Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel brand, which operates 630 hotels across the UK and Spain, has exchanged contracts to develop a new hotel in Bridgend, South Wales – marking its 21st hotel in the region.

The new, 80-room hotel will be created through the conversion of Waterton House, a vacant office building at Waterton Cross, Bridgend, unoccupied since 2022. The site benefits from planning permission for a change of use, with construction expected to begin in May 2026. The development is being delivered in partnership with Wavendon Land Ltd.

The hotel will be refitted in line with Travelodge’s latest brand standards, transforming unused office space into a modern hotel. This approach brings the building back into productive economic use, while avoiding the carbon impact associated with new construction.

Designed to Travelodge’s premium look and feel, the hotel will feature the brand’s popular 85 Bar Café, offering guests a relaxed space to eat, drink, work or unwind, and on site car parking. The hotel will also be highly-sustainable and converted to BREEAM Very Good rating with the inclusion of air source heat pumps and comfort cooling throughout. 

The site is strategically-located at the junction of the A48 and A473, around two miles south of Bridgend town centre, with strong road and rail links. Junction 35 of the M4 is nearby, while Bridgend station offers regular services to London, Cardiff and Swansea. The hotel will also provide on-site parking and access to local bus routes.

Tony O’Brien, UK Development Director at Travelodge, said: “This is a great example of how we can sustainably grow by repurposing vacant buildings. Bridgend is a well-connected location, and this hotel will deliver high-quality, great-value accommodation for both business and leisure travellers.” 

Travelodge now operates over 600 hotels throughout the UK, with a requirement to open more than 300 additional locations.

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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 630 hotels and approximately 49,000 bedrooms across the UK, Ireland and Spain.

In Spain, Travelodge has an established profitable presence and has ambitious growth plans within this market and has identified the top 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 over 93% of its hotels rated 4 dots 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.

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, with over two-thirds of the room estate now featuring the new look and feel across refits and new hotels. 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 Café design, 85 Bar Café, which has been rolled out to selected hotels in the UK and Spain as part of the refit programme.

Travelodge is focusing on its environmental and social impact, with sustainability integral to its business strategy. Its Better Future sustainability plan aims to build a more sustainable future for its customers, colleagues and the planet, 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.