Travelodge opens collection of new hotels in Spain as hotel chain continues its expansion

Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel brand which operates over 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, continues its Spanish expansion and has today announced the opening of five new Travelodge hotels; Alicante Puerto, Barcelona del Valles, Madrid Alcala de Henares, Malaga Aeropuerto and Murcia, totalling 635 rooms.

The hotels opened for business under the Travelodge brand on 31st May, following the recent acquisition from Louvre Group. The addition of these hotels to Travelodge’s existing strongly performing Spanish portfolio of six hotels offers guests further choice, ensuring that good quality and value accommodation is more accessible for both business and leisure travellers across the country.

Last year, Travelodge announced its strategic expansion programme in Spain, as part of the group’s overall development strategy. This expansion programme reflects the key findings from comprehensive research, including a study of the Spanish hotel market that the group commissioned from Christie & Co. Research showed that Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world and one of the fastest growing hotel markets across the globe, but there is a significant gap for branded, low cost and good quality accommodation in the midscale and economy segment. This growing segment points favourably towards modern travellers who are looking for affordable accommodation options.

At present, the Spanish hotel market is dominated by independent hotel owners, franchise and management agreement operators and shorter leasehold operators. However, the research has shown that investors are increasingly looking for stable long term income streams in support of Spain’s growing tourism industry. This fits well with Travelodge’s traditional long term fixed lease model, as used in the UK. The group has nearly four decades of expertise in operating budget hotels, a strong brand, and a proven successful long term lease model in place. Therefore, it can also offer investors and landlords an alternative long term income stream in Spain as well as acquiring freeholds.

To help capitalise on this Spanish growth opportunity, Travelodge has identified 20 initial target locations – areas that currently have a shortage of good quality, economy branded accommodation. Target locations include: Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Bilbao, Cádiz, Málaga, Palma Mallorca, San Sebastián, Seville, Benidorm, Córdoba, Gerona, Granada, Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Santiago de Compostela, Santander, Tarragona, Valladolid and Zaragoza.

We are delighted to expand our offering across Spain by opening these new hotels, including our first hotels in Alicante, Murcia and Malaga, as well as adding to our existing estate in Madrid and Barcelona. Each location is carefully selected to suit the needs of the modern business and leisure traveller and we look forward to welcoming our guests at these fantastic new additions to our growing hotel portfolio.

The Spanish hotel market is growing at pace and we want to take this opportunity to take the Travelodge brand to new business and leisure locations across Spain. There are significant ongoing opportunities for our business, with the potential to offer good value and quality accommodation in many more locations across the country.

We look forward to working with our new colleagues, and growing our hotel network, providing further choice and great value to business and leisure travellers across Spain. Steve Bennett, Chief Property and Development Officer, Travelodge

Travelodge already operates a successful leased hotel model in Spain and has been trading in the country for 20 years. The company opened its first hotel in Madrid (Torrelaguna) in 2004, which was followed by Barcelona Fira (2006), Valencia Airport (2011), Barcelona Poblenou and Madrid Metropolitano, formerly Madrid Alcala (both 2013). Last year, Travelodge opened Madrid Coslada Aeropuerto, its first opening in Spain in 10 years.

The Travelodge management team in Spain is led by Ángel Beleño, who joined Travelodge in 2013 as Director of Operations and then was appointed General Director for Spain in 2014. Ángel has been working in the hotel sector for more than 20 years. Before joining Travelodge, Ángel worked for Meliá Hotels International and Barceló Hotels & Resorts in Spain and Mexico.

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