Travelodge bid for hotel partnership in town's centre

A BUDGET hotel chain has proposed a joint venture with a council as it eyes opening a new hotel.
Travelodge wants to move into FarehamTravelodge wants to move into Fareham
Travelodge wants to move into Fareham

Travelodge has proposed the partnership with Fareham Borough Council as part of the company’s work to support regeneration.

Chief executive of Travelodge Peter Gowers has written to the council.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: ‘More and more local authorities are under pressure to find ways to help regenerate their historic town centres and local communities.

‘Adding a low-cost hotel like Travelodge is an increasingly attractive choice, as it draws visitors, creates jobs and helps boost the local economy.’

During the last three years the chain has completed seven local authority partnerships to finance new hotels creating jobs in the areas and generating income.

Mr Gowers added: ‘Our customers are travelling more frequently and we are opening new hotels to ensure we are in locations where they want to be.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We are looking for more sites to drive our expansion programme and we are writing to more than 200 other local authorities, to invite them to consider how Travelodge can act as a catalyst to drive their local development agenda.’

Upon completion of the hotel development, local authorities have the choice of either retaining ownership of the hotel and receiving an annual rent into the Council’s revenue budget or selling the hotel with Travelodge as its operator.

But Fareham Borough Council said it already has plans for a hotel in the town as part of its own regeneration project.

Earlier this year Premier Inn was named as the operator for a potential 84-bedroom taxpayer-owned hotel in the town centre.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The new four-storey unit is planned for the vacant offices at the back of Fareham Shopping Centre above the existing Waterstones shop and will create 40 jobs.

Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sean Woodward said: ‘We have already agreed to build a Premier Inn above the shopping centre and we are paying for it as part of our property investment.’

The council will fully fund the investment of the hotel and is set to work with the shopping centre’s operators Roubaix Group to bring forward the development

Councillor Woodward added: ‘We would be happy to hear Travelodge’s ideas though.’

Related topics: