Travelodge, the budget hotel chain owned by Dubai International Capital, is planning to build up to half of its new hotels using ready-made modules imported from China. Financial Times
The first such hotel, with 120 rooms, is being completed in Uxbridge, west London.
A 307-bedroom structure near Heathrow is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. Travelodge aims to add 40 hotels a year until 2020, half of them built using the modular approach.
A modular build takes up to 25% less time to construct and can cut overall costs by up to 10%, according to the hotel group. Travelodge is predicting it will save £10m a year over the next 12 years.