Travelodge is looking for a further 300 hotel locations across the UK and welcomes the opportunity to work with major hospitality companies and retailers on mixed development schemes to support this expansion programme

Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, which operates nearly 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland, and Spain, is delighted to announce it has entered a sublet agreement with Popeyes Louisiana Chicken. The global brand, which is renowned for its ‘Shatter Crunch’ chicken, is taking the UK by storm and has opened one of its first UK drive-thru restaurants at the Northampton Upton Way Travelodge hotel site.

In a unique sublet deal, Popeyes UK is the latest retail brand to join the Travelodge mixed-scheme development partnership portfolio.  

Over the last three decades, Travelodge, the pioneering hotel chain has been the first hotel brand to partner-up with a number of household brands in a variety of mixed use developments alongside other complementary uses – such as retail, food & beverage, coffee shops and drive-thrus.  This includes Travelodge hotels operating alongside a popular retail brand such as Starbucks, Subway, McDonalds and now Popeyes Louisiana Chicken.   

Travelodge was also the first hotel brand to partner with some of Britain’s biggest supermarkets and retailers such as: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Home Bargains and Waitrose – making it easier for customers to pick up essentials during their stay.

Today, over a third of Travelodge hotels are located within a mixed development scheme with household brands. Detailed are some of the brands that Travelodge has worked with in development partnership programmes.   

Travelodge is keen to expand its development brand partnerships as part of its UK expansion programme which includes looking for a further 300 hotel sites across the country. Mixed-use development is gaining popularity not just in the UK but across the globe as it is becoming a more prominent feature of planning policy, with the aim of revitalising urban centres and generating benefits for all stakeholders and the community. It also reduces the neighbourhood carbon footprint and minimises air pollution.   

In addition it spurs revitalisation, supports regeneration and enhances an area’s unique identity and development potential by promoting a sense of place and community.

Also certain brands such as Travelodge can influence other brands to invest into the programme and enhance the customer experience. For example our London Manor House Travelodge is a part of a mixed-use, new development, including a Co-Op convenience store, a coffee shop and a hostel.

From the 300 hotel locations where Travelodge is actively looking to open a hotel – 120 of these locations currently do not have a Travelodge hotel and fifty of these sites do not currently have a branded budget hotel. Therefore opening a Travelodge in these locations would greatly impact on the town’s economy and attract more business and leisure visitors to the area. Collectively this expansion programme could create around 9,000 new jobs across the UK.

The Popeyes drive-thru restaurant is located at the site of the first Travelodge hotel in Northampton at Walter Tull Way, Upton, Northampton.

Today, Travelodge operates ten hotels across Northamptonshire and the group has also recently acquired the lease of the Ibis hotel in Wellingborough and is actively looking for a further hotel in Corby. 

Steve Bennett, Travelodge, Chief Property & Development Officer, said: “We are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to develop our estate and enhance the customer journey. We have experience of working with major retailers and hospitality companies to help maximise development opportunities to support local growth, job creation and regeneration. As pioneers of the budget hotel sector, we are delighted to enter a sublet agreement with Popeyes and to offer the first hotel drive-thru restaurant at our Northampton Upton Way Travelodge site.”

“As we look to the future, we have identified that we can grow our business with a further 300 hotels across the UK and we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with Popeyes as well as other major retailers and hospitality companies on mixed-development schemes. This investment  from third party investors will help to create around 9,000 new jobs, support local economies and importantly give our guests a great base location for their business and leisure trips.”   

Travelodge currently has opportunities for retail sublets across the UK – for further information please visit: www.travelodgeproperty.co.uk  

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