The owner of Premier Inn has put another restaurant on the market as it plans to expand its hotel business.

Whitbread is selling off French Connection Table Table, next to Premier Inn on Orbital Park in Ashford, as part of its "national growth plan".

Bosses are planning to dispose of 126 branded restaurants so they can be sold as a going concern.

It comes after they announced plans in April to add 3,500 new rooms across Premier Inn sites in the UK.

A Whitbread spokesman said: “The proposed plan will see us invest up to £500m over the next four years to grow our Premier Inn UK rooms pipeline, enhance the food and beverage offer for more of our hotel guests and improve the performance of our branded restaurant estate.

“Over the next 24 months, we plan to replace around 112 of our lower-returning branded restaurants with integrated restaurants and use the vacated space to add new higher-returning hotel rooms to help meet strong demand.

“We are planning to exit 126 branded restaurants; they will continue to operate as they do now so that they can be sold as going concerns. Of these restaurants, we have agreed to sell 21 for £28m.”

Last month, KentOnline revealed how the Beefeater restaurant neighbouring Premier Inn on Eureka Leisure Park in Ashford is up for sale.

Bosses have asked Ashford Borough Council (ABC) for permission to extend the hotel by three storeys, which could see a net increase of 13 rooms and a new breakfast area.

Elsewhere, The Woolpack Beefeater at Ashford North Premier Inn near Hothfield will remain “trading as usual”, Whitbread has confirmed.

In Folkestone, the Premier Inn in Cherry Garden Lane is also in line for expansion.

Plans have been submitted to Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) for a three-storey extension of the site.

The extension would provide 24 additional bedrooms.

The Cookhouse and Pub which is part of this site – The Brickfield – remains open.

A decision is expected to be made by FHDC by October 1.