Legendre UK appointed main contractor for London office-to-hotel scheme

Legendre UK has been appointed by the owner of Premier Inn as main contractor on an office-to-hotel conversion in south-west London.

Whitbread PLC’s scheme would bring Phoenix House, a 10-storey, 80,000sq ft former office opposite Vauxhall Station, back into use as a 180-bedroom Premier Inn.

The conversion would use the building’s existing structure, replacing the former office floorplates with hotel bedrooms, while upgrading an existing mezzanine to provide a new guest restaurant and reception area.

Built in the early 2000s, Phoenix House is part of St George Wharf, a mixed-use scheme opposite the station and close to the River Thames. It was used by Lambeth council as office space from 2004 until 2019, since which it has been largely vacant.

Whitbread agreed to lead the conversion of the building into a Premier Inn and lease the completed hotel for 30-years from Lambeth, which retains the longer-term head lease.

Construction is set to begin later this year and completion is scheduled for the end of 2027.

“We are delighted to be working with Whitbread to give Phoenix House a new lease of life as a Premier Inn,” said Thomas Vandecasteele, managing director of Legendre UK.

“This is an opportunity to bring a largely vacant building back into use, taking a sustainable approach by retaining and adapting as much of the existing structure as possible. The project also draws on our experience delivering complex refurbishment and conversion projects in London.”