Today, the UK’s second largest hotel chain, Travelodge, announces its current hotel development schedule. This includes plans to open six UK hotels in 2022 (including the group’s first new build budget-luxe design hotels) and a franchise flagship hotel in Dublin, together with the start of its 2023 new hotel openings programme, with construction started on four new hotels and contracts exchanged for six further future new UK Travelodge hotels in the last 12 months.
Collectively, this proposed UK expansion would represent an investment of approximately £330 million by third party investors and would create around 400 new jobs.
Three of the new Travelodge hotels opening this year will feature the group’s new premium look and feel budget-luxe design. Locations include two sites in London at Docklands and Wimbledon and the group’s first hotel in Hexham.
The Travelodge budget-luxe design has been created based on learnings from the successful TravelodgePLUS budget chic format and via feedback from the company’s largest consumer study - which surveyed around 5,000 UK business and leisure travellers to find the psychographics of the modern budget traveller. Key findings revealed that modern travellers crave style, choice and little homely touches to make it easier to work, rest and relax both inside and outside the room.
In response to this consumer insight, the Travelodge interiors team have remodelled the core product with a new budget-luxe design that includes all the low cost efficiencies you would expect from Travelodge but with the added benefit of thoughtful, stylish design and homely touches throughout its interiors. This is underpinned by the introduction of a new signature rich navy blue brand colour which pays homage to the first iconic Travelodge blue brand colour chosen for its calming and uplifting qualities. In essence all the key essentials that matter to modern business and leisure travellers.
Travelodge is also developing its in-hotel restaurant business with a new upgraded Bar Café concept. Six of the Travelodge hotels opening in 2022 (including the franchise flagship hotel in Dublin) feature the group’s on-site restaurant. In addition three of the hotels under construction and scheduled to open in 2023 will also feature the group’s upgraded Bar Café restaurant. These additions will boost the group’s in-hotel restaurant portfolio to 219 sites.
The group is also continuing the roll-out of its popular SuperRooms, with over half of the hotels currently being built offering this premium economy room concept. The SuperRoom is the group’s premium economy room-type and was the first of its kind to be launched in the UK budget hotel market in 2017. It dials up the comfort factor and is designed for customers who want the choice of a more premium room.
In 2022, the group will open its first new build premium look and feel budget-luxe design Travelodge hotels in London Docklands, Wimbledon and Hexham (North East).
Detailed below are the locations of the six UK Travelodge hotels expected to open in 2022: Four properties are located in London: Docklands, Lewisham, Peckham and Wimbledon, as well as the group’s first hotels in Braintree (Essex) and Hexham (North East).
Interestingly, three of the Travelodge hotels opening this year, Braintree, London Docklands and Wimbledon, are in partnership with Local Authorities, with Docklands and Wimbledon being delivered under lease-wrapper structures. These pioneering development deals help to unlock major redevelopment, create jobs, boost the local economy and provide a long term income stream for Councils.
The group’s franchisee for Ireland, TIFCO, will also officially open their 397-room flagship Travelodge hotel in Dublin city centre financial district.
These hotel openings will collectively boost Travelodge’s network to almost 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain.
The four new hotel openings in London will also increase Travelodge’s presence to over 80hotels across the Capital, covering 31 out of the 33 boroughs – making Travelodge one of the largest hotel brands in London.
2023 Travelodge hotel opening programme underway
Travelodge’s current development schedule also includes four hotels that have started construction and are expected to open in 2023. Three of these properties also feature the new upgraded Bar Café concept and SuperRooms.
Two of these hotels are located in London, at Beckenham and Bermondsey, and the other two properties are in Colchester and Ipswich.
New Travelodge hotel contract exchanges update
Over the last 12 months, Travelodge has also exchanged contracts to develop a further six hotels with third-party investors. Locations include:
● Harwich
● London Loughton/Debden
● Norwich
● Rotherham
● Salisbury
● Waltham Cross
Steve Bennett, Travelodge Chief Property & Development Officer said
“2022 marks an important milestone in the evolution of Travelodge, as we launch our new premium look and feel budget-luxe Travelodge design hotels and expand our estate with new hotels and in-house restaurants . We are seeking to continue this expansion with plans for more than 75 new Travelodge hotels throughout the UK over the next five years, which will create around 2,000 new jobs.”
"As we look to the future, the long-term prospects for low-cost hotels remain strong. Britain has become a nation of value conscious travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type, supporting our plans to expand our hotel network. It is also an interesting time for the property sector; as the Covid pandemic has accelerated major change and opened opportunities for us to take Travelodge to new locations. We are very excited by the next phase of our expansion plan, which will see us deliver more choices in more places than ever before.”
The table below details Travelodge’s current development schedule
Hotels expected to open in 2022
| Travelodge Hotel Location | Bar Café | SuperRooms |
| Braintree | ||
| Dublin (franchise) | ||
| Hexham | ||
| London Docklands | ||
| London Lewisham | ||
| London Peckham | ||
| London Wimbledon |
Hotel developments under early construction expected to open in 2023
| Travelodge Hotel Location | Bar Café | SuperRooms |
| Colchester | ||
| Ipswich | ||
| London Beckenham | ||
| London Bermondsey |
Contracts exchanged for development of the following Travelodge hotels
| Travelodge Hotel Location | Bar Café | SuperRooms |
| Harwich | ||
| London (Loughton Debden), | ||
| Norwich | ||
| Rotherham | ||
| Salisbury | ||
| Waltham Cross |