Travelodge buys St Paul’s office for hotel conversion

Travelodge has acquired a 24,000 sq ft office building in the City of London with plans to turn it into a hotel. The company has acquired Genesis House at 17 Godliman Street, EC4, just to the south of St Paul’s Cathedral. According to EG data, the building was owned by private property management firm Nikko. The building is partially occupied by office tenants on short-term leases. Subject to planning approval, it will be converted into a Travelodge hotel comprising 95 bedrooms and a restaurant, the 85 Bar Café. Conversion work is expected to start in early 2026, with the hotel slated to open for business in the first quarter of 2027. Travelodge has identified more than 300 target locations in the UK and plans to explore expansion opportunities within its current portfolio. The budget hotel chain currently operates 82 hotels in London, with a further five developments under way. In October, Travelodge agreed a deal with developer Eastern Iron Works to open an 82-bedroom hotel at 11 Station Road in Upminster on a 25-year lease. Jo Boydell, chief executive at Travelodge, said: “The acquisition of Genesis House marks a positive step in our UK development strategy, as we seek to grow and optimise our estate of hotels and enhance value by diversifying our freehold/leasehold split. “Office-to-hotel conversion is a sustainable way of developing, as it allows us to meet the growing demand for budget hotels while reducing the carbon impact that new development brings.” View market analytics for the City core submarket >>