23rd June 2015

TRAVELODGE IS THIRTY 

The UK’s first budget hotel brand turns 30 

Receptionists Joan Cable and Judy Harper both celebrate 30 years with Travelodge too

It started with a single customer paying £19.50 for a room for the night and now – 500 million web visits, 25 million breakfasts and 220,000 abandoned books later – Travelodge is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Guests have enjoyed an estimated 880 million hours of sleep, 50 million sausages and 10,950 sunrises and sunsets since Britain’s first budget hotel opened – the ‘Burton A38 (Northbound) Travelodge’  in 1985.

They’ve left behind a weird and wonderful array of items, including the deeds to a £2million house, the keys to a Maserati, the original wand used by Harry Potter in the hit films, a script for a well-known TV soap opera, a life size Dalek and a full-scale Santa’s grotto – complete with tree and reindeer.

In addition, customers have also had Travelodge staff scratching their heads with bizarre queries and requests, such as:

- “Can you tell me how many beans are included in my breakfast?”
- “How many stars are in the sky tonight?”
- “How do I cross the M25”,
- “Can I practice my presentation in mandarin to you?”
- “Can my boss be dropped off by helicopter in your hotel car park?”
- “Can I borrow your suit as I have a job interview in the morning?”
- “Can you do my son’s maths homework?” and “Do you have any rooms I can clean?  I like to clean.” 

Starting with a team of just 10 in 1985, Travelodge has grown into the UK’s largest independent hotel chain with 10,000 employees, 521 hotels across  England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Spain. It’s also the biggest hotel brand in London and Edinburgh.   

The company has also recently undergone the biggest makeover in its history - a £100 million modernisation programme which includes a new upgraded modern room designed by its customers.  In addition 38,000 beds have been replaced with a new bespoke luxurious king size beds – called the Travelodge Dreamer.  Also truckle beds have been introduced for children.  All the beds laid end-to-end, would stretch 46 miles.

Peter Gowers, Travelodge Chief Executive said: “This year we celebrate our 30th anniversary.  It’s a great time to celebrate the terrific work that has been done over the last three decades and to look forward to the years ahead.

“Today, Travelodge is an iconic British brand, famous for offering unbeatable value and making travel affordable for everyone.  The company’s success has only been possible due to the great team work that takes place every day across the business. 

“As we look to the next 30 years, the future looks very bright.  We are making really great progress on our journey to make Travelodge the favourite hotel for value.  We will continue to grow our business, develop our people, open hundreds of hotels in great locations and create thousands of jobs across Britain and beyond.”

As part of Travelodge’s journey over the last three decades, there are two irrepressible receptionists, Joan Cable, 79 and Judy Harper, 68 who have been welcoming customers at the first Travelodge hotel located in Burton, Staffs, on the A38 northbound, since it opened its doors in June 1985.

Grandmother-of-two Joan still works four eight-hour shifts per week and has had only one day sick off in 30 years due to a tummy bug in 2013, and has “no plans to retire any time soon”.

Joan Cable said: “I love my job today as much as I did 30 years ago. There have been a lot of changes over the last three decades but the one thing that has stayed the same is, making customers feel welcome remains at the heart of our business. It’s one of the best parts of my job.

“I love meeting people from all walks of life. Today we have lots of business people staying in our hotel during the week and families at the weekend.  

“I have no plans to retire, I love interacting with a range of people and helping to make a difference to their day, so there is no way I would give it up.” 

Judy Harper, who has five grandchildren, said: “I cannot believe how much Travelodge has grown in the last 30 years. I never imagined that the company would be as big as it is today. 

“Travelodge has definitely changed for the better but has stayed true to offering good value.  

“Over the last 30 years I have helped lots of colleagues climb the career ladder into a management position but I have never wanted a promotion, as I love being at the front end and helping customers. It’s what I love most about my job.”  

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors:

For further information, please contact:

Travelodge Press Office on: 01844 358 703

 

email: pressoffice@travelodge.co.uk