Nevertheless, the London-listed firm said demand was “slightly softer” during the weekend in some areas, such as London, which had performed particularly well last year.
The company, which also runs the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre brands, said total group sales increased by 1% to £739 million for the three months to May 30, compared with the same period last year.
Whitbread told investors sales were 1% down year on year over the first seven weeks of the quarter, but saw accommodation demand recover to match the previous year.
“While midweek business demand and peak leisure demand remained robust, weekend demand at short-lead was slightly softer, particularly in London, reflecting a return to more normalised levels after what…