UK’s tallest Premier Inn officially tops out

Rockwell, together with Whitbread, has celebrated a landmark moment as the UK’s tallest Premier Inn hotel officially topped out.

Located adjacent to Westferry DLR station, the £151m project, comprising a 400-bedroom hotel and 68 new homes, will now mark Westferry as a destination in its own right, rejuvenating a formerly derelict site into a high quality mixed-use scheme just moments from Canary Wharf.

Designed by world-renowned architects, Simpson Haugh, and constructed by John Sisk & Son, the 30-storey mixed-use scheme, which is set for completion in Q3 2022, will also include a restaurant, café, gym facilities and a landscaped pocket park, alongside communal gardens for new residents.

The creation of new jobs has been fundamental throughout; in the early stages of the development, Rockwell partnered with the London Training Centre to deliver hospitality skills training and qualifications to residents of Tower Hamlets. Rockwell’s first 30 graduates, all women from the Westferry area, have now found employment having completed an intensive two-month training programme and gaining Level 2 qualifications in a range of different skillsets.

Upon completion, the development will create many more hotel and hospitality job opportunities for individuals living in Tower Hamlets and many more graduates from developer Rockwell’s Hospitality Skills Programme.

Despite initial setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the construction of this development has continued on schedule whilst being respectful of the UK Government’s guidance and social distancing measures.

Donal Mulryan, Founder of Rockwell commented: “This is a pivotal moment for the development and for Rockwell. I am immensely proud of the entire project team who have come together to deliver this outstanding development on time despite difficulties faced through multiple lockdowns.

“As we near completion, our Hospitality Skills Programme will also enable local residents to gain the necessary skills and qualifications required to provide them with the best possible chance of securing employment through opportunities being created at Westferry. Delivering significant employment opportunities is a vital part of the positive legacy the development will leave on the area, especially as we move into post-pandemic economic recovery.”

Louise Woodruff, Property Acquisitions Manager, for Whitbread said: “For my generation skyline views were reserved for boutique and top-end hotels. We’re changing that at Westferry with a 28-storey Premier Inn that will offer our customers panoramic views over London at an affordable price as well as immediate access to one of London’s top business and leisure destinations. The hotel is a landmark development for Whitbread and we’re looking forward to fitting out the building with our latest format rooms and delivering long-term economic benefits to Westferry.”

At 400 bedrooms, Premier Inn Westferry will be the largest Premier Inn hotel in Greater London (excluding airport sites) and will feature 80 of Premier Inn’s enhanced Premier Plus bedrooms.

John Sisk & Son is the contractor for the development which is scheduled for completion in mid 2022.

Paul Brown, COO for the UK and Civils, and recently appointed CEO designate, said: “This is a key milestone in the project’s delivery, and it’s a credit to the whole project team who have overcome the challenges of the pandemic to get us here. It’s amazing to see the skyline of London being transformed as we deliver another exemplar project in the Capital.

“I am immensely proud of the project team for this achievement. It took talent, dedication, and hard work to get to where we are on this building. It’s a privilege to be a part of this project, and I look forward to its future milestones to come.”