Whitbread Plc Opens Sustainable Hotel And Low Carbon Restaurant In Burgess Hill

By: Whitbread | 5 Shares 125 Reads

November 03, 2010 // Franchising.com // November 1st Whitbread PLC opened a sustainable Premier Inn hotel and the first low carbon Beefeater Grill restaurant in Burgess Hill. Located on Charles Avenue, the new hotel and restaurant have brought a total investment of £6 million into the local economy.

Guests at the new 60-bedroom hotel will enjoy the same facilities and amenities as every Premier Inn but with the knowledge that they are sleeping in a hotel built using sustainable construction technologies.

Adjacent to the hotel, Whitbread has developed its first low-carbon restaurant – a 220-cover Beefeater Grill which features technologies designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and demands on resources.

The sustainable construction technologies used in the development include:

Natural Energy from the Earth – ground-source heat pumps will use the earth's natural energy to cool and heat the bedrooms and restaurant, and provide hot water throughout the hotel
Inventive Insulation – The hotel and restaurant will have high-efficiency thermal insulation, achieved by using natural and recycled materials that reduce energy usage by 50%
Clever Lighting – Automated light controls with motion sensors which ensures lights are only on when needed
Energy Efficient Kitchen Equipment – Including induction hobs, energy efficient fridges and dish washing machines
Re-using water – Rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling will include providing 100% of the hotel's toilet water use and saving 20% of the entire water use
Low-flow showerheads – Showers will deliver the feel and effect of a powerful shower without the water consumption
Here comes the Sun – Solar panels will heat bath water
Timber frame construction – Both the Premier Inn hotel and Beefeater Grill restaurant will use timber frame construction methods from sustainably sourced wood
Waste management - The restaurant will use an Anaerobic digestion waste recycling scheme, where waste materials are broken down by microorganisms, which is then transformed into green electricity and biofertiliser for local crops.

Team members at the new hotel and restaurant will be trained to understand the technologies behind the design and to help with minimising everyday energy and water consumption, such as in washing, water usage, excessive heating or cooling.

Ryan Evans, General Manager of the Premier Inn hotel and Acorn Beefeater Grill says, "We are delighted to bring a new hotel and restaurant to West Sussex and I am so excited that we are up and running. Whether it's staying in the hotel or having a meal with friends and family, we hope that our guests enjoy our new environmentally friendly establishments."

The new Beefeater Grill restaurant, named The Acorn, will offer a warm, modern and welcoming atmosphere and a wide range of dishes including Rib Eye Steak, Tandoori Chicken and Salmon Fillets. Flaming Good Meal Deal's are also available and Monday-Sunday before 6.30pm, selected main courses cost just £5.95 and evening value meals are priced at just £9.95 Monday-Thursday after 6.30pm. At Premier Inn, each bedroom caters for up to two adults and two children (aged 15 and under) and includes an en-suite bathroom with shower and bath; a king-size bed with Fogarty duvet; remote control Freeview TV; tea/ coffee making facilities, and a spacious desk area with internet access. Rooms are currently available to book on http://www.premierinn.com/.

For further information about Premier Inn, please e-mail Lisa Rebak or Hannah Calder-Bundy on premierinn@frankpr.it or call 0207 693 6999

For further information about Beefeater Grill, please e-mail Leigh-Anne Leonce on whr@frankpr.it or call 0207 693 6999

Notes to Editors

Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK's biggest budget hotel brand with over 580 budget hotels and more than 42,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview channels, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and is now open in Bangalore, India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels within the M25 area by 2012. Under the Premier Inn room offers, Premier Inn is offering rooms from just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit http://www.premierinn.com/ for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Premier Inn, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread

Beefeater Grill launched in 1974 and now stands at over 140 restaurants nationwide.

The new look Beefeater Grill is warm, modern and stylish and offers guests their own personal space to enjoy their dining occasion at their leisure. Our restaurants come complete with low lighting, warm cosy booth seating, contemporary artwork and a welcome smile.

Today our cooking platform centres around our chargrill which gives our food that unique Beefeater Grill taste. On our menu you will find succulent chicken, fish and lamb grills alongside our famous steaks as well as some fantastic vegetarian dishes, starters and tempting desserts.

Beefeater Grill offers great value with 'Flaming Good Meal Deals' which are available Monday-Saturday before 6.30pm where a selected main course costs just £5.95. Evening value meals are available on Monday-Thursday after 6.30pm where two courses are priced from just £9.95.

Beefeater Grill supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Beefeater, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Visit http://www.beefeater.co.uk/ for further details.

Green refurbishment programme

Whitbread is spending over £7m this year on a major sustainability programme to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops.

The focus of the investment drive is on Whitbread's existing estate and will see the introduction of a package of efficiency measures to help the company reduce its carbon emissions and conserve water.

As part of the programme, 20,000 low-flow showerheads will be installed at Premier Inn hotels. Extensive tests by Whitbread have helped the company develop a showerhead which delivers the feel and effect of a powerful shower while saving three litres of water a minute. This single initiative will save enough water to fill 88 Olympic swimming pools a year by 2012.

Another key element of the programme will see £2.6m go towards low-energy LED light bulbs, replacing 75,000 energy inefficient light bulbs. This investment will save an estimated 6,200 tonnes of carbon each year as well as reduce Whitbread's energy bill.

Additional energy and water saving measures include investment in voltage optimisation, thermal building insulation, automated lighting systems, bathroom tap restrictors and dual flush toilets, renewable technology such as solar panels and micro combined heat and power and solar film (window film which allows light in but reduces the need for cooling by keeping heat out in summer).

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