Milestone for Travelodge at official opening of 600th hotel – in Skegness

Steve Bennett, Travelodge’s Chief Property & Development Officer, cut the ribbon outside the entrance of their brand new Skegness seafront 80-bed hotel, surrounded by the local team who were congratulated on their efforts in making it happen.

The five storey hotel with its sea views on South Parade had its ‘soft opening’ last month – and is already gaining 4½ stars on Tripadvisor.

Today, it was turn for special guests – including Lincolnshire World, East Lindsey councillors and Skegness Mayor Coun Jimmy Brookes – to take a look around.

Mr Bennett told Lincolnshire World the opening was a milestone for the company, which started 40 years ago, for several reasons.

“We are delighted to be here for the official opening of our first hotel in Skegness – the 10th in Lincolnshire and, more importantly, our 600th across the UK," he said.

"Since then we have grown from strength to strength.

"We now operate 47,000 bedrooms across the UK, we have 13,000 fantastic colleagues of which we have several here, and we welcome about 22 million customers every year.

"We look at ourselves as a place for customers to come and spend their time in a local community, so our role in the community is really important to us.

"All of this is underpinned with a big focus on sustainability.”

He thanked the local team for their hard work in getting the hotel ready for the opening.

The Mayor said: “Skegness contnues to attract visitors from all over the country and having this new hotel here really strengthens our local economy and supports local jobs – and gives people more of a reason to visit our wonderful town.

"Travelodge have done a fantastic job – the views from the cafe are great

"What more could you want from a hotel?

"Another thing that is great is anyone can come and enjoy a meal here and the view.”

The Russell family were some of the first guests at the hotel after its ‘soft’ opening and they created a video review for their Facebook page, Russell Family Rambles.

They said: “We had a wonderful stay – every member of staff was friendly and welcoming from start to finish.

"Our super family room offered stunning sea views that made the experience even more special.”

Lincolnshire World has been invited to today’s the official celebration, which includes a tour.

Developed by The Burney Group, the hotel features modern rooms, a public bar and the 85 Bar Cafe, which has views over the sea thanks to its location on the fifth floor. There is also an adjacent drive-thru Starbucks which opened earlier in the year.

Key features:

Location: Situated on the seafront at South Parade.

Development: Built on the site of a former crazy golf course.

Size: Features 80 modern guest bedrooms.

Facilities: Includes a publicly accessible bar and restaurant, offering panoramic views of the coastline.

Associated Development: A drive-thru Starbucks is also located on the same site.

Developer: The project was undertaken by The Burney Group.

Purpose: It aims to improve the town, provide high-quality accommodation, create local jobs, and act as a catalyst for regeneration on the seafront.