British hospitality company and Premier Inn brand owner Whitbread has obtained planning approval from Leeds City Council to develop a 131-key hotel.
The plan involves conversion of Verity House, a vacant office building in Leeds city centre’s South Bank area, into a Premier Inn brand hotel.
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The company acquired the 44,000ft² property in October 2024. The site is close to Leeds Railway Station and Granary Wharf.
Whitbread submitted its application to Leeds City Council in May 2025, and the proposal moved forward last week after the signing of the Section 106 agreement with the council.
Work on the development is scheduled to begin in early 2026, with completion anticipated in 2027.
Once operational, the hotel will add to Whitbread’s Premier Inn presence in Leeds city centre, where three sites already operate.
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By GlobalDataIt will also join a new 143-bedroom Premier Inn at Leeds Harewood Quarter, which remains under contract as part of a council-led redevelopment.
The Premier Inn at Verity House will feature both ‘Standard’ and ‘Premier Plus’ room categories.
Whitbread estimates that, with occupancy above 80%, approximately 57,000 guests will stay at this Premier Inn each year.
The company expects the hotel to generate around £5.5m in annual visitor spending, with half taking place in Leeds city centre.
Whitbread acquisitions manager Jill Anderson said: “Gaining approval of our plans for Verity House is a major achievement in our efforts to deliver more high-quality, affordable bedrooms for our guests in Leeds City Centre. We’re seeing huge demand in the city and this wonderfully accessible location is sure to be incredibly popular for our business and leisure guests.”
The development forms part of Whitbread’s wider strategy to grow its footprint in northern England.
Across the region, the company continues to seek over 20 new locations for Premier Inn, alongside plans for further expansion in Northern Ireland and Scotland, aiming towards a long-term target of 125,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland.
In line with its sustainability objectives set out under its Force for Good programme, Whitbread intends for all hotels it constructs or converts from 2025 onwards to operate exclusively on renewable electricity.
The company also maintains a target to reduce water use per sleeper by 20% by 2030.
