Travelodge looks to open further 20 sites north of the Border

Hotel chain Travelodge is looking for a further 20 sites across Scotland after cutting the ribbon on its 44th establishment north of the Border.

Brian Wallace, Travelodges Scots-born chairman. Picture: Contributed

The firm has officially opened its second site in Stirling, the city where it opened its first Scottish budget hotel, in 1986.

The latest hotel – located in the city centre – represents an investment of £6 million for the landlord and has created 26 jobs within the community.

Stirling City Centre Travelodge, which marks the company’s 564th hotel, has 74 rooms and will also feature a bar/cafe facility.

Travelodge described Scotland as a “key growth area”, fuelled by businesses looking to reduce travel costs, a new generation of independent leisure traveller and the boom in staycation breaks.

To meet this demand, the firm is looking to expand its network with a further 20 hotels in locations including Aviemore, East Kilbride, Falkirk, Loch Lomond and St Andrews. It represents some £125m for those involved in the investments and getting on for 400 jobs.

The chain is on schedule to open a 60-room hotel with a bar at Glasgow Queen Elizabeth University Hospital this December.

It is also ready to go on site to build its first hotel in Elgin, which represents an investment of £4m for the landlord and developer, Drum Property Group.

As part of the Scottish expansion plans, Travelodge is looking to replicate the success of a programme it has run south of the Border. The firm is writing to the local councils for each of the locations on its development target list to showcase how it has played a pivotal role in supporting local authorities across England, helping to underpin regeneration, create jobs and boost the economy.

Brian Wallace, Travelodge’s Scots-born chairman said: “We are delighted to open our second hotel in Stirling and bring our great value Bar Café offering to the city. Stirling has a special part in Travelodge’s history as we opened Scotland’s first branded budget hotel in Stirling.

“Over the last three decades, Travelodge has become symbolic for offering great value and today we operate 44 hotels across Scotland.

“The country is growing at pace and attracting visitors from all corners of the globe but there still remains a huge shortage of good quality and great value hotels. Therefore to fill this gap, we are looking to extend our network with a further 20 hotels across Scotland, in up and coming leisure hot-spots and growing business destinations. This expansion represents an investment of £125m for third-party investors.”