Bruntwood transforms Leeds office building into Premier Inn

Landmark Leeds building Hepworth Point has been turned into a new Premier Inn hotel by commercial space provider Bruntwood, boasting 131 bedrooms and creating 40 new jobs. The new hotel is now open to the public, a year ahead of the new Leeds Arena in 2013.

The developments are located close to each other on the north side of Leeds city centre and provide an answer to public calls for the creation of new entertainment and leisure facilities. The new Premier Inn is situated on Clay Pit Lane and stands 10 storeys high.

Once open, Leeds Arena will have a capacity of 13,500 and will be graced by sports events, music and comedy shows and attractions for families – attendees of which will benefit from the additional accommodation choice provided by office space specialist Bruntwood.

Craig Burrow, Bruntwood's director of Leeds, said: "Bruntwood are delighted to have completed the conversion of Hepworth Point in Leeds and to welcome Premier Inn as a customer. We're now looking for further opportunities within Leeds to expand our core offering, as our customers continue to respond positively to the Bruntwood way of doing business here."

WSB Property Consultants LLP, who handled the deal, commented that the building's location has made it a star player in Premier Inn's portfolio of hotels, while Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants – the parent company of Premier Inn – noted that it is ideally located for access to the city centre and university, as well as the new arena. The company's focus is on quality and value and they are convinced that the new venue will deliver on both counts.

Premier Inn hopes to increase its current UK count of 47,000 bedrooms to 65,000 by 2016.

Bruntwood also offers conference rooms which Leeds businesses can use for training events and high-profile meetings, alongside facilities as diverse as virtual office services and full office suites.