Willmott Dixon Interiors is continuing its track-record as a market leader for hotel conversions and re-brand work with a £5 million project to convert an existing office in Welwyn Garden City into a 79 bed Travelodge hotel.

Situated close to the Howard Shopping Centre and mainline train station in the town centre, the conversion of the Gatehouse into a Travelodge will provide important new hotel accommodation for Welwyn Garden City.

Working with architects Ratcliffe Groves Partnership and project manager Rougemont Property Consultants, Willmott Dixon Interiors will complete this conversion by July 2018 ready for the first guests to arrive.

Willmott Dixon Interiors is a prolific fit-out contractor in the hotel sector, with over a 1,000 rooms in progress or completed since mid-2016. In the case of Travelodge, this continues a nine-year relationship within an on-going framework that’s completed over 35,000 Travelodge rooms to meet its brand standards, most recently a £4 million contract for a brand refresh to the Farringdon Travelodge.

The company’s skill-set for fast-tack hotel conversations also saw it appointed this year by Starwood Capital to convert apart-hotels in Long Lane and Earls Court into the Residence Inn by Marriott brand, and it has also delivered similar rebrands for Village Hotels in Newcastle, Dudley and Leeds.

Willmott Dixon Interiors managing director Graham Shaw says: “We know the Travelodge brand well and our team of hotel specialists will make sure this new hotel in Welwyn Garden City is a fine addition to the brand’s portfolio across the UK. Working in this area involves specialist knowledge, programming skills and a good supply chain, that’s why so many companies are utilising our skills for their hotel work.”

Willmott Dixon’s hotel experience also includes several new-builds, such as the new 154 bed Village Hotel in Portsmouth, Dorsett City Hotel (below) adjacent to Aldgate underground station in London, a new Premier Inn hotel in Beverley, Novotel in Brentford and Holiday Inn on Commercial Road, in East London.