Company also announces it is looking for a further five hotel sites in Kent.
Today, the Mayor of Medway, Councillor Barry Kemp, joined Travelodge Revenue Director, Tom Edwards, to officially open the company’s first hotel in Chatham, an acquisition of the former Ramada Encore at the town’s Historic Dockyard.
Chatham Maritime Travelodge, the company’s 524th hotel, is a 90-room hotel with a Bar Café. It represents an investment value of £7 million. Since acquiring the property Travelodge has invested over £600,000 modernising the hotel so that it features the company’s new contemporary brand design throughout.
This investment includes the refurbishment of all rooms with a new concept which has been designed by Travelodge customers. All rooms now feature the new bespoke, luxurious king-size Travelodge Dreamer bed. In addition individual beds have been introduced for children in all family rooms. The hotel reception and Bar Café area has also been updated.
The hotel is being managed by Sarah McSherry who returns to Travelodge after working at the company’s flagship hotel in London Covent Garden from 2007 to 2010. Sarah’s team of 21 have transferred over from the Ramada Encore Chatham hotel.
Travelodge currently operates ten hotels across Kent which have been all been upgraded as part of the company’s £100 million investment programme to deliver a greater quality product and service to customers. These hotels also feature Travelodge’s new room design.
To meet the rising demand from business and leisure customers for good value accommodation, Travelodge has embarked on an expansion drive to open a further 250 hotels across the UK. At today’s opening ceremony, Travelodge Revenue Director Tom Edwards announced that Travelodge is seeking to open a further five hotels across Kent. The locations include: Canterbury, Folkestone, Maidstone, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge.
This proposed expansion programme is expected to represent a total investment value of £35 million and will create 150 new jobs.
Tom Edwards, Travelodge Revenue Director said: “We are delighted to have acquired this hotel in Chatham, as it represents a fantastic addition to our fast growing network of hotels. We have been looking to open a hotel in Chatham for some time, so we are thrilled to have successfully acquired and refitted this site at the Historic Dockyard.
“Our new hotel adds a great value option for visitors and also demonstrates that we are very much in the market to acquire existing hotels and turn them into thriving Travelodge hotels.
“With this opening we have boosted our portfolio in Kent to ten hotels. However, with growing demand for good value and quality accommodation across the county there is still a huge potential for Travelodge to grow further. Therefore we are looking to open another five hotels in Kent, which will create 150 new jobs.”
The Mayor of Medway, Councillor Barry Kemp, said: “I am delighted that Travelodge, the UK’s biggest independent hotel chain, has opened a new hotel here in Medway, so close to the Universities and on the doorstep of the Historic Dockyard, one of the most popular visitor attractions in the area.”
Sarah McSherry, Chatham Maritime Travelodge Hotel Manager said: “Our Chatham Maritime hotel has got off to a flying start. Customers are loving our new contemporary hotel design and we have been inundated with requests on how to get a Travelodge Dreamer Bed.
“We are enjoying high occupancy with business customers throughout the week and with leisure travellers at the weekend. Our bookings forecast for this year looks very strong with the summer period nearly full already.”
Chatham Maritime Travelodge offers a range of rooms which includes: family, double and accessible. A Travelodge family room caters for either two adults and two children or three adults and features separate beds for children.
Each room has en-suite facilities with eco-friendly showers, in-room toiletries including liquid soap, a flat screen TV with free digital channels, free tea and coffee making facilities, and free Wi-Fi for 30 minutes during every stay.
The hotel has also a Bar Café offering the company’s new-look unlimited breakfast, with household name brands including Lavazza Italian coffee, Kellogg’s cereals and Linda McCartney vegetarian options.