Hotels Sheffield: Travelodge 'target' Sheffield for new hotel in bid to 'unlock regeneration opportunities'

The hotel chain, which has nearly 600 hotels across the country, claims it has written to three local authorities in South Yorkshire proposing “a joint development partnership that can act as a catalyst to stimulate regeneration and facilitate further growth”.

Steve Bennett, Travelodge Chief Property & Development Officer said: “In the current climate, Local Authorities are under extreme pressure to invest in their economy and support regeneration projects. This is why we have written to three Local Authorities across South Yorkshire to offer our support as we have a requirement to add to our South Yorkshire portfolio with a further three Travelodge hotels across the region."

Travelodge have said they are targeting Sheffield, which already has three of the chains hotels, Rotherham and Barnsley. They have written to the respective local authorities, as part of a nationwide push in which 220 local authorities were contacted.

Mr Bennett continued: “Britain is now a nation of budget travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type and this trend is set to grow, which is why we are looking to expand our UK hotel network with a further 300 hotels.

“Adding a Travelodge hotel can be a catalyst to attract new businesses to support regeneration, bring vacant buildings back into economic use as well as attracting thousands of new overnight visitors to the area and revitalising High Streets.”

Travelodge said their expansion programme could represent “an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors” across the UK. The chain has currently got a hotel site being built in Rotherham and the town’s Metropolitan Borough Council appears to be on board with Travelodge’s latest expansion plans.

Rotherham Council’s Leader, Coun Chris Read, said: “The Rotherham Town Centre Masterplan aims to develop Rotherham into a leisure destination which will benefit the local economy and residents. To facilitate this vision, having a well-known and trusted hotel brand like Travelodge is a great asset and hugely beneficial as it helps to attract other major brands to invest in Rotherham.

Travelodge current has three existing locations in Sheffield and a total of seven across South Yorkshire.