Travelodge
Locations: | 31 MSAs |
Introduced: | 1985 |
Predecessors: | Granada Lodge, Innkeepers Lodge, Purple Hotel, Little Chef Lodge |
Successors: | Days Inn, Welcome Lodge, Redwing Lodge |
Travelodge is a budget accommodation chain which spread to roadsides across the country, including most Moto motorway services.
Now owned by Dubai International Capital, Travelodge customers usually book in advance, which means its hotels tend fill up even if they are in isolated locations. Since the advent of hotel comparison websites, some people have been caught out as they didn't realise many Travelodges are traditional motels and can't be safely accessed without a car.
As Travelodge provides the hotel only, in most locations dining is limited whatever is available across the road.
History
It is based on the US brand of the same name, which is now totally separate but was once owned by Trusthouse Forte. Having owned the American brand since 1973, in 1985 Forte opened hotels in the UK named Forte Travelodge, starting with the Barton-under-Needwood branch on the A38 northbound.
These new lodges were advertised as the UK's first cheap hotel options, primarily aimed at road users. They were aiming for 100 branches by 1991, and spread to city centres, and to Ireland and Spain. The new Forte Travelodge received a boost when the recession hit in the late 1980s, as businessmen were looking for cheaper accommodation and became loyal Travelodge customers.
A number of branches were converted from Forte's previous budget accommodation chain, Little Chef Lodge. By 1990 they had 56 branches in the UK, and were looking to open 50 more. These mostly opened in conjunction with Little Chef, a Forte restaurant chain that would become almost inseparable from Travelodge until the two were split up in 2003.
When Forte and their brands were purchased by Granada, their own Granada Lodges became Travelodges. Welcome Break was sold shortly afterwards, and those partner motels were changed to Welcome Lodge. Whereas Forte had lost interest in Travelodge and had wanted to sell it, Granada thought it was a very desirable part of the Forte empire.
Despite this, some hotels have closed, usually due to changes in the road network or changes to the neighbouring restaurants. These have then been bought by other names such as Redwing Lodge or Rivington Lodge. As Travelodge is no longer owned by a motorway service area operator, there is no guarantee that any more motorway sites will open.
Locations
Travelodge operate at almost all Moto services. They are: [view on a map - Download KMLrefine search]
- Birch (M62)
- Blackburn with Darwen (M65)
- Blyth (A1(M)/A1)
- Bridgwater (M5)
- Burton-in-Kendal (M6)
- Cardiff West (M4)
- Cherwell Valley (M40/A43)
- Chieveley (M4/A34)
- Crewe (M6/A500)
- Doncaster (North) (M18/M180)
- Donington Park (M1/A42/A50)
- Exeter (M5)
- Ferrybridge (M62/A1)
- Frankley (M5) (southbound only)
- Heston (M4)
- Hilton Park (M6)
- Kinross (M90)
- Knutsford (M6)
- Lancaster (M6)
- Leigh Delamere (M4)
- Markfield (M1)
- Medway (M2)
- Reading (M4)
- Scotch Corner (A1(M)/A66)
- Severn View (M48)
- Southwaite (M6) (southbound only)
- Stafford (M6) (northbound only)
- Stirling (M9/M80)
- Swansea West (M4)
- Tamworth (M42/A5)
- Thurrock (M25/A13/A282)
- Tiverton (M5)
- Toddington (M1) (southbound only)
- Todhills (M6) (southbound only)
- Trowell (M1)
- Washington (A1(M))
- Woolley Edge (M1)
A-road Services
Travelodge can be found at many A-road services:
- Alfreton (A38)
- Amesbury (A303)
- Bangor (A55)
- Barton Mills (A11) (southbound only)
- Barton Stacey (A303) (westbound only)
- Battlefield (A49)
- Beckington (A36)
- Beacon Hill (A14)
- Boship (A22)
- Broxden (M90/A9)
- Capel St Mary (A12) (southbound only)
- Cirencester (A417)
- Collin (A75)
- Colsterworth (A1)
- Cross Hands (A48)
- Dreghorn (A720)
- East Horndon (A127) (eastbound only)
- Ely (A10)
- Emsworth (A27) (eastbound only)
- Eye Green (A47)
- Fenstanton (A1307)
- Feering (A12) (northbound only)
- Fontwell (A27)
- Fourwentways (A11) (southbound only)
- Gate (A2) (westbound only)
- Gateway (A55) (eastbound only)
- Grantham North (A1)
- Hayle (A30)
- Hickstead (A23)
- Ilminster (A303)
- Kettering (A14) (westbound only)
- Kilmarnock (A77)
- Long Sutton (A17)
- Mangrove (A45)
- Markham Moor (A1)
- Marston Moretaine (A421)
- Middlewich (A54)
- Mile End (A5/A483)
- Milton (A82) (westbound only)
- Mount Pleasant (A421)
- Muskham (A1) (southbound only)
- Musselburgh (A1/A702)
- Nuneaton (A444)
- Oldbury (M5/A419)
- Oversley Mill (A46)
- Peartree (A34/A40/A44)
- Podimore (A303)
- Prizet (A6/A591) (northbound only)
- Rhostyllen (A483)
- Roundswell (A39)
- Rufus Stone (A31) (westbound only)
- Rushden (A45) (eastbound only)
- Rustington (A259)
- Saltash (A38)
- Seaton Burn (A1)
- Sedgefield (A689)
- Sheffield Parkway (A57)
- Sixfields (A5076)
- Skellow (A1) (northbound only)
- Sleaford (A17)
- Sourton Cross (A30)
- Spur End (A3060)
- Swavesey (A14) (eastbound only)
- Thame (A418)
- Thanet Way (A299) (eastbound only)
- Thickthorn (A11/A47)
- Thorpe on the Hill (A46)
- Thrapston (A14/A45)
- Tot Hill (A34)
- Towcester (A43)
- Warminster (A36)
- West Cave (A63) (eastbound only)
- Whiddon Down (A30)
- Worksop (A57)
Former Locations
Travelodge no longer operates at the following locations:
- Abington (M74/A74(M))
- Birchanger Green (M11)
- Bolton West (M61)
- Burtonwood (M62)
- Charnock Richard (M6)
- Fleet (M3)
- Gordano (M5)
- Gretna Green (A74(M))
- Hartshead Moor (M62)
- Leicester Forest East (M1)
- Liphook northbound (A3)
- London Gateway (M1)
- Lymm (M6/M56)
- Magor (M4)
- Membury (M4)
- Michaelwood (M5)
- Monmouth (A40)
- Morcott (A47)
- Newport Pagnell (M1)
- Northway southbound (A1)
- Rainton North (A1)
- Redwings (A1)
- Sarn Park (M4)
- Sawtry (A1)
- Sedgemoor (North) (M5)
- South Mimms (M25/A1(M))
- Sutton Scotney (A34)
- Thrussington (A46)
- Warwick (M40)
- Woodall (M1)
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