Whitbread plc, the UK's largest hotel company and owner of Premier Inn, has submitted a planning application for a new city centre hotel in Carlisle.

The proposed 104-bedroom hotel will be located on Victoria Viaduct, close to Carlisle station and the city centre, and will complement the existing Premier Inn in the city. Whitbread acquired the freehold of the former Central Plaza site from Cumberland Council in May 2025 for this development.

The site has a long history in hospitality dating back to 1881, though the previous hotel on the plot fell into disrepair and was demolished between 2019 and 2020.

Plans outline a five-storey Premier Inn hotel featuring the brand's latest 'Standard' format and enhanced 'Premier Plus' bedrooms, alongside a guest-focused restaurant. The bedrooms will be arranged from lower ground to fourth floor, with reception and restaurant access from Victoria Viaduct at upper ground floor via a prominent entrance. Public parking at the nearby West Walls car park is a two-minute walk away.

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Whitbread estimates that the new city centre hotel will host around 30,000 Premier Inn guests per year once fully operational. An independent economic impact assessment submitted with the planning application projects that these visitors will spend over £4 million annually within the local visitor economy, supporting Carlisle’s leisure and tourism sector.

The development is expected to create approximately 25 permanent hospitality jobs on opening and around 45 additional roles within the construction supply chain during the £12 million build.

Subject to planning approval, Whitbread aims to begin development in 2026 and hopes to welcome its first customers before the end of 2028. In line with the company’s sustainability policy, the proposed hotel will be powered by renewable electricity and include heat recovery systems and air source heat pumps to reduce energy demand.