This expansion includes the group’s biggest new build hotel to date – its new flagship hotel, London City Travelodge
In addition Travelodge is rolling out a further 400 SuperRooms across London and major UK cities
Today, Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain announces the next stage of its extensive UK expansion programme.
The group expects to open 20 new hotels (over 1,900 rooms) across the UK in 2018, creating 550 new jobs and expanding its network to 578 Travelodge hotels in the UK, Spain and Ireland.
These hotels are being developed by third party investors, with an approximate equivalent investment value of £240 million.
In addition, following the successful roll out of 1,000 SuperRooms, the company’s new premium economy concept in 2017, this year, the group is investing in a further 400 SuperRooms. These will be rolled out to seven more Travelodge hotels in London and regional cities such as: Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester and York. This investment will take the total to 1,400 SuperRooms.
Over the past five years, Travelodge has opened 78 new hotels which represents an approximate investment value of over £600 million for third party investors and created over 2,000 new jobs.
In addition the group has made significant investment in raising the quality levels across its estate during this period. This includes a £100m hotel modernisation programme, launching the premium economy, Super Room product, upgrading the food & beverage offering and improving digital platforms.
On the back of this investment, the group has seen a rise in more corporate and SME business customers staying at Travelodge hotels than ever before. Today business customers represent a higher proportion of overall sales than leisure customers. As a result, the company’s 2018 opening programme is more focused on key business-focused locations.
This includes the group’s largest ever new build hotel to date, London City Travelodge, a 395-room property with on-site restaurant in the heart of the City of London, located on Middlesex Street, close to the Gherkin. The company’s new flagship hotel is expected to open this summer and will boost Travelodge’s London portfolio to over 70 hotels, making it one of the biggest budget hotel operators in the capital.
Other key business locations where Travelodge is opening a hotel this year include: London Acton, London Dagenham and the Port of Dover.
Travelodge’s upgrade investment programme is helping deliver record food & beverage sales and the company is investing in more Bar Café hotels this year. Fourteen out of the 20 new Travelodge hotels opening in 2018 will feature a Bar Café. This will bring the total number of Travelodge hotels with a ‘Bar Café’ offering to 191
Peter Gowers, Travelodge, Chief Executive said:
“Today’s announcement demonstrates Travelodge's continued investment in the UK. Despite the uncertainty caused by Brexit and economic pressures, the UK budget hotel market remains attractive, and we are extending our network to put us where our customers want to be, while creating hundreds of new jobs across the country.”
“Much of our recent success has been driven by our investment in quality and growing appeal to business customers. Our new hotels increasingly serve business locations and more and more customers are choosing our new SuperRooms. The opening of our largest ever new build hotel this year, in the financial district of the city of London, shows just how far Travelodge has travelled since we opened our first 20-room hotel by the side of the A38 in 1985.”
The 20 Travelodge hotels expected to open in 2018 are listed below:
• London City
• London Acton
• London Bromley
• Bury St Edmunds
• Chester Windsor House
• Chippenham
• Dagenham
• Dover
• Gainsborough
• Glasgow
• Gravesend
• Lincoln
• Redruth
• Solihull
• Stirling
• Swindon
• Telford
• Walsall
• Welwyn Garden City
• York
End
For further information, please contact:
The Travelodge Press Office
T: 01844 35 8703