UK's Travelodge Rejects Adult TV

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. October 14, 2008

LONDON, UK, July 21, 2007. Travelodge today became the first major hotel chain to reject pay-per-view adult TV by removing pornographic content from its 20,000 in room televisions.

The change is designed to appeal to the ever growing number of families staying with the budget hotel chain. The pay-per-view content and conventional televisions will be replaced by a lb10m roll-out of new flat screen, digital TVs with 18 free, family-friendly channels such as Cbeebies. ( Digital channels include: BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, CH4, Ch5 (same with sub-titles) C Beebies, BBC News 24, Film Four and the The Hits Radio 1, Radio 2,Talk Sport and Radio 5 Live )

Travelodge's Chief Operating Officer, Guy Parsons said: "We have an ever increasing number of families staying with us and it's appropriate that we remove adult TV. Our other customers tell us that they would prefer to use a hotel without adult content available so we have responded to meet their needs."

Travelodge has doubled the number of families and children staying in its hotels since 2003. Leisure breaks now account for 70% of the hotel company's sales with the rest generated by business customers. Despite losing another potential source of sales by removing the adult channel, Travelodge believes that this move, along with its recent pledge on a smoking ban in all rooms will undoubtedly attract more customers in the long term.

Parsons said: "We talk to our customers about all of these issues and often take the lead in delivering what they ask for."

Travelodge is UK's fastest growing and most recognised budget hotel company: Travelodge has 318 hotels within the UK, Ireland and Spain (20,000 rooms in total). Over 6 million people stay with Travelodge every year.

Growth: Travelodge has a target of 70,000 rooms (700 new hotels) by 2020 - this means opening a new hotel every eight working days. This will be achieved via organic growth including new build properties and regenerating existing buildings. By the 2012 Olympics, Travelodge aims to be the biggest hotel operator in Central London (within the North and South Circular), with a target of 7,000 rooms in the Capital.