TRAVELODGE is to open a hotel in Poole town centre in a move that it says will create 40 jobs in the town.

The £8million hotel, part of a new development under way next to Asda on Holes Bay Road, will be one of 15 being opened across the country this year.

Poole Central Travelodge will be spread over four floors above new restaurants and bars. Travelodge says it will open towards the end of this year and will boost the local economy by £2m a year.

Travelodge says the £100m it is spending on 15 new hotels will create 350 jobs across the country.

Travelodge chief executive Peter Gowers said: “We are well under way with our plans to build new hotels.

“We’re investing more than £100m in modernising our hotels for our customers and we now have 87 per cent of guest rooms upgraded to our new look.

“In 2015 we are extending our network further by opening 15 new hotels, including our first hotel in Poole, which will create 40 jobs in the town.

“With our modernised hotels and unbeatable value, we are well placed to serve the rapidly growing demand for low-cost travel. We see the potential for more than 150 further hotels across the UK and look forward to creating more great places to stay and thousands more jobs over the years ahead.”

Travelodge says the location is ideal for the railway station, Dolphin Centre and seafront.

The hotel will fit in with a new look being rolled out across the chain as part of a £100m modernisation.

All rooms will have king-size Travelodge Dreamer beds and family rooms will have space-saving ‘truckle beds’ whose bases can be used for storing luggage.

The chain’s expansion has been welcomed by Chancellor George Osborne, who said: “The expansion of a great British brand like Travelodge within a growing hotel and leisure industry in the UK, is fantastic news.

“Travelodge’s expansion is not just reliant however on tourists as increased demand from business customers and families have also boosted growth.”