Premier Inn to close Coleraine hotel

Premier Inn parent company Whitbread plc is closing one of its seven hotels in Northern Ireland.

The 49-bedroom Coleraine hotel, based at Riverside Retail Park, is due to shut its doors for “business reasons”, the company said.

Reports had said the hotel may be adapted into a centre for illegal immigrants, however the Home Office has not commented and one source said the suggestion was without foundation.

A spokesperson for Whitbread said: “Premier Inn Coleraine has welcomed thousands of guests over the years and we’ve been proud to be part of the local community.

“Unfortunately, for business reasons however, we’ve taken the difficult decision to close our hotel and restaurant when our lease expires at the end of February 2023 – after this point the hotel is handed back to the landlords.

“We would like to extend our thanks to the people of Coleraine for their support over the years.”

The closure of the Premier Inn in Coleraine will leave the company with six properties here.  There are three in Belfast – in the city’s Cathedral Quarter, Alfred Street and Titanic Quarter – and others in Carrickfergus, Lisburn and Derry.

Earlier this year, the Premier Inn on Alfred Street was put on the market for nearly £10m by its property investor owner.

Selling agents CBRE said they were seeking offers of £9.93m or more for the property.

Meanwhile, the Premier Inn hotel in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter was sold for £12.2m earlier this year.