New 200-bedroom hotel planned for Scotland's busiest airport

Plans for the four-storey hotel are being consulted on by the company and its development partner Riverstone Hotels as it works to submit a planning application to Edinburgh Council in the new year. Bosses said the proposed hotel would grow Premier Inn’s presence in the catchment area serving Scotland’s busiest airport.

If the plans are approved, guests of the hotel will be able to walk from the site to the airport terminal building in ten minutes. News of the site acquisition at Edinburgh Airport follows the announcement in September of the largest Premier Inn in the north of England, at Manchester Airport, in a move that will create a 276-bedroom hotel adjacent to the terminal.

Jill Anderson, acquisitions manager for Whitbread, said: “The investment case for expanding Premier Inn at Edinburgh Airport is compelling. Close to 14.5 million passengers chose to travel from the airport in 2023, an increase of almost 30 per cent on the year before, and aircraft movements are increasing especially to international destinations.

“As the airport continues to succeed and grow, so are we. We have recognised an opportunity to expand our network in the catchment and bring the popular Premier Inn brand to within walking distance of the airport terminal building. It’s another exciting location for our guests and a further example of Whitbread’s strategy of investing in strategic locations where we see a bright future.”

The proposed hotel which Premier Inn will occupy on a leasehold basis will offer a mixture of the latest style bedrooms and the brand’s The Social space on the ground floor. Public consultation events on plans for what would be the third Premier Inn at Edinburgh Airport have been arranged for November 19 and December 17 at the Royal Highland Centre.

John Rumsey, development director at Riverstone Developments, added: “Whitbread’s strong reputation and track record made this partnership an easy choice. The Premier Inn brand is instantly recognisable to travellers, and Whitbread’s long track record and consistently strong financial performance gave us the reassurance to commit to a leasehold development with them.”