Travelodge Opens First Hotel in the City of Colchester

Colchester Northern Gateway Travelodge has created 28 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 Colchester Northern Gateway Travelodge – the group’s first hotel in the City of Colchester. 

To mark the official opening of the 90-room Travelodge, an opening event was held on Wednesday, July 10, attended by Steve Bennett, Travelodge Chief Property Officer and Cllr Mark Cory, Portfolio Holder for Resources at Colchester City Council.

The hotel is part of the new Northern Gateway Leisure Park; a 200,000 sq ft leisure park which also includes a sports complex, cinema, restaurants and a business and residential hub. Travelodge’s newest hotel to open is the only hotel situated within this space, providing a brilliant base for those visiting this brand new destination or the surrounding area. The opening of Colchester Northern Gateway Travelodge has also created 28 new jobs for the area.

This hotel has also 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. 

Colchester Northern Gateway 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.

Travelodge considers Essex as a key area for growth and development moving forward, with the brand aiming to nearly double its portfolio in Essex and open a further 13 hotels in the county, including two more hotels in Colchester. 

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, EV car charging and Aerated showers and taps in bathrooms.

Colchester Northern Gateway Travelodge was developed by Turnstone Estates on behalf of Colchester City Council, with this partnership enabling Travelodge to bring in further tourism to the area.

Steve Bennett, Chief Property and Development Officer, Travelodge, said: “We are delighted to announce that our first hotel in the City of Colchester has now opened its doors. With its great location, I have no doubt that our latest hotel offering in Colchester will be a strong addition to the area. We have a fantastic hotel team in place, and already we are receiving very positive feedback from customers.

“We consider Essex as a key area for growth and development for Travelodge, with the group currently searching for 13 new hotels across the county – including two in Colchester. With a diverse range of surrounding complementary businesses, we are confident that Colchester Travelodge Northern Gateway will attract guests from all around.

“I would also like to thank Turnstone Estates, Colchester City Council and all others who have helped us succeed in creating this wonderful hotel.”

Cllr Mark Cory, Portfolio Holder for Resources at Colchester City Council, said: “The opening of the new Travelodge at Colchester’s Northern Gateway marks a key step in realising the full potential of the Leisure Park. This development is an investment in Colchester and the Northern Gateway area. 

“It offers much needed hotel accommodation for Colchester and a range of other exciting entertainment venues. The opening of Travelodge offers opportunities for new guests but also many new jobs for our local area. 

“This whole development creates new job opportunities and helps stimulate our local economy. The Leisure Park sits close to the state of the art Sports Park, developed by the Council, making a fantastic Gateway offering to our City, with so much for visitors and residents to enjoy.”

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.