Whitbread drives first quarter sales up 6.9%

Whitbread has achieved like for like sales growth of 6.9% for the first quarter of 2014.

In an update on trading performance, the Premier Inn and Costa operator said that favourable weather in the 13 weeks to 29 May 2014 helped its restaurant performance, while a buoyant London market boosted hotel room sales.

Premier Inn grew like for like sales by 9.5% in the period, with total revpar up 8.8% and occupancy at 80.7%. Some 208 new rooms were opened in the quarter.

In London total sales were up 10.4% with occupancy at 86.1%. Regionally total sales grew 15.3% and total revpar was up 9.9% with occupancy standing at 80%.

Meanwhile, sales in restaurants was up 4.4% and like for like covers up 2.6%.

Whitbread said that there were plans to open a total of 4,500 hotel rooms and five joint site restaurants this year.

UK retail system sales of Costa grew by 15.2% to £174.4m, with 36 new stores opening in the quarter.

Whitbread chief executive Andy Harrison said: "Whitbread has started the year well, with total sales growth for the first quarter of 12.7% and strong like for like sales growth of 6.9%, as anticipated at our Annual Results announcement on 29 April.

"Whitbread is well positioned for another good year with our strong brands continuing to win market share, reinforced by ambitious organic network expansion. We currently have 43 new Premier Inn hotels under construction in the UK and expect to open around 4,500 new rooms this year, together with five joint site restaurants. Costa will open around 300 new stores this year."