Travelodge has announced the appointment of Peter Gowers as its new chief executive officer to succeed Grant Hearn.

Gowers will start on the November 25th and joins the budget hotel chain from Safestore Holdings, where he has served as chief executive since 2011.

Previously he held the role of chief executive, Asia-Pacific, at InterContinental Hotels Group where he oversaw more than 250 hotels with more than $1.5bn in annual hotel turnover and 60,000 hotel employees.

Prior to this he was chief marketing officer of IHG from 2005-2007 where he led the worldwide marketing and sales team. 

Gowers spent his early career at Bass PLC and has gained a broad experience in the leisure industry holding senior positions at IHG as well as its predecessor, Six Continents Hotels.

Brian Wallace, chairman of Travelodge, said; “I am delighted to welcome Peter as the new chief executive of Travelodge.

“Peter is a highly regarded senior executive, with extensive industry and market experience and expertise. His skills and knowledge will be a great asset in helping to further grow our business and to make Travelodge the best value hotel chain in the UK.”

He added: “Since joining Travelodge in 2003, Grant has done a tremendous job in more than doubling the size of the Company’s portfolio and establishing the brand as a household name with an exceptional digital presence. 

“Grant has built a remarkable team that, led by Peter, will now take the business on to even greater levels of success driven by meeting and exceeding guest expectations. On a personal level, I am extremely grateful for Grant’s support since I became Chairman earlier this year.”

Grant Hearn will remain in the post for a further two weeks to assist the changeover.

Korn Ferry handled the executive search.