The establishment will offer an on-site restaurant and bar, 125 car parking spaces, and improved site access. Credit: Whitbread.

UK hospitality company Whitbread has unveiled plans to open a new 81-bedroom hotel at Belfast International Airport in Northern Ireland.

The move is part of the company’s strategic growth plan, which has seen more than 550 bedrooms added to UK airport locations since September 2024.

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The company has entered an agreement-for-lease with JHT Hotels, a subsidiary of Northern Ireland developer J H Turkington and Sons. The new hotel is expected to open its doors in mid-2026.

The Belfast Airport Hotel will be the first Premier Inn built in Northern Ireland since the Premier Inn Lisburn Hotel in 2019.

The new establishment will offer an on-site restaurant and bar, 125 car parking spaces, seven mobility-impaired spaces, landscaped grounds, and improved site access.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council granted planning permission for the development in mid-November 2024.

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Construction is slated to begin this year, with the hotel creating around 30 new permanent jobs upon opening.

Whitbread acquisition manager Jill Anderson said: “Securing such a prime location at Belfast International Airport reinforces our commitment to growing our network in key travel hubs across the UK and Ireland. The site offers an exceptional opportunity to serve the airport’s six million passengers annually, providing them with the quality, comfort, and affordability Premier Inn is known for.

“The Belfast acquisition is the third airport hotel we have signed in six months, reflecting the consistently strong and growing demand for travel and the excellent investment opportunities these locations offer.”

The hotel will be situated opposite the airport’s long-stay car park and within walking distance of the terminal.

Whitbread is set to invest more than £6m ($6.18m) in the new hotel, based on capitalised lease expenditure.

In addition to the Belfast Airport project, Whitbread is actively seeking new Premier Inn locations in Belfast City Centre, Enniskillen, and Newry.

This expansion will complement its existing network of hotels in Belfast, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Lisburn, and Derry / Londonderry.