Travelodge records biggest development year in more than a decade

Travelodge has recorded its biggest year of development in more than a decade after opening 21 hotels and adding more than 1,800 rooms to its UK estate.

The budget hotel chain said the openings included four new-build properties in Skegness, Harwich, London Beckenham and London Chiswick, alongside 17 hotels acquired from other operators and rebranded under the Travelodge name.

Of the rebrand acquisitions, 12 were freehold or long leasehold, as the group continued to prioritise ownership as part of its growth strategy. Nine of the acquired hotels have already been upgraded to Travelodge’s latest design, with the remainder due to be completed in early 2026.

In London, Travelodge has acquired long leasehold interests in two vacant office buildings opposite Liverpool Street Station, which it plans to convert into a hotel subject to planning permission. The move follows a freehold office acquisition near St Paul’s Cathedral completed in 2024, where a planning application has now been submitted.

The company is also progressing a number of large development projects. Construction is under way on a 182-room hotel in Cardiff, next to the city’s new 16,500-seat indoor arena at Atlantic Wharf. Further new-build schemes are under way in Douglas on the Isle of Man, in London Loughton and as part of Watford’s £500m Riverwell regeneration scheme, close to Watford FC and Watford General Hospital.

Internationally, Travelodge has expanded its Spanish portfolio with the acquisition of a freehold site near central Madrid, due to open as a hotel in 2027, and a freehold hotel in Bilbao, expected to open in early 2026. These additions will take the group’s Spanish estate to 14 hotels, with around 20 further locations identified for future growth.

Sustainability features have been incorporated into new-build developments, including air source heat pumps, LED lighting, motion-sensing controls and water-saving technology. The London Chiswick hotel also includes a living roof.

Alongside its expansion programme, Travelodge said it had continued to invest in its existing estate during 2025, refitting 8,079 rooms and upgrading 47 restaurants to its latest 85 Bar Café format. Around two-thirds of its hotels and rooms have now been upgraded under its refit programme, with further works planned for 2026.

Steve Bennett, chief property officer at Travelodge, said: “2025 has been a standout year for Travelodge and our most significant period of growth in over a decade. Opening 21 new hotels reflects the strength of demand for great-value accommodation in well-connected locations.”