TRAVELODGE has held an official opening for its second Poole hotel.

The hotel at Fleet Corner Business Park – which welcomed its first guests last month – was one of seven to be officially launched on the same day.

Travelodge said the seven represented an investment of £70million and had created 150 jobs, with 21 in Poole.

The other sites were in Boston, two in Bristol and one each in Faringdon, St Albans and Witney. They take Travelodge’s portfolio to 592 hotels in the UK, Ireland and Spain.

The Poole North Travelodge has 81 rooms and an on site restaurant called the Bar-Cafe.

Its manager is Carlos Barata, who joined the company six years ago and has managed Travelodge hotels across the South West.

He said: “There has been a desperate need for a second Travelodge hotel in Poole for some time to help fulfil growing demand and the timing of today’s opening is perfect as Poole is a popular staycation destination and we are set for a busy 2021.”

He added: “I was overwhelmed by the huge volume of applications I received during the recruitment drive and the high calibre of applicants.

"I was looking for individuals who are passionate about delivering great customer service and going the extra mile for customers and the candidates did not disappoint.

“I do have a lot of working parents in my team, as Travelodge is dedicated to supporting working parents by offering flexible hours around the school run and career advancement so that parents can easily climb the career ladder whilst raising their family. I am hopeful that some of my team members will be our hotel managers of the future.”