Travelodge to open 20 new hotels this year

Budget UK hotel chain Travelodge has announced that it expects to open 20 new hotels, comprising 1,900 bedrooms, across the UK in 2018. The expansion will bolster its portfolio to a total of 578 hotels in the UK, Ireland and Spain. The new hotels are being developed by third party investors, and have an approximate equivalent investment value of £240m. Following 2017’s successful roll out of 1,000 SuperRooms – the company’s new premium economy concept – it is investing in a further 400 rooms this year in locations including London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester and York. Business focus Over the past five years, Travelodge has opened 78 new hotels with an approximate investment value of over £600m for investors, as well as creating over 2,000 new jobs. The group has also made significant investment in raising the quality levels across its estate during this period. This includes a £100m hotel modernisation programme, the SuperRooms projects, upgrades to the food and beverage offering, and improvements to digital platforms. Following this investment, more corporate and SME business customers are staying at Travelodge hotels than ever before, with business customers now representing a higher proportion of overall sales than leisure customers. As a result, the company’s 2018 opening programme is more focused on business-friendly locations. This includes the group’s largest ever new-build hotel – London City Travelodge, located on Middlesex Street, E1, close to the Gherkin, EC3. The 395-bedroom flagship hotel, with on-site restaurant, is expected to open this summer and will boost Travelodge’s London portfolio to over 70 hotels – making it one of the biggest budget hotel operators in the capital. Other business locations where Travelodge is opening a hotel this year include London Acton, London Dagenham and the Port of Dover. Bar Café concept The company is also investing in more Bar Café hotels this year, with 14 out of 20 new Travelodge hotels opening in 2018 including the offering. This will bring the total number of Travelodge hotels with a Bar Café to 191. Peter Gowers, chief executive of Travelodge, said: “Today’s announcement demonstrates Travelodge’s continued investment in the UK. “Despite the uncertainty caused by Brexit and economic pressures, the UK budget hotel market remains attractive, and we are extending our network to put us where our customers want to be while creating hundreds of new jobs across the country. “The opening of our largest ever new-build hotel this year, in the financial district of the City of London, shows just how far Travelodge has travelled since we opened our first 20-room hotel by the side of the A38 in 1985.”     To send feedback, e-mail amber.rolt@egi.co.uk or tweet @AmberRoltEG or @estatesgazette