Travelodge site to open in Rotherham

Travelodge has announced it is set to open a new site in Rotherham, with construction underway on the town’s first branded hotel. Rotherham Travelodge, a 69-room hotel, will be the group’s 36th hotel in Yorkshire as well as the county’s first new-build, budget-luxe Travelodge hotel. It represents a multi-million investment for the landlord, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, and will create around 25 new jobs within the community. The hotel is being developed by nationwide placemaker, Muse, and the contractor is Bowmer and Kirkland. It is scheduled to open in 2024. Earlier this year, Travelodge announced it is evolving its core brand to a “new, budget-luxe, premium look and feel design”, following the group’s budget chic hotel format, TravelodgePLUS, with feedback from the company’s largest consumer study. The hotel is also part of a wider regeneration project, Forge Island, being developed by Muse and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The scheme is 100% pre-let and, once complete, the new destination will feature a new, boutique, eight-screen cinema from The Arc. Five food and beverage brands have already signed up to the scheme, with a sixth to be announced shortly. Tony O’Brien, Travelodge UK Development director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to bring Travelodge, the town’s first branded hotel to Rotherham town centre. “This hotel will help to attract new business and leisure customers to the area. It is also a great example of town centre regeneration, bringing an old, derelict, former industrial site back into beneficial, economic use. Schemes like this take years of hard work and it's great to be working with such a progressive, enthusiastic Council and its excellent development delivery partner, Muse.” He added: “Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is doing a great job in investing to regenerate the town centre. Its funding support has enabled the delivery of this development at a time when private sector funding is in very scarce supply. “This will be of great benefit to the Rotherham community for many years to come. Forge Island is a great addition to the town centre and will support the existing shops, attractions such as Rotherham United’s AESSEAL New York stadium, so there will be plenty for Travelodge’s business and leisure customers to enjoy when we open in 2024.” Cllr Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council said: “Forge Island is the single biggest investment in our town centre for decades. It will be the first cinema in the central area for thirty years and the community has waited a very long time to see this work begin. “As we face the difficult economic times ahead, it's more important than ever to redouble our efforts to build a better future on the other side. So this marks a huge step in the right direction in the delivery of our town centre masterplan, towards the kind of town centre that people can be proud of once again."