Travelodge rolls-out new budget-luxe design in 60 hotels

Travelodge has announced it is transforming 60 hotels to a new “budget-luxe” premium look and feel design. According to the brand, this new design has been created on the success of the group’s “budget chic” hotel format, TravelodgePLUS with feedback from the company’s consumer study. The Travelodge interiors team have remodelled its core product with a new budget-luxe design that includes all the low cost efficiencies but with the added benefit of “thoughtful, stylish design and homely” touches throughout its interiors. The brand’s budget-luxe design also includes a number of sustainable initiatives. This includes the new carpet being made from recycled fishing nets which are part of a project supporting clean ocean initiatives, tackling over 640k tonnes of discarded fishing nets currently impacting marine life. Travelodge said the new design includes a “timeless classic”, elegant style reception which is the hub of the hotel. A next generation room which has been smartly devised to create a multi-dimensional space by utilising the new signature Travelodge navy blue colour for the R&R (resting and relaxing) section of the room, plus a contemporary designed restaurant called the Bar Café - that features spaces for guests to work, relax and socialise. The carpet backing is also made of old plastic bottles. Every ten of these bottles which are recycled rather than being sent to landfill saves enough energy to power a laptop for 25 hours. The other features include low energy lighting, motion sensing controls and aerated showers and taps The group said it intends to roll out its new budget-luxe design across its UK estate and has kick-started this programme with a multi-million pound investment to upgrade the 60 hotels this year in business and staycation destinations across the UK. Five of these hotels will be completed this month, including three hotels in London at Southwark, Vauxhall and Wembley as well as Southampton and Thame (Oxfordshire) close to Travelodge’s headquarters. Craig Bonnar, Travelodge chief executive, said: “Travelodge has been a trailblazer within the UK hotel sector since it opened the UK’s first budget hotel in 1985. Today we are once again evolving by launching a new budget-luxe premium look and feel hotel design whilst maintaining our great value price proposition. “This is our most radical transformation to date and has been created in response to ever increasing expectations from customers. Britain is now a nation of budget travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type and thoughtful, stylish design and homely touches really matter in today’s world when staying away for business or leisure.”