Travelodge, the UKโs second largest hotel chain has sealed its commitment to being part of the regeneration scheme in Rotherham Town Centre
Muse Developments and Rotherham Council have agreed a deal which will see a 69-room hotel built on Forge Island with work starting later this month
The hotel chain is another milestone signing at Forge Island, following the news that cinema operator, The Arc, had agreed to open its seventh site at the scheme. Plans being brought forward by Muse and the council include a number of food and drink outlets and a car park.ย
The development will be the first Travelodge hotel in Rotherham with the closest being located at Meadowhall
Dan Needham, development director at Muse Developments, said: โBringing a major occupier in Travelodge to Forge Island further highlights our collective commitment with the council to create a connected, innovative and inclusive scheme that brings people back to the town centre.
โWeโre working hard to drive investment and growth to benefit the Rotherham community, along with providing a range of employment opportunities too. Forge Island represents what can be done when the best of the public and private sector come together with a clear vision and weโre looking forward to bringing the scheme forward in due course.โย
Tony O Brien, Travelodge UK Development Director said: โWe are delighted to be opening our first hotel in Rotherham at Forge Island. This development is our 23rd local council hotel partnership. This type of partnerships is of huge benefit to local communities as it helps regenerate vacant space and supports inward investment. This often leads to further development, new job creation and increased income via business rates for the local council.ย
โThere are no branded budget hotels in the centre of Rotherham and this hotel will help attract new visitors to the area. This is great news for the local economy as research shows, customers will spend on average double their room rate with local businesses during their stay which can equate to an annual multi-million pound boost for the Rotherham economy.ย
โThe Forge Island development is in a great location in the heart of the town centre, near to the railway station, the shopping centre and the AESSEAL New York stadium, home of Rotherdam United. With on-site car parking and the benefit of the new cinema and restaurants, this Travelodge is ideally located for leisure and business for business and leisure travellers.โ
Rotherham Councilโs cabinet member for jobs and the local economy, Cllr Denise Lelliott, said: โItโs great news that Travelodge has signed up to be part of the Forge Island development and joined The Arc Cinema in helping to create a fantastic asset for people across the borough to make use of.
โWeโre determined to create a long-term vision for the town centre and canโt wait to see people using the hotel, cinema and cafes and restaurants that will be on site in the future.
โTravelodge will be an asset to Rotherham, and Iโm pleased that they have selected our town to expand their already well know and recognised brand across the country.โ Following the deal with Travelodge, it is anticipated that construction will begin in 2022.
