Travelodge recruits at Walsall maintenance hub
HOTEL chain Travelodge is to create 22 new jobs in Walsall with the expansion of its in-house maintenance team.
The expansion supports the group’s £57m modernisation programme and maintenance function across its 500 UK hotels.
Warehouse operatives, carpet fitters, fire assessment staff, logistics workers and administrators are all being recruited.
Some of the new roles will involve travel across the UK and 21 of the positions area based at the company’s Walsall warehouse, a 7,000 sq ft facility which acts as a centrally-located hub to support Travelodge’s refurbishment programme.
The company launched its in-house maintenance function in 2011, a first for the UK hotel industry. During the last 12 months the team has been working to modernise 400 Travelodge rooms every week – at an investment of £1m per week.
As well as refitting almost 25,000 rooms during this time, the team has also provided maintenance support across Travelodge’s estate of 500 hotels.
The new positions will boost the team to 114 and will play a vital part in ensuring the company meets its target of refurbishing 80% of Travelodge hotels by this autumn, as well as installing 38,000 bespoke king-size Travelodge Dreamer beds in all Travelodge rooms by September 2014.
Scott Rutherford, Technical Services Director at Travelodge said: “Our in-house maintenance team is playing a vital role on our journey to build a new Travelodge that will become Britain’s favourite hotel for value.
“Implementing a £57m modernisation programme and providing maintenance support across a network of 500 hotels is no easy task. Therefore these 22 new positions will help to accelerate our refurbishment programme and will ensure that we are delivering a consistent high level of service to customers in all of our hotels.”
