Travelodge appoints new UK Head of Estates
Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel brand which operates nearly 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, today announces it has promoted and appointed Kirsty Berry as the Company’s new Head of Estates.
Kirsty joined Travelodge in 2022 as Regional Estates Manager and has been an integral member of the UK Estates team since. With a background consisting of a vast range of property experience with a number of multi-site businesses including Domino’s UK and Majestic Wines, Kirsty has been crucially involved in various sublet deals and lease regears. This includes leading a unique sublet agreement for one of the UK’s first Popeyes Louisiana Chicken drive-thrus, at the Travelodge Northampton Way site, which the Group announced last year.
Over the past year, a key strategic priority for the Property and Development function of the Travelodge business has been expanding the Estates team and its remit, due to the Company’s growing hotel portfolio and opportunities to improve its assets. The team is dedicated to supporting the hotels and the wider business with general estate matters and is also responsible for asset management, rent reviews, service charges, business rates, sublets, insurance, asset management, lease renewals and landlord approvals.
Members of the Estates team are field-based so that they can make regular hotel visits, allowing full access to the Travelodge hotel portfolio and providing hands-on support for Travelodge’s hotel colleagues and its landlords.
Reporting into the Chief Property and Development Officer, Kirsty will be overseeing all operations of the Estates function, made up of six team members, and is currently looking to expand the team further by the appointment of a Regional Estates Manager (South). For more details of this vacancy, please visit: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/careers/
Steve Bennett, Chief Property and Development Officer, Travelodge, comments: “We are delighted to be promoting Kirsty to the position of Head of Estates, as she has proven to be integral to the recent success of the Estates function. Kirsty’s industry expertise and experience represents a significant benefit to Travelodge as a business, and she has already played a crucial role in the growing and improving Estates Management teamsince joining in 2022.”
Travelodge has a significant estate of nearly 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, with over 580 of these hotels located throughout the UK. In addition, the group has a large sublet estate, with over 150 subtenants. Furthermore, with over 200 Bar Cafes, Travelodge is also one of the largest Food & Beverage operators in the country.