Today, Birmingham’s largest hotel brand Travelodge has announced the creation of 100 new jobs as a result of opening a further three new hotels in the city.
The first of the three new openings, Birmingham Central Bull Ring Travelodge is the company’s 18th hotel in the city and today was officially opened by Birmingham’s Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Michael Wilkes and Travelodge CEO Guy Parsons. The 210-room hotel which is located at the famous shopping mecca the Bull Ring, represents a £10 million investment into the city and has created 30 new jobs within the community. Rooms are available from £19 per night.
The other two new Birmingham hotel openings will create a further 70 new jobs and are located at Birmingham Airport and Carrs Lane. They are scheduled to open in September and December 2011 respectively.
By the end of the year Travelodge will have 20 hotels and 1,600 rooms in Birmingham.
Birmingham Central Bull Ring Travelodge is being managed by one of the company’s local rising stars Astra Goode who started her career with Travelodge ten years ago as a receptionist. Over the years Astra has climbed the career ladder and successfully managed six hotels across the city. In addition, she was a project co-ordinator helping to assist in Travelodge’s largest acquisition deal to date – when the hotel chain took over 52 Inn Keeper Lodges from Mitchells and Butler in 2010. (Astra assisted in converting the lodges into Travelodge hotels).
Astra has recruited her team of 30 via the Job Centre Plus scheme which helps the long term unemployed back into work.
Astra Goode, Birmingham Central Bull Ring Travelodge’s Hotel Manager said: “Not in my wildest dreams did I think ten years ago when I joined the company as a receptionist, that one day I would be running my own brand new hotel in the heart of Birmingham city centre. It’s such an honour to be given the opportunity to manage Travelodge’s 18th hotel in Birmingham”.
To celebrate the opening of Travelodge’s 18th hotel at the fashion Mecca, the Bull Ring, the hotel chain ran a promotion to find the city’s next top designer. Budding stylists were commissioned to design an outfit using a bed sheet. Twelve outfits were showcased at the opening event this morning and the overall winner was Emily Wakerley.
The judging panel consisted of: the Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Emily Ford-Halliday, Lecturer from Birmingham Metropolitan College’s Fashion Diploma and Guy Parsons, Travelodge CEO.
Emily Wakerley received a free weekend break at any one of the company’s 469 Travelodge hotels with £100 spending money to splash out on a new outfit.
Emily Wakerley, fashion student from Birmingham Metropolitan College said: “I am thrilled to have won Travelodge’s next top fashion designer competition. It was a tough competition as the calibre of designs was extremely high and I can’t believe I won. It just shows you a simple bedsheet, with a little creativity can be designed into an award winning outfit.
I have decided to use my prize money on new materials for my next project. Having being inspired by Brummie designer Osman Yousefzada, I hope I will one day be Birmingham’s next top designer and have my outfits shown on an international runway.”
