Accor has added nine hotels under its Ibis Budget brand in Burton Upon Trent, Cumbernauld, Bromsgrove, Dundee, Bromley, Peterhead, Portishead Harbour, Lancaster and Stansted Airport, following an agreement with Ago Hotels.
The existing properties are all former Travelodge hotels, which had exercised break clauses in their contracts following the budget hotel operator entering into a Company Voluntary Arrangement last summer.
Along with the opening of the Ibis Budget London Heathrow T5 in January, it means that the brand has grown by nearly 40 per cent in the UK this year, increasing its room count to over 4,700 keys.
Ago Hotels has signed new 25-year leases on the properties, which co-founder Vivian Watts says “guarantees rents and includes owners in the hotel’s profits”.
Commenting on the additions Aiden McAuley, SVP operations at Accor Northern Europe, said:
“We are thrilled to open the doors of nine new Ibis Budget hotels, marking a significant growth of our UK portfolio. Adding over 900 bedrooms to the Ibis Budget brand during lockdown is testament to the resilience and positivity of Accor and its partners.
The partnership with Ago and our other UK partners demonstrates our continued confidence in the UK hospitality market. As guests start to return to hotels for the first time since the easing of lockdown, the industry can start looking ahead to the future and we remain positive about the outlook for the sector.”
Accor recently announced plans to add Ibis properties in Bridgwater and Bournemouth – the latter being housed within a building close to the town’s seafront which previously traded as the Hotel Royale.
