Travelodge has unveiled its new room and Bar Cafe design in a bid to win more customers in the run up to the Olympics. The profile of UK tourism and the increase in visitor numbers are expected to reach unprecedented levels following the Beijing games next year and the budget chain believes that the new look room will help it to capitalise on the £2bn boost to the sector.

By the time the Olympic Games arrives in the Capital in five years time, Travelodge is aiming to have developed and opened 20,000 of the new look rooms nationwide.  The new design is the first time the ‘no frills’ room has seen a wholesale change in design since the company’s inception in 1985.

Guy Parsons, Travelodge Chief Operating Officer said: “The 2012 Olympics is a once in a lifetime opportunity for tourism so we have to make sure our offer is world class to capitalise on its legacy.  The new look room and Bar Cafe have been a joint project with our design team and customers for 12 months and we are very pleased with the result.”

The new Travelodge room has been created in a contemporary style, incorporating a red, white and blue colour scheme with zebrano rich tone furnishings and mood setting coloured lighting. Also included in the room is a digital flat screen TV and
Wi-Fi. The room’s en-suite facilities have also been updated to reflect the new style. 

This new room design will feature in all new hotels nationwide from autumn this year and despite the modern look and upgraded technology, the budget chain is still expecting a realise a saving of 10% on room build cost.   

Parsons said: “We wanted to create a great new look without compromising our low cost approach. Offering low prices is what we do best so our customers will continue to get great value.”

The launch of the new room is accompanied by a newly designed Bar Café which has also been styled in the red, white and blue colour scheme. It includes three separate areas:’ chill-out lounge’ to wind down, a smart dining area and a contemporary bar area. 

The room and bar café designs were both created by one of the UK’s leading retail design agencies - The One Off Company.

Richard Collier, Creative Director, The One Off Company said:” We have developed a unique room concept for the budget accommodation sector which incorporates style, functionality and personality at a low cost.  Developing the new Travelodge room has been a challenge, our aim was to deliver an updated vision of the brand whilst meeting the diverse needs of the hotel chain’s customers.

“We are very pleased with the end result. The new room and Bar Café will deliver a great customer experience. The style of the room is a true reflection of the present Travelodge brand and it’s been developed at the same cost as the old room”.

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