Travelodge, the UK’s fastest growing budget hotel chain, is pioneering a new construction method that will cut millions of pounds from the cost of its hotel development strategy.
Travelodge predicts its innovative strategy of building hotels using modified shipping containers will enable the chain to cut 10% from the cost of each build, and improve construction speed by 25%.
The budget company is using the technique to build a new hotel in Uxbridge town centre. Uxbridge Travelodge will also be the first hotel in Europe to be constructed in this way.
The modules, built specifically for the task in China, create a spacious, well-insulated and architecturally exciting development. They will be fitted into a steel frame, bolted together and arranged over the eight floors of the site. Once decorated, furnished and the buildings exterior is cladded, the rooms will look and feel no different to the hotel chain’s other hotels.
Travelodge, which serves over 6.5 million customers each year and operates 318 UK hotels, is targeting a 10% share of the total UK hotel market by the end of the next decade. This ambitious goal has seen the budget hotel chain step up its openings programme, with plans to add on average 4,000 rooms (approx 40 hotels) every year up to 70,000 rooms (around 1000 hotels) by 2020.
The company is exploring every avenue to help it achieve this goal – including innovative methods of construction that enable it to reduce build costs and create hotels faster than traditional methods allow.
Paul Harvey, Travelodge’s Director of Property & Development, said: “We see this method of construction as a viable way for us to achieve our ambitious growth targets. We believe that almost half of our new hotels over the next 12 years could be built in this way. The method also presents interesting recycling options given the steel containers can be reused or melted down. On the basis of environmental life cycle modelling, we know modular construction is environmentally friendly so there is tremendous benefit on a number of levels.”
Mark Allies, Managing Director of George & Harding added: “Despite the logistical and physical constraints of the Travelodge Uxbridge site, George and Harding have demonstrated the flexibility and adaptability of the modular system. The modules are cost effective yet durable, easily transported, stackable and reusable and make absolute sense for businesses like Travelodge, as well as student accommodation and urban housing.”
Paul Blackmore, Managing Director, Verbus Systems: “We have been very impressed by the forward thinking approach of Travelodge in engaging in new approaches seen in other industries to deliver cost, time and environmental benefits to their growth targets. The Verbus System is the first major advance in construction technology for 100 years, since the introduction of the steel frame.”
The Uxbridge Travelodge, due to open in June, has 120 bed rooms and a Bar Café - a location for guests to relax and will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. Room prices will start at just £19 per room, per night, in line with other Travelodge hotels.
tagged Accommodation, Hotel, UK and Uxbridge Travelodge
Entries (RSS)
June 16th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I think that the new travelodge hotel in uxbridge will bring the town a lot of interest and also will brings a lot of opportunies to the resident leaving in uxbridge,hayes and west drayton.