Budget hotel chain Travelodge has announced plans to open 20 hotels across the UK this year as part of its expansion programme.
The group says the new properties will represent more than 1,900 rooms and will create 550 new jobs. It will bring its total portfolio in the UK, Spain and Ireland to 578 hotels.
The properties are being developed by third party investors, with an estimated value of £240 million. Fourteen of the 20 will feature Travelodge’s new food and beverage concept, Bar Café.
In addition to the new hotels, Travelodge plans to roll out a further 400 ‘Superrooms’ following the successful launch of 1,000 of the premium rooms in 2017. The extra rooms are planned for properties in London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester and York.
Travelodge has opened 78 hotels in the last five years at an approximate investment of £600 million from third parties. It has also undertaken a £100 million modernisation programme to improve the quality of its hotels, part of which was the introduction of the Superrom concept.
The group says it has seen a rise in demand from corporate bookers, with business travellers now representing a larger proportion of overall sales than the leisure segment. As a result, the group says its 2018 programme will be focused on popular business locations.
Confirmed properties set to open this year include London City, Acton, Dagenham and the Port of Dover, among others.
Peter Gowers, CEO of Travelodge, said: “Today’s announcement demonstrates Travelodge’s continued investment in the UK. Despite the uncertainty cause 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.”
travelodge.co.uk