Lazari Investments, in partnership with Whitbread PLC, has secured planning permission for a sustainable and intelligent hub hotel by Premier Inn under The Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury, central London.

Planning permission for the development was granted by Camden Council's Planning Committee on Thursday 21 March 2024. Development of the new hotel is expected to commence later in 2024.

The initiative represents a significant step forward in hotel design and sustainability by creating a 207-bedroom hotel in an underused double underground car park beneath the Grade II listed residential and commercial building.

Advanced lighting technology will be deployed to illuminate the hotel rooms, reception and communal areas, following the human circadian rhythm. Guests will access the hotel through a dedicated entrance on the ground floor, leading them to this underground space.

The development will be the first of its kind for Whitbread's hub by Premier Inn brand, building on extensive research and testing of circadian lighting in its existing hotel estate.

“By reimagining an under-utilised car park, we are not only creating a valuable hotel space but are maintaining the architectural integrity and functionality of The Brunswick Centre. The hotel marks a new chapter in our commitment to the important heritage building, enhancing its contribution to London by boosting employment, stimulating local footfall, and encouraging additional spending in the local area.” - Nicholas Lazari, co-founder of Lazari Investments

The development involves lowering one floor of the existing double underground car park to create the necessary ceiling heights for the hotel. The lowered sections will remain in place in the building, resulting in substantial reductions in the carbon emissions incorporated into the construction of the new hotel.

The photovoltaic (PV) installations and panels to power the hotel will be located on the roof of the Brunswick Centre, with any additional electricity from the grid to be generated from renewable sources.

“Whitbread has been transforming former retail and office buildings into successful Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels for close to twenty years.  Working closely with Lazari Investments, we have applied this experience and new exciting lighting technology to create a new type of hotel in a superb Central London location.  The subterranean hotel pushes the hub by Premier Inn brand forward once again and opens a world of opportunity for us in looking at the possibilities of converting unused, underutilised, and hidden spaces into successful budget hotels.” - Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread

The Brunswick Centre was designed by Patrick Hodgkinson and Sir Leslie Mann and comprises an eight-storey building with residential units above a public shopping centre with a central outdoor square. The building was completed in 1972 and Grade II listed in 2000.

Lazari Investments has owned the Brunswick Centre since 2014 and Whitbread will occupy the underground hotel under a lease agreement of at least 25 years.