Whitbread has begun work to turn Phoenix House in Vauxhall, London, into a 180-bedroom Premier Inn, just eight months after agreeing a lease for the site.

The prominent 10-storey, 7,469 sq m former office building, opposite Vauxhall Underground Station, is being taken forward as part of Whitbread’s London expansion programme.

Under an innovative structure, Whitbread agreed to lease Phoenix House from Lambeth Council, the virtual freeholder, and to lead the conversion to Premier Inn's latest format.

The 30-year lease with Lambeth Council was signed in March 2025, with planning permission secured 20 weeks later in July 2025.

Whitbread took control of the building and commenced strip-out works on 17 November 2025, targeting an opening in early 2028.

Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread, said: "As an operating hotel business our goal is to open our pipeline development sites as quickly as possible for our customers. Thanks to a successful partnership with Lambeth Council, we have been able to acquire a fantastic hotel location, secure planning, and move into construction in just eight months, showing what’s possible when everyone comes together.

-- Advertisement --

"We have been looking for a suitable location for Premier Inn in Vauxhall for at least ten years. In a little over two years’ time, we will be welcoming customers to a sensational hotel location, literally opposite Vauxhall Underground Station, and delivering the new location in a very sustainable way through the conversion of a former vacant office building. There are enormous benefits to expanding our footprint in this way, and we are actively looking for similar opportunities across the capital as we continue to grow."

Phoenix House was previously occupied by Lambeth Council and was vacated as part of the Your New Town Hall scheme, which reduced the council’s core office buildings from 14 to two and delivered 219 new homes for rent and sale.

The hotel will feature Premier Inn's enhanced Premier Plus rooms and a guest-focused first-floor restaurant.

Around 25 permanent hospitality roles are expected to be created, with recruitment slated to begin in autumn 2027.

Berkshire-based Redhammer Demolition Limited has been appointed for the strip-out phase, due to complete by Easter 2026. Whitbread is in discussions with several contractors regarding the fit-out.