the UK.

In the first half of the financial year ending 28th August 2008, Whitbread PLC reported a 12.6% increase in Group Revenue to £682.2 million and 24% increase in Pre-tax Profit to £123.3 million.

Whitbread PLC is a FTSE 100 company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is also a member of the FTSE4Good Index. In October 2008, Whitbread’s market capitalization was circa £1.4 billion.

www.whitbread.co.uk

Premier Inn
Premier Inn is the UK’s largest and fastest-growing hotel brand with over 36,006 rooms and 518 hotels across the UK.

Premier Inn bedrooms are 22m² and feature en-suite bathroom, TV, and internet access for business guests. Premier Inn offers customers a ‘Good Night Guarantee’ of a good quality room, comfortable surroundings and friendly service, which is unique amongst Britain’s leading hotel chains.

Premier Inn was the first Britain-wide hotel group to sign up with national tourist boards, VisitBritain, VisitScotland and VisitWales; this means Premier Inn is now part of a new quality assessment scheme, specially created for budget accommodation.

A joint venture with Emirates has seen the Premier Inn brand develop in the Gulf region, with its first budget hotel in Dubai opened in Spring 2008. Premier Inn also has a joint venture in India with Emaar-MGF to roll out 12,000 rooms in 10 years.

www.premierinn.com

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