To celebrate the opening of the first low-cost hotel in the heart of London’s Theatreland, Travelodge is launching ‘Busker Idol’, a search for the UK’s most talented street performer, to prove that quality West End entertainment doesn’t always need big budgets. Celebrating the diverse street life of Covent Garden and its heritage of street performers, the UK Busker Idol competition will search for the nation’s most talented performer from hundreds of hopeful singers, jugglers, comedians and mime artists. The talented winner will receive a room for a year in the new Travelodge on Drury Lane, and be allowed to busk within the grounds of Covent Garden Travelodge whilst allowing them to continue entertaining the crowds in the UK’s most celebrated street performing location.
For a chance to win Travelodge Busker Idol, applicants can register at www.travelodge.co.uk. In additional the public can nominate their favourite street entertainers from cities around the UK via buskeridol@travelodge.co.uk. The finalists will then come together to fight it out face to face in London for the grand final on 18th May 2004.
A panel of five judges including The Opera Babes, who were also discovered busking in Covent Garden, Jean Branch, Head of Music at Chrysalis, Laurence Miller, Managing Director of Jongleurs, Charlie Holland from The Space Circus, and Simon Gregory, sales and marketing director of Travelodge, will put the finalists through their paces and select one winner who will be crowned Busker Idol 2004. The prize is a room for the whole year in Covent Garden Travelodge on Drury Lane.
Simon Gregory said: “For years visitors have been ripped off by extortionate hotel rates in London and this has put a lot of people off visiting our capital. By opening a Travelodge in Covent Garden we’re solving the accommodation issue, by offering good quality accommodation at an affordable price. Entertainment in London is also perceived to be expensive, through our Busker Idol competition we are showing that top quality entertainment doesn’t need to cost the earth either!”
For further information and terms and conditions on Busker Idol please visit www.travelodge.co.uk
For further information please contact: Cohn & Wolff press office on 0207 331 5400 or Shakila Ahmed at Travelodge at 0121 521 6638 or 07802 702 499.
Notes to editors:
- In line with Travelodge’s new pricing strategy rooms will be available at £25.00 at quieter periods, with the maximum price of a room at the Covent Garden Travelodge being £60.00. (£25 rooms are only available online)
- Family rooms can sleep up to four people (two adults and two children, both under 16 years). All rooms are en-suite, with luxury King Size beds, colour TV and free tea and coffee making facilities.
- Travelodge currently has over 240 locations throughout the UK and Ireland. These are conveniently located in most major city centres. Latest opening is at London Covent Garden.
- Travelodge was the first UK lodge brand to launch in the UK in 1985 - Travelodge offers an online booking service at www.travelodge.co.uk and also via telephone on 08700 850 950