Today, at the official opening of its third and largest hotel in Derby, Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel brand, announced it’s seeking to open further hotels across Derbyshire. New locations include Derby city centre, Bakewell, Buxton, Chesterfield, Alfreton and Ilkeston.
Derby Cricket Ground Travelodge, the company’s 532nd hotel is a 100-room property with a 65-seat Bar Café and on-site car parking. It represents a property investment of £7 million and has created 26 new jobs.
The hotel is located adjacent to the Derby County Cricket Club and was the former Days Inn hotel. During the last three months the hotel has been modernised at an investment of £1.5 million, which was funded by the landlord
The hotel has been designed in Travelodge new contemporary brand design and includes the company’s latest room concept which has been created by customers. The modern, upgraded room features a bespoke luxurious king-size bed called the ‘Travelodge Dreamer’.
To celebrate, Travelodge opening its third and largest hotel in Derby, an opening event was held, where the Mayor of Derby, Councillor Linda and Tony O’ Brien, Travelodge, UK Development Director officially opened Derby Cricket Ground Travelodge.
With the opening of Derby Cricket Ground Travelodge, the company now operates three hotels in Derby. With two out of the three hotels, being former branded hotels. In 2009 Travelodge took over the management of the Purple hotel, Derby Pride and Days Inn in 2016. In total Travelodge operates seven hotels in Derbyshire.
Tony O’Brien, Travelodge UK Development Director said: “Derbyshire is a key growth area for Travelodge and we are delighted to be growing our business across the county. Today, not only are we opening our biggest hotel in Derby, we are also announcing that we are looking for new sites, to open more Travelodge hotels in Derbyshire.”
“The local economy is growing at pace and there is an increasing need for good quality accommodation at a great value price from visiting business and leisure travellers; which is why we are looking to expand across Derbyshire.”
“In addition we have invested over £2 million modernising our existing seven hotels in Derbyshire, giving customers an upgraded product offering. This investment includes a new contemporary room design and replacing all beds with a new upgraded luxurious king-size bespoke bed called the ‘Travelodge Dreamer’.
Our third hotel opening in Derby, together with our modernisation investment and expansion programme positions us well in the county as the economy continues to grow.”
The Mayor of Derby, Councillor Linda Winter said: “I am delighted to officially open Travelodge’s third and biggest hotel in Derby. I have been very impressed with the facilities on offer. This Travelodge, on the doorstep of the Derbyshire County Cricket Club, is ideally located to attract both business users and tourists to the area. I hope that the opening goes well and I hope this welcomes other businesses to the area.”
Derby Cricket Ground Travelodge is being managed by Adam Iyer, one of Travelodge’s rising stars. Adam was one of the very first apprentices to join the company’s Junior Management Apprentice programme, when it launched in 2011.
Adam started his apprenticeship at York Central Travelodge and got his first management position a year later as assistant manager at York Central Micklegate Travelodge. In 2014, Adam was ready for a new challenge and took up the position of assistant hotel manager at Scarborough St Nicholas Travelodge. He stayed in this role for 18 months and was then promoted to hotel manager at Harrogate Travelodge.
Adam has now been given the keys to Derby Cricket Ground Travelodge and is in the process of relocating his wife and new born daughter to Derby to join him.
Adam’s has recruited his team via Travelodge’s long standing partnership with Job centre Plus – helping the long term unemployed back to work.
Adam Iyer, Hotel Manager, Derby Cricket Ground Travelodge said: “I am delighted to be managing our largest hotel in Derby. We have got off to a flying start. Customers love our new upgraded contemporary hotel design and with rooms from £29 its great value for visiting travellers. Interesting our new beds are a big hit as we have been inundated with customer requests on how they can get hold of a Travelodge Dreamer Bed for their home.
Rooms on our third and fourth floor are extremely popular as they offer great views of the cricket ground pitch.”
“During the week we are busy with business customers and at the weekend its leisure travellers who are travelling from all corners of the UK to experience the spender of the Derbyshire Dales. This is great news for the local economy as our research shows that annually Travelodge customers will spend over £2 million with local businesses during their stay.”
Derby Cricket Ground Travelodge has been designed in the company’s new contemporary brand design. Rooms have been designed by customers and feature the luxurious king-size Travelodge dreamer bed. To help create a warm and cosy ambiance in the new room so that customers obtain a good quality night’s sleep, Travelodge has worked with a chromotherapy expert and has introduced a sleep inducing colour palette to the room’s décor. The new Travelodge room feature wall has been painted a tranquil blue, as research shows our body clock is programmed to relate the colour blue to the hours of darkness. So when we look at the colour blue, our metabolism slows down, making us feel relaxed and sleepy.
Derby Cricket Ground 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 18 free digital channels, free tea and coffee making facilities, and free Wi-Fi for 30 minutes during every stay.