Travelodge will make its debut in Asia next month with the opening of a new hotel in Hong Kong.

A 126-room midscale property on Nathan Road, currently operating as the Hotel Rainbow, will now be refurbished before relaunching as the Travelodge Kowloon in February 2017.

The property, which is located two minutes’ walk from Jordan MTR Station, is being operated in partnership with the Tai Hung Fai Group.

“We are delighted to partner Travelodge Hotels Asia to launch the first Travelodge hotel in Hong Kong. Travelodge as a brand has great recognition and awareness globally amongst travellers in the limited service midscale segment,” said Dr Edwin Leong, chairman of the Tai Hung Fai Group.

“Travelodge’s cost-efficient yet robust distribution platform and the appreciation for practical solutions when working with owners gives us confidence that this partnership will improve the performance of our hotel in the midst of a rather competitive hotel market in Hong Kong.”

The opening of Travelodge Kowloon marks the first phase of Travelodge’s ambitious Asian expansion strategy, with further openings planned in key cities such as Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

The Travelodge brand is already well-established in Australia, where it operates more than 15 properties in key cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. There is also one Travelodge located in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington.

The Asia Pacific midscale brand is unconnected to the large chain of Travelodge budget hotels in the UK.