19th September 2008

Whitbread PLC Completes Acquisition Of 21 Hotels

Whitbread PLC ("Whitbread") today announces that it has completed the purchase of 21 hotels (which have been trading as Express by Holiday Inn) from Mitchells & Butlers plc ("M&B") in exchange for 44 Whitbread pub restaurants.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Whitbread PLC

Julie Foster, Interim Director of Communications        01582 844244

Laura Pearson, Interim Communications Manager        01582 844854

Tulchan                             

David Allchurch                                                      020 7353 4200

For photographs, please visit www.whitbreadimages.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Whitbread PLC is the UK's largest hotel and restaurant company operating market-leading businesses in the budget hotels and restaurant sectors.  Its brands include Premier Inn, Beefeater, Table Table, Brewers Fayre, Taybarns and Costa Coffee. 

Whitbread PLC employs over 33,000 people and serves 8.5 million customers every month in its 1500 outlets across the UK.

In the financial year ending 28th February 2008, Whitbread PLC reported an 11.3%* increase in group revenue to £1.18* billion and 26.3% increase in pre-tax profit to £210.3 million. 

Whitbread PLC is a FTSE 100 company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is also a member of the FTSE4Good Index. In July 2008, Whitbread's market capitalization was circa £2.0 billion.

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