Travelodge Hotels, a UK-based company that owns and operates hotel properties, has announced the opening of its newest hotel in London.
The London Clapham Junction Travelodge hotel is offering 84 rooms and has been developed for an investment of GBP10 million. The company is planning to open another three hotels within the Wandsworth area of London soon.
During the last 12 months, Travelodge hotels located in the South West district of London, including Fulham and Battersea, have experienced a new type of customer coming through their doors. As well as the hotels being popular with business travellers and tourists, local residents are taking advantage of the low cost rooms and booking-in visiting grandparents and other family members due to a lack of space at home.
Tony O’Brien, the UK development director for Travelodge, said, ‘Our Fulham and Battersea hotels enjoy enormous success right throughout the year, and the assumption was that this was primarily due to business customers as well as tourists.
However, our hotel staff are now saying that over a third of customers tell them they are actually in London to visit their children and grandchildren.
With so many young people in London, especially in Nappy Valley, starting their families whilst living in small flats and houses, the only option for Granny and Granddad to come and visit is to stay in a nearby hotel. It is a remarkable trend, but one that we are poised to capitalise on as part of our wider growth story in London.’
Previously, Travelodge opened a 90-room hotel in Balham, and is looking to develop three more in Battersea Old Town, Clapham Common and Clapham Old Town/Lavender Hill.
