Today, Travelodge has announced that it has successfully secured planning permission for a 111-bed hotel in the heart of Twickenham, on London Road. The new build hotel will be an £7.5m investment to the town, as well as creating 30 new jobs in the area. All entry level staff will be recruited via Travelodge's employment scheme with the Job Centre Plus, helping the local long-term unemployed get back in to work.
Planning permission for the hotel was approved by the Planning Inspectorate after a public enquiry, which looked in to the appeal against the original planning refusal by Richmond Upon Thames London Borough Council.
The development, led by Travelodge will start construction this summer and is expected to complete in Autumn 2011. This is in line with Travelodge's pledge to become the single biggest hotel brand in London by the time of the Olympics, with a view to creating 20 new hotels in London, providing 3,500 hotel rooms. This will create 750 new jobs and make Travelodge the capitals largest hotelier, with 7,000 rooms.
The London growth drive is part or the hotel chains unparalleled national openings programme. This year it aims to add a further 26 new hotels (2,000 new rooms) to its 397-strong hotel estate, with the ultimate goal of around 1000 hotels by 2020 targeting a 10% share of the UK hotel market.
Located in the centre of Twickenham, adjacent to the train station and near to Twickenham Stadium, the hotel will be in a prime location for both the business and leisure traveller. The hotel will be in the best location for visiting Rugby fans when England hosts the international Rugby World Cup in 2015, encouraging fans to save on hotel costs and spend their money in the town.
Travelodge's customer research shows that the average Travelodge customer spends an average of £36 a day in local shops and restaurants during their stay. This means that during the first year of operation, Travelodges customers will add an additional £1.7m tourism spend to the town and borough.
Travelodge's Managing Director for Development and International, Paul Harvey commented:
"We are extremely pleased to have secured planning permission at such a key site in Twickenham. There is currently no hotel accommodation of any kind in the town centre and we believe the Travelodge will be a great addition to the town, providing much needed, affordable accommodation for the many visitors Twickenham receives. We want to give travellers every reason to visit Twickenham and stay longer - we see increasing the availability of low cost accommodation in the area as being central to achieving this objective."
On granting the consent for planning, the Planning Inspector commented:
"The proposed development is a high quality design that is appropriate in its context, and has improved the character and quality of the area in which it lies .I consider that it deals in a generally exemplary way with the constraints of the site and the opportunities afforded by it."
Chief Executive of Blackfriars Investments Ltd, Malory Clifford said:
"Blackfriars Investments has a successful track record of securing planning consents for prominent locations within the London boroughs. We advised the owners Aviva Investors Pensions Ltd on this flagship site in the town, with the help of architects Dexter Moren Associates. There is no doubt that once the hotel is built, it will be a worthy and beneficial addition to Twickenham and will create a substantial number of jobs."
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Notes to Editors:
About Travelodge:
The first budget hotel brand to launch in the UK in 1985, Travelodge now operates over 390 hotels 28,000 rooms ten in Ireland, three in Spain and the rest in the UK. Travelodge plans to grow its estate to 70,000 rooms (approximately 1000 hotels) by 2020.
Six and a half million people stayed with Travelodge last year and 87% of reservations are currently made online at travelodge.co.uk, where room rates start at £19 a night. The chain employs 5,500 staff and is owned by Dubai International Capital.
Hotel design:
The hotel has been designed by Architects Dextor Moren Associates.
Images:
Visuals of the hotel are available on request.