Travelodge plans a £100 million expansion by targeting the UK’s largest conference and event centre locations.
The budget chain will create around 300 new jobs across the UK.
Travelodge wants to expand its current portfolio of 39 conference and event located hotels with a further ten properties.
The company is actively looking for new hotel sites in ten conference and event centre locations:
1 ACC Liverpool & Echo Arena (Liverpool)
2 Alexandra Palace (London)
3 Bournemouth International Centre
4 Brighton Centre
5 Edinburgh International Conference Centre
6 Manchester Central Convention Complex
7 Olympia (London)
8 Queen Elizabeth Centre (London)
9 Ricoh Arena & Coventry Conference Centre (Coventry)
10 The SEC Centre (Glasgow)
The UK events sector contributes an estimated £42 billion to the economy in terms of direct spend by event delegates, attendees and organisers. This includes £19.9 billion spend for conferences & meetings and £11 billion for exhibitions and trade fairs.
UK venues hosted an average of 373 conferences and meetings last year with an estimated 93 million delegates accounting for about 147.4 million delegate days. The average duration for conferences and meetings was 1.6 days.
The opening of a £6 million, 68-room Telford Travelodge by Telford International Conference Centre means that the company now operates hotels close to the UK’s top 20 largest conference and event centres.
Travelodge claims half of its bookings come from business travellers, including those from corporates, FTSE companies, SME’s, entrepreneurs and the government.
Travelodge managing director, property, Paul Harvey, said: “Britain’s events sector is growing from strength to strength and we are delighted to open our 567th Travelodge by Telford International Centre.
“With this opening we now operate hotels by the UK’s top 20 largest conference and event centres.
“However, due to the growing volume of events taking place across the country, there is a shortage of good quality and low cost accommodation close to event venues.
“Our hotels located close to conference and event centres are literally booked out as soon as event dates are released and value seeking attendees will even book into a Travelodge up to 20 miles from the event venue.
“Therefore in response to the growing events market, we are actively searching to extend our network with a further ten hotels close to UK popular conference and events centres.
“This expansion will offer more choice and greater value to delegates and eventgoers, whilst supporting the local economy.
“Collectively it represents an investment of £100 million for third party investors and will create around 300 new jobs across the country.”