Today, to celebrate its tenth anniversary in Liverpool, Travelodge, the UK’s fastest growing hotel chain has announced it has invested £18 million and created 60 jobs in Liverpool city centre; with the opening of two new hotels.
Following double digit growth in 2011 and continued strong trading, Travelodge is investing £246 million in 2012 by opening 41 hotels and creating 1,000 jobs this year. These new openings will boost the Company’s estate to 537 hotels and over 39,000 rooms, putting the company well on target to reach 1,000 hotels by 2020.
The first of the two new Travelodge hotels to be opened in Liverpool is located on the Strand, opposite the Albert Dock and was officially opened this morning by: The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Frank Pendergast, The Young Lord Mayor of Liverpool Natasha Taylor, Travelodge CEO Guy Parsons and long service team member, Hedley Elliott - who was the first employee to work at Travelodge’s first hotel in the city back in 2002.
Liverpool Central The Strand Travelodge is the Company’s largest hotel in the city. The 141-room property represents a £10 million investment and has created 30 new jobs within the community. The hotel has been built on the former site of the famous pub, Coopers Emporium, which was built in the 1960’s. Rooms at the new hotel start from £19.
The second Travelodge hotel is scheduled to open in November 2012 and is located on Exchange Street. The 125-room property represents an £8million investment and will create 30 new jobs in the city.
Guy Parsons, Travelodge CEO said: I am very pleased to be opening our largest hotel in Liverpool city centre in our tenth anniversary year. In the last two years we have more than doubled our room stock in Liverpool and by the end of 2012, we will have seven hotels and 522 rooms across the city”
“Annually Liverpool welcomes over 75million business and leisure visitors and in the last two years we have seen a growing trend from travellers seeking good quality, low cost accommodation across the city. Therefore we have targeted Liverpool as one of main focus growth cities.
In addition to these two new hotels, we are also looking for a further three properties in Liverpool. Our target locations are the two Universities and at John Lennon Airport.
“Liverpool Central The Strand Travelodge is off to a flying start and we have experienced high occupancy this week for half term. We are sold out for the Grand National and it looks like the hotel will be booked out for the JLS concert in March too.”
“By attracting new visitors to the city with our £19 room rates, we will also boost the local economy. Our latest opening at the Strand will generate additional revenue of £1.4million each year. As our research highlights that the average Travelodge customer will spend on average £36 per day in local shops, restaurants and bars during their stay”.
Liverpool Central The Strand Travelodge will be managed by Paul Jones, one of the Company’s rising stars. Paul started with Travelodge, four years ago and has successfully climbed the career ladder to become hotel manger of Liverpool’s biggest Travelodge hotel.
Paul’s new hotel team has been recruited via the Job Centre Plus Scheme – which helps the long term unemployed back into work. Over 400 applications were received from all corners of Merseyside for the 30 positions which is a Company record.
Paul Jones, Liverpool Central, The Strand Hotel Manager said: “I was totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of job applications I received for my new hotel opening. There is a great desire for Liverpudlians to work in the vibrant city centre especially for a growing hotel company.”
“Interestingly, on the first day of my training programme with my new team, I made an unbelievable discovery. Alongside myself, I had team members called: John, Richard and George. I was totally flabbergasted that within my team we had namesakes from Liverpool’s most famous boy group, The Beatles. Unfortunately we do not sing as well as the Fab Four.”
The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Frank Prendergast said: “I was very pleased to officially open the new Travelodge. Our visitor economy is booming and this new hotel will offer more choice to the numerous tourists and business people who arrive in the city. Travelodge are showing great confidence in Liverpool and are creating jobs. We are delighted that they are expanding their operations here.”
To celebrate the official opening of Travelodge’s sixth hotel in the city, the hotel chain will be offering customers a complementary Scousebrow kit; so that they can wear the famous brow made famous from hit TV show Desperate Scousewifes. The kit is available upon request from reception.
Liverpool Central, The Strand Travelodge offers a range of rooms which include: family, double and accessible. All of the rooms have been styled in the company’s contemporary room design which includes a red, white and blue colour scheme and mood lighting.
A Travelodge family room caters for either two adults and two children or three adults. Each room has en-suite facilities with eco-friendly showers, a flat screen TV with 18 free digital channels, free tea and coffee making facilities and Wi-Fi.
Travelodge hotels that have a Bar Café offer an ‘eat as much as you like’ breakfast buffet for £7.65 per guest and for each paying adult - two children under the age of 16 eat for free. You can make a 20% saving on breakfast by ordering online and you can order a two course evening online for just £9.95 per person too – just book at www.travelodge.co.uk
For more information about Travelodge and to book a £19 room visit: www.travelodge.co.uk.
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact:
Emma Arthurs on 01844 358703
Notes to editors:
Hotel Address: Liverpool Central The Strand, The Strand, Liverpool, L2 0PP
Tourism investment figure:
*The tourism investment figure is calculated by combining the average occupancy figure with the £36 per person spent whilst staying at the Travelodge hotel in its first year of operation.