Travelodge UK Announces New Franchise Contracts And The Transfer Of Hotels To New Operators
Following the successful completion of its financial restructuring and CVA in October 2012, Travelodge, the UK's leading budget hotel company, has been working with the landlords of 49 hotels to identify new operators. Further to this process, Travelodge today announces that it has signed a new franchise contract for seven hotels with Moto, the UK's largest provider of motorway service areas.
Under the terms of the franchise agreements, the hotels will be transferred to new owners but will continue to be operated and managed by Travelodge. The new owners will be responsible for fully refurbishing these properties in line with Travelodge's new room design and refurbishment programme which was launched earlier this year.
Travelodge also announces today that it has transferred 18 hotels and the majority of staff to new operators; which includes: Best Western, Ibis and Metro Inns.
Existing bookings at these hotels have either been transferred to adjacent Travelodge hotels or will be honoured by the new operators.
Four of the properties under new ownership will be re-opened as new businesses (Two properties are being converted into student accommodation and the other two properties are being converted into an events & meeting rooms venue and staff accommodation for JCB).
Travelodge will continue to work closely with the landlords of the remaining 11 hotels to find suitable new operators and in the meantime these hotels will continue to operate under the Travelodge brand as normal.
Commenting on today's announcements, Travelodge CEO Grant Hearn, said: "It is great news that we have been able to find new operators and introduce franchise contracts for the majority of these hotels. We were always confident that we would secure a future for these properties and the deals that have taken place just demonstrate the huge strength of the Travelodge brand and the success of our operations model."
"Going forward, we are very excited to continue to grow our business, strengthen our product offering and make Travelodge the best value hotel chain in the UK.
"Our £57million refurbishment programme is well underway and by the end of this year we will have refurbished more than 50% of our hotel rooms. By autumn 2014, almost 90% of Travelodge's estate will incorporate the new room design. This equates to an average of more than 50 Travelodge rooms being refurbished every single day for the next 18 months.
"Initial feedback from our customers in regards to the new room design has been fantastic. There is no doubt the hero of our new room is certainly the Travelodge Dreamer bed".
About Travelodge
Founded in 1985, Travelodge is Britain's very first budget hotel chain and today is one of the largest budget hotel chains in the UK, with a portfolio of over 600 hotels and over 47,000 bedrooms across the UK, Ireland and Spain.
In Spain, Travelodge has an established profitable presence and as of April 2024, its portfolio doubled to 12 hotels, having recently acquired a further six properties. Travelodge has ambitious growth plans within this market and has identified the top 20 key locations where it would like to open additional hotels in Spain.
Welcoming over 22 million guests annually across the UK, Ireland and Spain, the majority of Travelodge hotels are located in major cities, towns and holiday hotspots as well as by airports and key business hubs. With 90% of its hotels rated 4* or above on TripAdvisor, Travelodge is proud to offer guests across its diverse customer base a good value experience – whether they are travelling for business or leisure. In 2023, approximately 50% of rooms were sold for less than £60.
Whether out celebrating a birthday, going to a concert or sporting event, visiting friends and family, taking a business trip, working away from home, or taking a short break, we help people to go and do their thing by Being the Brilliant Base.
Travelodge continues to invest in its ongoing hotel refit programme which is expected to see 50% of the Travelodge room estate upgraded to its new design by the end of 2024. The brand is also continually evolving its quality offering to deliver a better experience for its diverse mix of business and leisure guests such as its new look Bar Cafe design, 85 Bar Café, which has been rolled out to selected UK hotels as part of the refit programme.
Travelodge is focussing on its environmental and social impact, with sustainability integral to its business strategy. It's Better Future sustainability plan aims to build a more sustainable future for its customers, colleagues and the planet, and it is underpinned by three core pillars: Inclusive – ensuring we are accessible, inclusive and well-priced to our customers and colleagues; Caring – creating a caring and healthy environment for our colleagues and customers and ensuring their wellbeing; and Conscious – Travelodge is conscious of its impact on the planet, taking into account the waste it produces, the energy and other resources it consumes and the carbon emissions it generates.
For further information visit travelodge.co.uk or the Travelodge Hotels Limited LinkedIn page.