Travelodge is actively searching for three new sites in Suffolk, it has been revealed following the official opening of a new 80-room hotel in Bury St Edmunds.
Tony O’Brien, the company’s UK development director, said Travelodge has its sights set on adding new hotels in Felixstowe, Newmarket and Lowestoft.
The new Bury St Edmunds hotel, in Etna Road, which began trading in February, features an on-site restaurant and complementary car parking, with rooms are available from £29.
Jo Churchill, MP for Bury St Edmunds, developer Mike Spenser-Morris, and Mr O’Brien cut the ribbon at a special ceremony on Friday.
The new hotel is Travelodge’s 579th in the country and its seventh in the county, and the company said it sees Suffolk as a “key growth area”.
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Mr O’Brien said: “We are delighted to open our first hotel in Bury St Edmunds, the historic jewel in Suffolk’s crown.
“This town is one of the top visitor destinations in the region and is growing from strength to strength.
“Our new Travelodge hotel is centrally located and will be a great attraction for visitors looking for a great value accommodation base whilst exploring the area.
“As we look into the future, Suffolk is a key development area for Travelodge.
“The local economy is growing at pace with increasing visitor numbers, however there is still a shortage of good quality accommodation at a great value price. “Therefore to meet this growing consumer demand, we are actively looking for three hotel sites in the following locations – Felixstowe, Newmarket and a second hotel in Lowestoft.”
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Graham Atkins, Bury St Edmunds Travelodge hotel manager, said his staff members were gearing up for a “busy summer season”.
“I am very proud to have built a fantastic team who are as passionate as me about delivering great customer service,” he said.
“Looking ahead, business on the books looks very encouraging and we are getting geared up for a busy summer season. “This is great news for the local economy too, as research shows that our customers will spend at least double their room rate with local businesses during their stay which equates to an average annual spend of £2m.”
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