19th May 2005

First low-cost hotel to open in centre of Bournemouth.

Rooms from £26 book, book at www.travelodge.co.uk.

Travelodge, the UK's number one budget hotel brand, is opening a new hotel in Bournemouth on Friday 27th May 2005, just in time for (Whitsun) Bank Holiday. The 107-bedroom hotel is located just 5 minutes away from the beach and seafront. It is the first low-cost hotel to open in the centre of Bournemouth. Room rates will start from just £26 per night.

The hotel offers a choice of either a double, family or disabled-access room, each offering a comfortable setting with en-suite bathroom, luxury king size bed, colour TV with in room entertainment which offers pay on demand movies, telephone and Internet services and free tea and coffee making facilities. Free on site car parking is also provided for guests.

The hotel also has a Bar Café that offers a full English breakfast menu - eat as much as you like at £6.50 per head, children under the age of ten years eat for free. Light meals and alcoholic beverages are available during the day and evening.

Guy Parsons, Travelodge, Sales and Marketing Director said: "We are very excited to bring the first low-cost hotel to the centre of Bournemouth. Travelodge is always the smart choice whether staying for business or leisure as our room rates start from just £26, making it fantastic value in comparison to some of the extortionate prices Bournemouth hotels are charging. In some cases a room can cost as much as £150 per night.

We anticipate a rise in British families taking more short breaks this year and Bournemouth is the perfect get-away destination especially with the summer holidays fast approaching. For a family of two adults and two children staying at Travelodge on a £26 room rate, it works out at just £6.50 each, which leaves them more money to spend on local attractions".

Over the next six years Travelodge is planning to open 15,000 new rooms and create over 4,500 new jobs. In 2005 Travelodge is opening a new hotel every ten days and has the biggest expansion programme in place within the UK budget hotel sector. Travelodge has also completed a £20 million refurbishment for all of its hotels within the UK.

For further information please contact:
Shakila Ahmed
PR Manger
Direct Line: 0121 521 6638
Mobile: 07802 702 499

Note to Editor:

Travelodge has 268 hotels throughout the UK, located in most major city centres. Over six million people stay with Travelodge every year

Travelodge room rates start from just £26 per night and £46 Central London These rates are subject to availability and can only be booked online at www.travelodge.co.uk. Rooms can also be booked by calling 08700 850 950
50% of bookings are via the web

Travelodge is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and for the first time since the company began in 1985, Travelodge has developed a new modern brand identity which reflects the warm welcome and good night's sleep that Travelodge offers its customers. Bournemouth Travelodge is one of the first hotels to receive the new brand identity signage internally and externally.

The latest BDRC British Hotel Guest Survey (February 2005) named Travelodge as the joint number one hotel brand in the UK* and the number one budget brand. Travelodge was also named as "The Most Improved Budget Brand".