Viewing source of page 'Granada Lodge'

You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reason:

You don't have the necessary permissions. If you want to edit a page, upload a photo or post to a talk page, you need to register. For anything else please contact an administrator.

You can view and copy the source of this page.

{{Infobox
|colour       = #CA473D
|image        = Washington Granada Lodge.jpg
|locations    = 21 lodges, 5 hotels
|gallery      = Granada Hotel
|accompaniedby = [[Harry Ramsden's]], [[Country Kitchen Restaurant]]]
|usedby = [[Granada]]
|introduced   = 1986
|removed      = 1996
|predecessors = none
|successors   = [[Travelodge]]
|country      = UK
}}

'''Granada Lodge''' was [[Granada]]'s initial take on the newly-emerging motel market. They started building them in the 1980s, but when Granada acquired [[Trusthouse Forte]] they gained access to the established [[Travelodge]] brand, which they then used instead.

Granada Lodge was a clear sign of Granada trying to take on Forte. Their expansion was quick and often strategic, especially around 1988. It's also a good precursor to the UK budget hotel industry in the 2000s, where big names would plan their sites around their competition and not profits.

Rooms could be booked by phoning the 24 hour Granada Lodge Line. Check-in opened at 3pm, with rooms held until 6pm. Room service was available with newspaper deliveries and food from the restaurant next door.

The recession of the early 1990s offered Granada Lodge a further boost, as businessmen were looking to reduce their accommodation costs and became loyal budget hotel customers. Each room promised an en suite, colour television, Sky Movies, payphones, radio, wake-up alarm, heating, double glazing and tea and coffee making facilities, which made for a very '90s inventory. Each branch had the service area name prominently displayed on the logo. Rooms were normally £39.95 a night.

Each Granada Lodge directed guests to the main Granada building next door, where there would be a [[Country Kitchen Restaurant]] or, in a few cases, a restaurant branded 'Platters'. As part of the 1996 Granada rebrand, a new logo was created, which read "Lodge" with a red L. It's not clear if this was used before Travelodge replaced it.

The name '''Granada Hotel''' was used for several larger and more upmarket sites they experimented with. These had on-site restaurants and bars, as well as conferencing facilities. Granada concluded that the budget hotel business performed better, which would be why they found Travelodge so attractive. Meanwhile in Glasgow, one stand-alone Granada Lodge was opened in partnership with [[Harry Ramsden's]], with a hint that more could have opened.

==Locations==
{{fulldetails|Map:Granada Lodge|Map of services with a Granada Lodge}}
Granada Lodge could be found at:

* [[Frankley|Birmingham (Frankley)]] (M5)
* [[Southwaite|Carlisle (Southwaite)]] (M6)
* [[Leigh Delamere|Chippenham (Leigh Delamere)]] (M4)
* [[Thurrock|Dartford Crossing (Thurrock)]] (M25/A13/A282)
* [[Monktonhall|Edinburgh (Musselburgh)]] (A1/A720)
* [[Heston|Heathrow (Heston)]] (M4)
* [[Toddington|Luton (Toddington)]] (M1)
* [[Birch|Manchester (Birch)]] (M62)
* Glasgow (Paisley Road) (M8)
* [[Colsterworth|Grantham (Colsterworth)]] (A1)
* [[Kinross]] (M90)
* [[Markfield|Leicester]] (M1)
* [[Magor|Newport (Magor)]] (M4)
* [[Trowell|Nottingham (Trowell)]] (M1)
* [[Cherwell Valley|Oxford North (Cherwell Valley)]] (M40/A43)
* [[Saltash|Plymouth (Saltash)]] (A38)
* [[Ferrybridge|Pontefract (Ferrybridge)]] (M62/A1)
* [[Reading|Reading eastbound]] (M4)
* [[Stafford (North)|Stafford]] (M6)
* [[Stirling]] (M9)
* [[Tamworth]] (M42/A5)
* [[Warminster]] (A36/A350)
* [[Woolley Edge|Wakefield (Woolley Edge)]] (M1)
* [[Washington]] (A1(M))
* [[Blyth|Worksop (Blyth)]] (A1(M)/A1)

The following branches were branded either Granada Hotel or Granada Waysider Hotel:

* [[Exeter]] (M5 services)
* Park Hall (ironically near Charnock Richard, but actually built to serve Camelot, which was owned by Granada Theme Parks)
* [[Parkway|Sheffield]] (A57 services)
* [[Talke|Stoke-on-Trent]] (A500 services)
* [[Alfreton|Swanwick]] (A38 services)

{{bottomnav|noreview=true}}
[[Category:Former Brands]][[Category:Granada]]

Templates used on this page:

Template:Bottomnav (view source)
Template:Fulldetails (view source)
Template:Ifexist (view source)
Template:Infobox (view source) (protected)

Return to Granada Lodge.