Popular now
Ja Resorts and Hotels plans Dubai portfolio upgrades

Ja Resorts and Hotels plans Dubai portfolio upgrades

IHG to debut Vignette Collection in London with Canary Wharf signing

IHG to debut Vignette Collection in London with Canary Wharf signing

Fergus grows Spain portfolio amid UK demand

Fergus grows Spain portfolio amid UK demand

2026 Programme
09:40 – 10:25 Market Insights

Beyond the Horizon

A sharp, data-driven deep dive into the financial and economic currents shaping the UK hotel industry. The panel will unpack raw macroeconomic data, tying CPI changes and debt finance realities directly to RevPAR, ADR, and disposable guest spend.

Jeavon Lolay
Jeavon LolayLloyds Banking
Dave North
Dave NorthLloyds Banking
10:25 – 11:10 Operations

Frontline Fortitude

Hotel operators are caught in a pincer movement: skyrocketing supply chain and labour costs on one side, guests demanding flawless value on the other. This panel digs into asset management, smart cost-control, and building operational agility across diverse portfolios.

Julie White
Julie WhiteAccor
David Anderson
David AndersonAimbridge EMEA
David Hart
David HartRBH Hospitality
11:30 – 12:15 Leadership

The Modern Anchor

Managing a modern hospitality workforce demands a shift from old-school hierarchy to empathetic, visionary leadership. These industry standard-bearers explore how to inspire loyalty across multi-generational teams, foster open communication, and maintain personal mental resilience.

Christian Masters
Christian Mastersart'otel Hoxton
Caroline Gregory
Caroline GregoryThe Lovat Hotel
Simon Numphud
Simon NumphudAA Media Services
12:15 – 13:00 Events Market

The New Roar of MICE

The MICE sector looks radically different than it did a few years ago. From hyper-personalised retreats to tech-heavy hybrid conventions, this session uncovers what today's corporate planners actually want from a venue — and how to maximise yield per square foot.

Shonali Devereaux
Shonali DevereauxMIA
Varun Shetty
Varun ShettyThe Belfry Resort
14:00 – 14:45 Development

Blueprint for Growth

Despite tight credit markets, the appetite for strategic hotel development remains fierce. Brands and asset managers discuss the shift toward conversions, brand repositioning, and adaptive reuse over ground-up builds.

Tim Davis
Tim DavisPACE Dimensions
Gavin Taylor
Gavin TaylorClermont Hotels
Paul Blackmore
Paul BlackmoreHilton
David JM Orr
David JM OrrResident Hotels
14:45 – 15:30 Technology

Beyond the Buzzwords

AI is already driving revenue and plugging labour gaps. This panel cuts through the jargon to showcase how automated guest messaging, contactless check-ins, and predictive analytics can save thousands of labour hours.

DB
David BeersChoice Hotels
RBH
AI SpecialistRBH Management
CT
Canary PanelistCanary Tech
15:55 – 16:40 People & Culture

People First

Recruitment is tough, but retention is where the real battle is won or lost. Industry leaders share actionable advice on mental health initiatives, flexible working models, and defined career progression pathways.

Mark Lewis
Mark LewisHospitality Action
Suzanne Speak
Suzanne SpeakRadisson Group
16:40 – 17:05 Crisis Management

When the Custard Hits the Fan

In a 24/7 digital world, a single bad incident can escalate into a viral PR nightmare within minutes. A compressed, highly practical session delivering an actionable blueprint for emergency communication and brand protection.

CC
PR Leadership TeamCustard Comm.
Companies Joining Us
Accor Hilton Radisson Aimbridge RBH Hospitality The Resident Clermont The Belfry art'otel Hoxton Lloyds Banking Accor Hilton Radisson Aimbridge RBH Hospitality The Resident Clermont The Belfry art'otel Hoxton Lloyds Banking
Headline Sponsor
Supporters
Become a Sponsor
Interested in partnering?
Please contact Michael Northcott, Editor and Event Director, at mjn@mulberrymedia.co.uk.
Canary Technologies: The #1 AI-powered guest management system. Trusted by 20,000+ hotels, Canary streamlines operations via contactless check-in, AI guest messaging, and secure transactions that reduce chargebacks by 90%.
Hop Software: A cloud-based Property Management System (PMS) built to reduce hotel expenses and drive direct bookings via commission-free engines. It simplifies complex operations for properties of all sizes at a fraction of legacy costs.
HBD Partners: Industry specialists in hospitality recruitment with 30 years of expertise. HBD focuses on sourcing elite talent and interim leadership to help leisure and travel firms achieve their impact goals.
Home > Latest News > Hotels > Travelodge opens first Essex site since lockdown
Travelodge opens first Essex site since lockdown
Official opening of Maldon Travelodge, Essex. Photo by Emma Sheppard

Travelodge opens first Essex site since lockdown

In this episode we speak to Nico Tréguer, co-founder of Roberts and Treguer and The Culpeper Family. Nico spoke about founding the group alongside his longtime friend Gareth, having had a vision for bringing more nature spaces to cities, the planned extension of The Buxton in Spitalfields, and how the site’s storytelling engages guests and the local community, how the Culpeper Family’s core sustainability ethos helped it secure its B-Corp status and why hospitality has a responsibility to educate and innovate when it comes to sustainability.

In association with

Register to get 3 free articles

Register to unlock the article and receive our free newsletter. Join 26,000 other hotel leaders and stay in the know.

No spam Unsubscribe anytime

Want unlimited access? View Plans

Already have an account? Sign in

Travelodge has opened its first hotel in Maldon, marking the first Essex-based hotel in its portfolio to open since lockdown.

The 60-room site took 13 months to complete, and will be the 13th Essex hotel operated by Travelodge. It represents a multi-million investment for third party investors, and has created 15 new jobs within the community. 

The hotel, which has a range of family, double and accessible rooms, has been designed in the company’s brand design. All rooms feature a king-size Travelodge Dreamer bed, mood lighting, “spacious” shelving and charging ports. 

The rooms also feature an en-suite bathroom, power shower, comfort cooling, a 32-inch Freeview TV, free in-room tea & coffee making facilities and access to Wi-Fi.

The site will also operate under the group’s Covid-19 safety and social distance programme, Travelodge Protect +, which has been developed by a cross-functional hygiene strategy team, in line with government guidance. 

The scheme includes multiple measures to keep the site safe, including comprehensive cleaning using an antiviral disinfectant, additional post-clean room checks with digital tracking in place, and the comprehensive training of every hotel team member.

In addition, it will operate with protective reception screens, floor signage, hand sanitiser stations, contactless payments and contactless check-outs.

Will Bone, manager at Maldon Travelodge, said: “This year, Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain celebrates 35 years of making travel affordable for everyone. 

“To mark this milestone, we are delighted to open our first hotel in Maldon, which is also the town’s first branded hotel and our 13th Travelodge in Essex. With this opening we now extend our network of hotels across all corners of the Essex region.”

He added: “With Covid-19 safety measures at the forefront of our business and for customers, 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 TravelodgeProtect+. 

“This safety programme is designed to keep our customers and teams safe and has been implemented into all Travelodge hotels and also features in our new Workington Travelodge hotel.”

Previous Post

CBILS – Why it’s important to the hospitality sector and how it could help you

Next Post

Cycas Hospitality announces five senior hires to drive growth