New 90-bed Premier Inn will open near the Westgate Centre in Oxford

The popular discount chain runs a hotel in Garsington Road at Oxford Business Park and has another hotel in Marcham Road, Abingdon.

But it has no presence in the city centre where there is a high demand for budget-price rooms.

Last week a Courtyard by Marriott hotel opened in Paradise Street but it is a four-star hotel and its rooms are likely to be more expensive.

The Premier Inn chain has submitted a planning application to the city council to demolish former solicitors office in Paradise Square and build a new 90-bed hotel there.

Demolition work is now starting at the site, which is opposite the Westgate Centre.

James Anderson, a spokesman for Whitbread Group Plc, said the hotel would feature an in-house Thyme restaurant and was expected to open in the summer of 2020, with 35 new staff.

The contractor for the project is Cardiff-based Carter Lauren.

Gary Poulton, project and programme manager for Whitbread, said: “Paradise Square is an excellent location for a Premier Inn hotel.

“It will be our flagship hotel in Oxford city centre and will bring many benefits including locally focused employment opportunities and an expected £1.5m of overnight guest spending per year.

“Our contractors have started clearing the site and we expect construction work will begin early next year as we work towards a targeted summer 2020 opening.”

Customers will soon have a lot more choice if they want to book a room with a budget hotel chain.

Thame-based Travelodge has a well-established hotel off Abingdon Road, near Redbridge park-and-ride.

And building work for a £15m easyHotel is now under way in Banbury Road, Summertown.

The easyHotel chain has confirmed that the 180-bedroom hotel is due to opening in its 2020/21 financial year, from October 2020.

Last week a new £30m Courtyard by Marriott hotel opened in Paradise Street.

The hotel close to the city centre has 140 bedrooms.

The original application for the new Marriott was approved in May 2017 and the hotel has been built on the site of the former Cooper Callas building, with about 35 new jobs created.

One of the hotel’s standout features is its rooftop garden and terrace, which has views of historic Oxford, including Oxford Castle and St George’s Tower.

Guests will also be able to spot the Westgate Centre.

Rooms, which all have ensuite showers, could be booked in advance from about £140 to 250 for a standard double.

Dominvs Group is to run the hotel under the Courtyard by Marriott brand.

The site was identified by the council for redevelopment within the West End Area Action Plan.

Developers said the designs for Courtyard by Marriott were backed by Historic England.

Hayley Beer-Gamage, chief executive of tourism group Experience Oxfordshire, has welcomed the latest additions to Oxford’s network of hotels.