Travelodge Opens First Hotel in Rotherham

Travelodge Rotherham Central has created 20 new jobs

Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, which operates more than 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, has officially opened Travelodge Rotherham Central the group’s first hotel in Rotherham, and Rotherham’s first branded hotel.

To mark the official opening of the 69-room Travelodge, an opening event was held on Monday, 22 July, attended by Tony O’Brien, Travelodge UK Development Director, and Cllr Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

The hotel is part of Forge Island, a major urban regeneration project, in a waterside setting, which also includes a cinema, restaurants and leisure businesses. Travelodge is the only hotel provider in the town, providing a brilliant base for those visiting this brand new destination, Rotherham or the surrounding areas. The opening of Travelodge Rotherham Central has also created 20 new jobs for the area.

This hotel has been developed to Travelodge’s new premium design – which is the group’s most significant brand transformation to date. The new design includes a redesigned reception, next-generation rooms, and a number of sustainable building features.

Sustainability has been an important factor when designing the hotel, which has a BREEAM Very Good rating and an Energy Performance Certificate rating of B. The hotel also includes a number of sustainable features such as PV cells (a non-mechanical device that converts sunlight directly into electricity) on the roof, aerated shower heads and taps in bathrooms and EV car charging points in the car park.

Rotherham Central Travelodge also features an upgraded Bar Cafe, which offers an all day dining service and welcomes both hotel guests and passers-by, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner menus as well as light bites and an extensively stocked bar. Healthy options under 600 kcal, vegan and gluten-free dishes are all available. All of this is offered at great value, including the Unlimited Breakfast offer, where two kids under the age of fifteen eat for free.

The Travelodge hotel was delivered by nationwide placemaker, Muse in partnership with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, enabling Travelodge to bring thousands of visitors to the area each year, who will spend hundreds of thousands of pounds in the local shops, bars, restaurants and attractions.

Tony O’Brien, UK Development Director, Travelodge, said: “We are delighted to announce that our first hotel in Rotherham has now opened its doors. With its new premium design and great location, I have no doubt that our hotel in Rotherham will be a strong addition to the area. We have a fantastic hotel team in place, and are already receiving very positive feedback from customers.

“Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is doing a great job in investing to regenerate the town centre. Its funding support has enabled the delivery of this development, at a time when private sector funding is in very scarce supply. This will be of great benefit to the Rotherham community for many years to come. Forge Island is a great addition to the town centre and will support the existing shops and attractions, such as Rotherham United’s AESSEAL New York stadium, so there is plenty for Travelodge’s business and leisure customers to enjoy.”

Cllr Read said: “We are delighted to welcome Travelodge to Rotherham, the first of our tenants to open on Forge Island. The development is the single biggest investment in our town for decades, with our town centre masterplan being a testament to the Council’s dedication to investing in Rotherham’s future.

“We are well on track to officially opening Forge Island to visitors in 2024 and to delivering a fantastic town centre development which will not only benefit the economy but which will provide a fantastic leisure destination in the heart of the town. We thank the community for supporting us as we see this development come to fruition and as we continue to move forward with our plans to provide the kind of town centre that people can be proud of once again.”

Ends

For further information and supporting images, please contact:

The Travelodge Press Office 

E: pressoffice@traveldoge.co.uk

DL: 01844 35 8703  

Notes to Editors

*Travelodge’s unlimited breakfast starts from just £9.99 and includes a selection of items from the grill, the deli and the bakery. For every paying adult, up to two children aged 15 or under, eat for FREE.

**Travelodge’s dining meal deal starting at £14 for 2 courses includes a main and side or dessert. Select from quality dishes including a tasty range of italian stone baked pizzas, popular dishes like chicken tikka masala, cheese, buttermilk and spinach and falafel burgers, pasta arrabbiata, steak and ale pie and our wholefood salad with chicken skewers or falafel for those looking for something healthier. For dessert there’s sticky toffee pudding, decadent chocolate fudge cake, knickerbocker glory and a range of ice creams and sorbets to choose from.

*** Travelodge’s light bites can be selected with a mix-and-match offer for 3 for a set price starting at £11.25. The menu includes loaded nachos and wings, meatballs arrabbiata, garlic & herb flatbread, prawn crackers with sweet chilli sauce, chimichurri chicken skewers and thick cut chips.

From £7.15, children can choose the Little Lodgers Menu kids meal deal which includes four courses plus a drink and includes all the childrens favourites like tomato pasta, fish fingers and chicken goujons.

About Travelodge  

Founded in 1985, Travelodge is Britain’s very first budget hotel chain and today is one of  the largest budget hotel chains in the UK, with a portfolio of over 600 hotels and over 47,000 bedrooms across the UK, Ireland and Spain.  

In Spain, Travelodge has an established profitable presence and as of April 2024, its portfolio doubled to 12 hotels, having recently acquired a further six properties. Travelodge  has ambitious growth plans within this market and has identified the top 20 key locations where it would like to open additional hotels in Spain. 

Welcoming over 22 million guests annually across the UK, Ireland and Spain, the majority of Travelodge hotels are located  in major cities, towns and holiday hotspots as well as by airports and key business hubs.  With 90% of its hotels rated 4* or above on TripAdvisor, Travelodge is proud to offer  guests across its diverse customer base a good value experience – whether they are  travelling for business or leisure. In 2023, approximately 50% of rooms were sold for less  than £60. 

Whether out celebrating a birthday, going to a concert or sporting event, visiting friends and family, taking a business trip, working away from home, or taking a short break, we help people to go and do their thing by Being the Brilliant Base.

Travelodge continues to invest in its ongoing hotel refit programme which is expected to  see 50% of the Travelodge room estate upgraded to its new design by the end of 2024.  The brand is also continually evolving its quality offering to deliver a better experience for  its diverse mix of business and leisure guests such as its new look Bar Cafe design, which has been rolled out to selected UK hotels as part of the refit programme.  

Travelodge is focussing on its environmental and social impact, with sustainability integral to its business strategy. It’s Better Future sustainability plan aims to build a more sustainable future for its customers, colleagues and the planet, and it is underpinned by three core pillars: Inclusive – ensuring we are accessible, inclusive and well-priced to our customers and colleagues; Caring – creating a caring and healthy environment for our colleagues and customers and ensuring their wellbeing; and  Conscious – Travelodge is conscious of its impact on the planet, taking into account the waste it produces, the energy and other resources it consumes and the carbon emissions it generates.  

For further information visit travelodge.co.uk or the Travelodge Hotels Limited LinkedIn page.