Legendre to Convert Vauxhall Office Into 180-Room Premier Inn

Whitbread has appointed Legendre UK as main contractor for a 180-room Premier Inn at Phoenix House in Vauxhall, London. The ten-storey, 80,000-square-foot former office is scheduled to become a hotel by the end of 2027.

The building stands opposite Vauxhall Station and forms part of the St George Wharf riverside development. Lambeth Council used it as offices until 2019; it has been largely vacant since.

The conversion will retain the existing structure and replace office floors with hotel rooms, including Premier Plus rooms. Whitbread also plans a guest restaurant and reception on the building’s mezzanine.

The contractor appointment advances work beyond the initial strip-out. Whitbread said it agreed terms on the lease in March 2025, secured planning permission that summer and began strip-out work in November 2025.

Whitbread will lease the completed hotel from Lambeth Council for 30 years, while the council retains the head lease. The companies have not disclosed the construction contract’s value.

The project will bring Premier Inn to Vauxhall for the first time and is expected to create about 25 permanent hospitality jobs. Whitbread is targeting BREEAM Excellent certification, an environmental rating for buildings.

The conversion fits Whitbread’s wider push to add hotels in central London. The company said it operates more than 100 hotels within the M25 and has identified 40 locations across the capital for potential growth.

The schedule and reuse of the existing frame are key points to watch as the work progresses. Whitbread says the scheme builds on its office-to-hotel conversions, including its earlier transformation of County Hall.