Budget hotel chain Travelodge has announced plans to recruit 25 people in Bristol as part of a major UK hiring drive.
The hotel group, which operates seven properties in the city, said it was looking to fill some 700 jobs across the country ahead of the summer season.
Travelodge said it would consider applications from people of all backgrounds, including refugees who need a fresh start and have the right to work in the UK. The roles on offer include:
● hotel manager;
● assistant hotel manager;
● bar café team member;
● reception team member;
● housekeeping supervisor;
● housekeeping team member.
Travelodge said it was "committed" to offering flexible working hours, a range of benefits and a path into management. Hannah Thomson, Travelodge chief people officer, said: “Hospitality is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and there has never been a better time than now to join a sector that can open a door to endless opportunities.
"We are gearing up for a busy 2022 summer season in Bristol, so if you have passion, determination and a real desire to look after people then we will help you learn the rest, as joining Travelodge opens the door to training, coaching and career progression."
The news comes a week after the chain announced its financial results for 2021. The company posted revenue of £185.1m – up from £181.8m in 2019 before the pandemic hit. Travelodge's EBITDA (adjusted) profit for 2021 was also up, at £37.4m, compared to a loss of £25.8m in 2020.
However, occupancy was down 4.5pts over the last year to 76.3%, compared to 80.8% in 2019, but up from a low of 38.1% in 2020.
Craig Bonnar, Travelodge chief executive, said: “Travelodge reinforced its position as a resilient business with a powerful brand throughout a challenging 2021. I would like to thank all of our colleagues, it was the whole team’s hard work, dedication and flexibility that got us through the year. The business continued to out-perform the market for the seventh year in a row and enjoyed a record-breaking summer and in line with our growth plans, we opened a further 17 new hotels.”
Mr Bonnar said trading in 2022 had been "extremely encouraging" so far, despite a slow start amid the Omicron restrictions in January. The company is planning to open six new UK leased hotels and one Irish franchise this year, with two opened already.
The chain will also launch its new budget-luxe hotel design in 2022, which includes a number of sustainable initiatives such as carpet made from recycled fishing nets, low-energy lighting, motion-sensing controls and aerated showers and taps.
"We intend to roll out the new budget-luxe design across our UK estate and have kick-started this programme with a multi-million-pound investment to upgrade 60 hotels in 2022 in popular business and staycation destinations across the UK," the company added.
