Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner for the global travel and tourism industry, today announces a distribution deal with Premier Inn, the UK and Ireland’s biggest hotel chain, which will allow 580 of the chain’s properties to be booked through Amadeus.

Premier Inn, the UK’s biggest value for money hotel brand, has begun building its first hotel in Abu Dhabi and fourth in the United Arab Emirates, at a prime location within ADNEC’s Capital Centre, marking further progress in the roll out of Premier Inn’s aggressive regional expansion.

Andy Harrison is to head up Whitbread when he steps down from his role as easyJet chief executive role this summer, with the aim of continuing Premier Inn’s aggressive international expansion. The news comes as the group reported sales growth across all its three brands, including 8.5% growth for Premier Inn and 9.5% for Costa.

Whitbread, the UK’s leading hotel and restaurant group, has confirmed details of its plans for a second green hotel and its first low-carbon restaurant.

Premier Inn will be opening four new hotels at London’s main airports from Autumn 2011. The budget hotel chain will open two hotels at Heathrow and one at Gatwick and one at Stansted, creating a total of 1,570 new rooms. Premier Inn is spending more than £125 million on the developments.

Whitbread, owner of Premier Inn, has posted a 9% rise in pre-tax profits but warned the budget hotel chain is feeling the impact of the downturn. The group reported “good progress” in the year despite “increasingly difficult economic conditions”.