Travelodge to Open 41 Hotels in 2012 Throughout the United Kingdom

Today Travelodge has announced it will be opening 41 hotels (3610 rooms) this year and creating 1,000 new jobs across the UK.

These new properties, at an investment of GBP246 million, will boost the company’s estate to 537 hotels and over 39,000 rooms.

Eleven of the new Travelodges opening this year are located in London. These 41 new hotel openings will create 880 new jobs across the country. In addition to these positions, Travelodge is also creating a further 120 new apprenticeship places on its successful Junior Management Programme (JuMP), which was launched last year.

The bespoke scheme was developed to support Travelodge’s aggressive growth strategy and to help Britain’s unemployed youngsters back into work. It offers school leavers an alternative career choice to university. The fast-track management programme provides a real job, with the opportunity of on-the-job training throughout the business which is combined with further education, the opportunity to earn up to GBP30,000 and to become a hotel manager in three years, in stark contrast to a university education, which incurs an average debt of over GBP53,000 (according to the BBC) followed by the prospect of an overcrowded jobs market.