In the lead up to Christmas Travelodge is opening 22 new hotels (1949 rooms) across the UK - which equates to one hotel opening every six working days. This is an investment of £125million and a 450 new jobs creation. The hotels will be opening at the following locations:
October:
Hereford
Devizes
Stevenage
Barking - 350th hotel opening
November:
Worthing Seafront
Wolverhampton
December:
Middlesbrough
Borenhamwood
Stratford upon Avon
Chelmsford
Torquay
Ashbourne
Stafford Central
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Tower
Cardiff Atlantic Wharf
Pontypool
Portmadog
Caernarfon
Heathrow Central
Tower of London
Edinburgh
Travelodge are looking to fulfil the 450 new jobs immediately and positions include: Hotel Manager, Assistant Hotel Manager, Receptionist, Night Receptionist, Housekeeper, Guest Room Cleaner and Bar Cafe staff
Paul Harvey, Managing Director for Development at Travelodge said:
"The credit crunch is forcing people to review their spending habits and we are seeing more customers shift to budget hotel accommodation. These 22 new hotels, in some of the top UK locations, will add 1949 new rooms to our portfolio helping us to make hotels available to more people than ever before. We continue to actively seek and pursue, new development and growth opportunities as we are looking to open a further 4000 new rooms in 2009".
Travelodge Growth Plan
Travelodge plans to grow its estate to 70,000 rooms (approximately 1000 hotels) by 2020 and aims to be the biggest operator in London by the 2012 Olympics with over 7,000 rooms in the capital. This will be done via:
New builds
Taking over existing mid market and four / five star hotels (Stevenage Travelodge was a former four star Menzies hotel)
Converting existing office blocks into a Travelodge hotel (Nottingham Central Travelodge use to be a BT office block)
Converting grade II listed buildings into a Travelodge hotel - (Victorian hotel on Eastbourne seafront, Old water Mill in Halifax, Railway station in Durham)
To help seek new sites Travelodge is offering the general public a £25m Bounty in search of hundreds of new hotels across the country in a bid to open an unprecedented 500 additional UK hotels by 2020. Travelodge wants customers, staff and all of the general public to inform them of potential hotel sites by contacting them via its property website www.travelodgedevelopment.co.uk. (There are a number of criteria that needs to be fulfilled to gain the finders' fee).
Travelodge Information:
Travelodge was the first budget hotel brand to launch in the UK and the first hotel opened in 1985 at Burton under Needwood. The concept was developed to support Little Chef breakfast offering i.e. bed and breakfast. The opening room rate was £19.50 and £24.50 for a family room. Today Travelodge wants to make hotels accessible to everyone by offering low cost rooms throughout the UK and offers rooms from £19 (To book visit www.travelodge.co.uk.)
The Travelodge Product:
Last year Travelodge launched a new room and Bar Caf design. All new Travelodge hotels are fitted in this new design
The new Travelodge room has been created in a contemporary style, incorporating a red, white and blue colour scheme with zebrano rich tone furnishings and mood setting coloured lighting. Also included in the room is a digital flat screen TV and Wi-Fi. The rooms ensuite facilities have also been updated to reflect the new style.
Bar Cafe which has also been styled in the red, white and blue colour scheme. It includes three separate areas: 'chill-out lounge' to wind down, a smart dining area and a contemporary bar area.
Travelodge does not offer the frills you find in other hotels which helps to justify their high prices. Travelodge offers the essentials for a comfortable night's sleep. You can choose from a family, double or disabled room. (Family room caters for two adults and two children under the age of 16 or there adults) You just pay for the room and not the number of people staying.
There is an en-suite, luxury kingssize bed, flat screen TV with 18 digital channels, free tea and coffee making facilities. WIFI is available.
All hotels offer a breakfast bag service for £4.50 which is delivered to the room. Hotels that have a Bar Cafe offer a 'Eat as much as you like' breakfast buffet for £7.50 per person and children under the age of 16 eat for free.
For further information please contact
Shakila Ahmed
Travelodge
T 01844 35 8638
Notes to Editor:
Ambitious individuals who are keen to climb the careers ladder, Travelodge offers plenty of opportunities to succeed within the hotel industry. Listed below are two initiatives Travelodge has launched to help its staff progress within the company.
The Fast Track to Management Programme
This is a 12-week programme that effectively fast tracks staff to hotel management. The programme is available to all employees regardless of current position or length of service and to date over 100 staff have promoted to a management position via this method.
Travelodge also offers a six month version of the Fast Track Programme to ensure it provides equal opportunity for staff that require more flexibility working due to young children or personal commitments
Travelodge Foundation Degree in Hospitality Budget Hotel and Retail Management
This is UK's first foundation degree in Hospitality, Budget Hotel and Retail Management - created to service the needs of the budget hotel sector as it trebles in size over the next two decades. Launched in partnership with Westminster Kingsway College the two year course focuses on teaching the theory and practice behind lowcost and retail business models which aim to deliver profit through operating effectively and efficiently.
In addition Travelodge has also launched a Graduate Scheme to find District Managers of the future and to retain its cream of the crop. The programme includes:
3 to 6 months - Graduates will learn the intricacies of hotel management
6 to 9 months - Graduates will enrol on the fast track to management programme
9 to 18 months - Graduates have potential to be appointed an Assistant Hotel Manager in a large hotel
18 months - Graduates have potential to become Hotel Managers
3 to 4 years - Graduates have potential to become a District Manager Managing up to 20 hotels and 300 staff
Also over the last 12 months Travelodge has given jobs to 140 people under a government scheme aimed at getting the longterm unemployed and disadvantaged back into work (LEP Programme) Staff from the LEP scheme are given training with the aim of achieving at least two national vocational qualifications. Those who show promise can find themselves being fast tracked to a management development programme that can lead to promotion to Assistant Hotel Manager and then to Hotel Manager.