Whitbread PLC announced the appointment of Owen Ellender to its UK and Ireland development team.

Joining as a Senior Development Manager, Owen will support Whitbread's strategy to grow its network of Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels, aiming to an expansion from its current 84,000 bedrooms to a potential network of 125,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland.

In his new role, Owen will focus on identifying development opportunities within Whitbread's existing hotel estate, with an emphasis on adding new guest bedrooms to its trading locations. Furthermore, Owen will be reporting to Alex Flach, Whitbread's development director for the UK and Ireland.

Concerning his background, that includes previous roles at CBRE, at Greene King as a head of property development and he has also prior experience at Whitbread as an Acquisitions Manager.

“Whitbread is a unique business with an exciting vision for what it wants to achieve in the UK and Ireland.  The company also does business in a way I admire with a particular focus on its people and the opportunities its brands create as they grow.  

“Returning to Whitbread in a senior development role gives me an excellent platform to contribute towards the company’s growth strategy of adding new bedrooms across the UK and Ireland, and I’m excited to get going and put my development skills to good use in expanding the estate.”- Owen Ellender, Senior Development Manager in Whitbread PLC

Owen's appointment marks the expansion of Whitbread's in-house property team.