Travelodge is looking to expand in a further 10 UK cruise ports. This expansion represents an investment of £60 million for third party investors and will boost Travelodge’s presence to 42 hotels.
Travelodge has officially opened Dover Travelodge, a 108-room hotel, representing a £9 million investment for the landlord. This new property is located minutes away from Dover’s cruise terminal, the UK’s second busiest port.
At the opening, Travelodge announced it is looking for a further 10 new hotel site close to the UK’s busiest cruise ports in response to the growing cruise boom. The locations include: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Harwich, Hull, Liverpool, Newcastle, Poole, Portsmouth, Southampton and Tilbury.
According to the annual UK & Ireland cruise industry report, almost two million cruises were taken by British Holidaymakers in 2017. This 6% year on year increase is a record high of 2 million cruise passengers according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Tony O’Brien, Travelodge Property Director said: “Today is a double celebration for Travelodge. Not only have we opened our first hotel in Dover but this opening also cements our presence at the UK’s top ten busiest cruise ship ports. With more Britons taking to the waves, our Port based hotels are also benefiting from holidaymakers stopping over before embarking on, and returning from, their voyage.”
As of January 1, 2018, Travelodge ranked third hotel group in the UK with 528 properties for a total of 39,695 rooms, according to data published by Hospitality ON.