Travelodge is the UK’s first hotel brand to sublet to Popeyes at its Northampton Travelodge hotel site

Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, which operates nearly 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland, and Spain, is delighted to announce it has entered a sublet agreement with Popeyes Louisiana Chicken. The global brand, which is renowned for its ‘Shatter Crunch’ chicken, is taking the UK by storm and has opened one of its first UK drive-thru restaurants at the Northampton Upton Way Travelodge hotel site.

In a unique sublet deal, Popeyes UK is the latest retail brand to join the Travelodge mixed-scheme development partnership portfolio.

Over the last three decades, Travelodge, the pioneering hotel chain has been the first hotel brand to partner-up with a number of household brands in a variety of mixed use developments alongside other complementary uses - such as retail, food & beverage, coffee shops and drive-thrus. This includes Travelodge hotels operating alongside a popular retail brand such as Starbucks, Subway, McDonalds and now Popeyes Louisiana Chicken.

Travelodge was also the first hotel brand to partner with some of Britain’s biggest supermarkets and retailers such as: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Home Bargains and Waitrose - making it easier for customers to pick up essentials during their stay.

Today, over a third of Travelodge hotels are located within a mixed development scheme with household brands. Detailed are some of the brands that Travelodge has worked with in development partnership programmes.

Travelodge is keen to expand its development brand partnerships as part of its UK expansion programme which includes looking for a further 300 hotel sites across the country. Mixed-use development is gaining popularity not just in the UK but across the globe as it is becoming a more prominent feature of planning policy, with the aim of revitalising urban centres and generating benefits for all stakeholders and the community. It also reduces the neighbourhood carbon footprint and minimises air pollution.

In addition it spurs revitalisation, supports regeneration and enhances an area’s unique identity and development potential by promoting a sense of place and community.

Also certain brands such as Travelodge can influence other brands to invest into the programme and enhance the customer experience. For example our London Manor House Travelodge is a part of a mixed-use, new development, including a Co-Op convenience store, a coffee shop and a hostel.

From the 300 hotel locations where Travelodge is actively looking to open a hotel - 120 of these locations currently do not have a Travelodge hotel and fifty of these sites do not currently have a branded budget hotel. Therefore opening a Travelodge in these locations would greatly impact on the town’s economy and attract more business and leisure visitors to the area. Collectively this expansion programme could create around 9,000 new jobs across the UK.

The Popeyes drive-thru restaurant is located at the site of the first Travelodge hotel in Northampton at Walter Tull Way, Upton, Northampton.

Today, Travelodge operates ten hotels across Northamptonshire and the group has also recently acquired the lease of the Ibis hotel in Wellingborough and is actively looking for a further hotel in Corby.

We are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to develop our estate and enhance the customer journey. We have experience of working with major retailers and hospitality companies to help maximise development opportunities to support local growth, job creation and regeneration. As pioneers of the budget hotel sector, we are delighted to enter a sublet agreement with Popeyes and to offer the first hotel drive-thru restaurant at our Northampton Upton Way Travelodge site.

As we look to the future, we have identified that we can grow our business with a further 300 hotels across the UK and we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with Popeyes as well as other major retailers and hospitality companies on mixed-development schemes. This investment from third party investors will help to create around 9,000 new jobs, support local economies and importantly give our guests a great base location for their business and leisure trips. Steve Bennett, Travelodge, Chief Property & Development Officer

Travelodge currently has opportunities for retail sublets across the UK - for further information please visit:www.travelodgeproperty.co.uk.

About Travelodge

Founded in 1985, Travelodge is Britain's very first budget hotel chain and today is one of the largest budget hotel chains in the UK, with a portfolio of over 600 hotels and over 47,000 bedrooms across the UK, Ireland and Spain.

In Spain, Travelodge has an established profitable presence and as of April 2024, its portfolio doubled to 12 hotels, having recently acquired a further six properties. Travelodge has ambitious growth plans within this market and has identified the top 20 key locations where it would like to open additional hotels in Spain.

Welcoming over 22 million guests annually across the UK, Ireland and Spain, the majority of Travelodge hotels are located in major cities, towns and holiday hotspots as well as by airports and key business hubs. With 90% of its hotels rated 4* or above on TripAdvisor, Travelodge is proud to offer guests across its diverse customer base a good value experience – whether they are travelling for business or leisure. In 2023, approximately 50% of rooms were sold for less than £60.

Whether out celebrating a birthday, going to a concert or sporting event, visiting friends and family, taking a business trip, working away from home, or taking a short break, we help people to go and do their thing by Being the Brilliant Base.

Travelodge continues to invest in its ongoing hotel refit programme which is expected to see 50% of the Travelodge room estate upgraded to its new design by the end of 2024. The brand is also continually evolving its quality offering to deliver a better experience for its diverse mix of business and leisure guests such as its new look Bar Cafe design, 85 Bar Café, which has been rolled out to selected UK hotels as part of the refit programme.

Travelodge is focussing on its environmental and social impact, with sustainability integral to its business strategy. It's Better Future sustainability plan aims to build a more sustainable future for its customers, colleagues and the planet, and it is underpinned by three core pillars: Inclusive – ensuring we are accessible, inclusive and well-priced to our customers and colleagues; Caring – creating a caring and healthy environment for our colleagues and customers and ensuring their wellbeing; and Conscious – Travelodge is conscious of its impact on the planet, taking into account the waste it produces, the energy and other resources it consumes and the carbon emissions it generates.

For further information visit travelodge.co.uk or the Travelodge Hotels Limited LinkedIn page.

The Travelodge Press Office
+44 1844 35 8703
Travelodge