Travelodge to reopen a further 100 hotels this week

Travelodge has revealed it is accelerating its hotel reopening programme by reopening a further 100 hotels this week and will continue to reopen around 100 hotels per week over the coming weeks. Last week the hotel chain reopened 68 hotels across the country which kick started its reopening programme. The hotel chain which operates 573 hotels across the UK has also invested in a multi-million pound Covid-19 safety and social distance programme called Travelodge Protect + which will feature in all of its reopened hotels. During the lockdown, Travelodge kept 62 hotels open across the UK from Plymouth to Aberdeen to support key workers, less vulnerable groups and local authorities. Travelodge has also taken its “key learnings” whilst operating in the lockdown and launched TravelodgeProtect+ a programme of cleaning and social distancing measures in line with government guidance - designed to keep its customers and teams safe and protected post lockdown. The group said the scheme has been developed by a “dedicated” cross functional hygiene strategy team and will become the way Travelodge operates going forward. The programme includes: Cleaning and hygiene Comprehensive cleaning throughout its hotels using an antiviral disinfectant – effective against Coronavirus Additional post clean room checks with digital tracking in place to ensure consistently high standards Increased cleaning frequency in high touch points in public areas and rooms All linen and towels thermally disinfected Comprehensive training of every hotel team member on cleaning, hygiene and social distancing Installation of customer hand sanitiser stations in key locations in the hotel Social distancing Protective reception screens Signage to mark social distance points throughout the hotel including check-in markings Monitoring the number of customers in a designated area such as the reception area and lifts PPE provided for all hotel team members To minimise contact, housekeeping team members will not enter customer’s rooms during their stay Contactless payment Contactless check-out Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge, spokeswoman said: “We are delighted to be welcoming customers back to our Travelodge hotels and excited to be reopening 100 hotels this week. “With safety at the forefront of our business, we have worked closely with our hotel teams that stayed open during the lockdown, government and industry bodies to develop our new Covid-19 safety programme called Travelodge Protect +. This safety programme is designed to keep our customers and teams safe and has been implemented into all Travelodge hotels.”