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Budget hotel chain Travelodge has opened its 574th hotel close to Ashford International railway station.
The group said with the opening of Ashford Town Centre Travelodge, the company now operates hotels close to 200 of the UK’s busiest railway stations. The new 58-room hotel represents an investment of £5m for the landlord, Ashford Borough Council.
Travelodge has also identified 10 “key commuter towns” where it would like to open a hotel close to the railway station which offers a fast service into London. Locations include: Broxbourne, Gillingham (Kent), Haywards Heath, Maidstone, Reading, Shoreham, Stevenage, Tonbridge, Ware and Watford.
Collectively this proposed railway expansion plan would represent an investment of £60m for third party investors and create approximately 300 new jobs.
Tony O’Brien, Travelodge UK property director, said: “We are delighted to open our 574th hotel by Ashford International railway station and cement our presence close to key railway stations that will connect the south and north of Britain via HS1 and HS2 routes. This hotel opening also means we now operate hotels close to the UK’s busiest 200 railway stations.
“Our next stop is to open hotels by railway stations in key commuter towns across the south east that have a fast service into London. These towns are important business locations in their own right and are growing at pace and attracting businesses of all sizes.”
Wendy Spinks, commercial director at HS1 Ltd, added: “HS1 is continuing to drive regeneration throughout Kent by attracting new investment to local areas. The opening of Ashford Town Centre Travelodge will help serve the increase in leisure tourists and business commuters using the high speed services. ”
