The Premier Travel Inn brand was created following Whitbread's acquision in July of the Premier Lodge chain of 132 hotels for 拢505m from the Spirit Group. Whitbread merged this business with its existing Travel Inn hotels to create Premier Travel Inn.
Mike Tye, managing director of Premier Travel Inn, said: "We are delighted to be opening our first Premier Travel Inns just a few weeks after completing the acquisition of Premier Lodge. With 450 sites across the country, these openings represent the birth of a new 'mega-brand' in the UK that will stand for a good night's sleep at a great value price."
The rebrand includes new signage at all sites, which will see 450 hotels with 27,500 rooms under the new name by February 2005.
After the rebranding has been rolled out, the chain is planning marketing activity. It currently has a roster of agencies, including Heresy, OMD, Equator, Lexis PR, Communique, JJ Group, Magnet Harlequin, Starcom MediaVest, GCI, Good Technology, and Linney
Design.
The rebranding will position the hotel chain, owned by the Pizza Hut to Marriott hotels group Whitbread, as quality hotels at comfortable prices.
Gill Baker, director of sales and marketing at Premier Travel Inn, said: "Customers want excellent value, but not just the lowest possible price. Some other operators provide lower quality rooms at discount prices, but we are the only UK hotel chain that is able to provide a guarantee of good quality rooms, friendly service and comfortable surrounds. If not, we don't expect you to pay."
The revamp will see Premier Travel Inn will get a new computerised booking system, allowing hotels to automatically find the nearest available Premier Travel Inn room when they are full, while all rooms come with king-sized Hypnos beds, ensuites, desks and remote control TVs.
Additionally, rooms in the 124 Premier Travel Inn Metros, which will be located in city centres around the country, will offer satellite TV, pay-as-you-go telephones with modem access, and hairdryers.
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