Paul will join the company, which runs Premier Inn, in early January before succeeding current boss Alison Brittain at the end of the 2023 financial year.
He most recently served as chief executive of Domino’s Pizza Group and was previously a member of Whitbread’s executive committee during a three-year tenure as managing director of Costa Coffee.
Further to his time at Royal, which he left in March 2016, Paul has also held senior roles at easyJet, British Midland and British Airways.
He said: “Whitbread has a well-founded strategy, a very strong customer proposition, and significant opportunities for future growth. I am looking forward to working with Adam [Crozier, Whitbread chair] and the whole Whitbread team to deliver for our customers, teams, and shareholders."
