Travelodge considers pubs and offices for Metro expansion

The budget hotel operator, which has traditionally opened new-build 60 plus bedroom hotels, said the project allows it to open hotels and develop the brand in locations where larger sites are not available, or where it may not get planning consent.

Travelodge chief executive Guy Parson outlined plans to open 100 Metro Travelodge’s in ‘prime spots’ including affluent London boroughs, major UK cities and popular holiday locations by 2020. The operator will consider smaller properties for re-development such as offices, pubs, old cinemas, snooker halls and retail outlets.

“The ‘Metro’ model will also allow us to expand in our top performing locations where there are few 60 plus room sites available,” said Parson. “Downsizing our hotel building requirements will open hundreds of development opportunities for us.”

Prototype success ​

News of the planned Metro expansion comes following the success of Travelodge’s prototype, a 43-bedroom hotel in a Georgian listed building on Edinburgh’s Rose Street. It has become one of the company’s top performing hotels since opening last year.

The operator has also recently converted 52 Innkeeper’s Lodges to the Travelodge brand following its purchase of the estate from Mitchell’s & Butler last July and claims its Southgate property in the London borough of Enfield, has been full nearly every night since acquiring it.

Parson said: “Following the success of our Edinburgh ‘Metro’ prototype hotel and the conversion of 52 Innkeeper’s Lodges to the Travelodge brand, we have discovered just how profitable smaller hotels can be for us.”

Growth strategy​

The new approach will run alongside Travelodge’s existing growth strategy to expand to 1,100 hotels and 100,000 rooms by 2025. The ‘Metro’ style properties will still be called Travelodge hotels and the room size will be based on a standard double Travelodge room (15sqft)

The new smaller hotels will be run by existing managers of nearby larger Travelodge hotels and will also serve as training grounds for trainee managers, recruited via Travelodge’s new Apprenticeship programme.