Costa and Premier Inn drive Q3 Whitbread growth

Budget hotel brand Premier Inn and cafe business Costa continue to drive growth for Whitbread, which today unveiled an 11.1% increase in total sales.

The figures, which were part of a trading update to 26 November for the year ending 3 March 2016, showed a like-for-like increase in sales at Premier Inn of 4.9%, with total sales up 11.9% thanks to the addition of new rooms.

Meanwhile, Costa's like-for-like sales rose 3.7%, with total sales up 15.3%.

Whitbread's hotels and restaurants division increased by 3.5%, with total sales up 8.8%.

Restaurants, which include brands such as Beefeater, Taybarns and Table Table, saw a rise in like-for-like sales of 0.6% and a total sales increase of 2%.

Chief executive Alison Brittain, who has replaced Andy Harrison, said: "I am delighted to have joined Whitbread as CEO. This is a great business with a strong leadership team and 48,500 team members who are passionate about delivering outstanding customer service.

"In Costa and Premier Inn we have built the nation's most-loved coffee shop and hotel brands and we have laid out clear and ambitious growth milestones. I am looking forward to building on the foundations of the business by investing in our people, our network and our infrastructure to enhance our customer offer, further strengthen our brands and deliver profitable growth.

"Whitbread has had another good quarter and, for the year to date, we have delivered total sales growth of 11.1% and like for like sales growth of 3.6%. Our brands continue to win market share and we are on track to deliver full-year results in line with market expectations."

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