The fast track four month programme saw several Interior teams operate simultaneously across a wide geographic location to convert the hotels into the Travelodge brand in time for the busy winter season. The £4.1 million contract included a focus on bringing reception areas and bedrooms into line with Travelodge's branding, as well as providing a general redecoration of the interior décor.

The decision by Mitchells and Butlers to dispose of the 52 Innkeeper's Lodge hotels, which have approximately 2,000 rooms, saw Travelodge enter into a 25 year agreement to operate and lease the hotels from the new property owners. The hotels occupy popular locations adjacent to Mitchells & Butlers' restaurants and pubs.

Gerry Graville, managing director for Willmott Dixon Interiors, said, “This was an incredibly intensive programme of conversion that saw our teams spend three weeks on each hotel bringing them up to the Travelodge brand standard. We wanted to ensure the newly branded hotels were ready within four months and it’s another great chapter in our relationship that last year saw us named as Travelodge’s supplier of the year.”

Travelodge operates 452 hotels (30,504 rooms) - ten in Ireland, three in Spain and the rest in the UK – and Willmott Dixon’s three year relationship with the hotel giant has seen it carry out refurbishment and maintenance services across its hotel portfolio. This includes whole hotel upgrades to refresh and maintain optimum standards in bedrooms, main reception and customer areas, restaurants and cafes.

Nationally, Willmott Dixon’s hotel sector manager Tim Wheeldon is aiming for Willmott Dixon’s construction, fit-out and refurbishment work in the hotel sector to achieve a turnover of £75 million within 3 years.