Travelodge has announced the next wave of its ongoing expansion programme in the UK. 

The group expects to open 15 new hotels across the UK in 2017, creating 325 new jobs and growing its network of hotels to 558 locations in the UK, Spain and Ireland.  The new hotels will be developed by third party investors, with an approximate equivalent investment value of £125 million.

These new hotels continue Travelodge’s drive to extend its reach for business customers and to benefit from the growing trend for customers to combine retail and leisure in a single trip.  In addition to new business-focused hotels in cities including Newcastle and York, the group expects to open four further hotels in 2017 that are ideally positioned for major regional shopping and leisure centres, including a new hotel by the lake at the Lakeside shopping centre.

Each of the new hotels will feature the next generation of the company’s ‘Travelodgical’ contemporary room design.  Together with the Travelodge Dreamer bed, this now includes new bedside USB charging points, new softer LED ceiling lighting, giving the room a warmer feel, a new Italian acoustic door, to help create better conditions for sleep, comfort cooling and Samsung 32 inch digital televisions. Ten of the new Travelodge hotels opening this year will also include a bar café restaurant, bringing the number of Travelodge hotels with on-site restaurants to 174.

The group also announces the commencement of construction of the group’s largest ever new build hotel, a 395-room property in the heart of the City of London, expected to open in 2018.  This new hotel, with an on-site restaurant will be located on Middlesex Street, in the heart of the City, close to the Gherkin. The investor is Freshwater Group.

Peter Gowers, Travelodge Chief Executive said: “The march of the low-cost hotel sector continues, fuelled by businesses looking to reduce travel costs and the new generation of independent leisure travellers.  To meet the growing demand, we are adding further capacity in key cities and expanding to new markets. The start of construction on our new flagship 395 room hotel in the heart of the City of London is another milestone for our growth.  Together with the 15 new hotels we expect to open this year, this will continue the ongoing transformation of Travelodge into a high quality, low-cost brand for both business and leisure.

“The UK still lags major markets like the United States in its provision of good quality, low cost hotels.  More than 1 in 3 hotels in the US are branded budget, compared to around 1 in 5 in the UK.  With room to grow, we have identified 250 further locations where we believe we can take Travelodge over the years ahead.  We expect to further extend our national network and also to add more rooms in London, where with average hotel prices currently at almost twice the level of the UK regions, customers are crying out for more good quality, low-cost places to stay.”

The 15 Travelodge hotels expected to open in 2017 are listed below:

• London Brent Cross
• London Bromley Shopping Centre
• London Romford Quadrant (Shopping Centre)
• London Wood Green Shopping Centre
• London Harrow
• Bath (Westgate)
• Dudley
• Inverness
• Newcastle (Swing Bridge)
• Peterhead
• Redhill
• Stirling
• Thurrock (Lakeside Shopping Centre)
• West Bromwich
• York (Layerthorpe)

Click here for full story: