A NEW Travelodge has opened in Poole – creating 21 new jobs.

Poole North Travelodge, at Fleets Corner Business Park, is the second of the budget chain's hotels to open in the town.

It is one of 17 new hotels the group is opening in 2021, as part of a £175 million investment across the UK.

Carlos Barata, hotel manager at the new Poole North Travelodge, said: "Poole and the Dorset region is one of the UK’s top holiday destinations and annually attracts millions of visitors, and with more Britons holidaying at home this year we are set for a very busy 2021.

"Our hotel will be a magnet to attract more visitors to the area which is great news for the local economy.

"As research shows our customers will spend on average double their room rate during their stay with local businesses which equates to an annual multi-million spend."

Poole North Travelodge, the seventh Travelodge to open in Dorset, has 81 bedrooms.

Featuring an on-site restaurant and parking, the hotel is already open to business customers, with the main opening set for May 17th.

Rooms, available from £29, have king size Travelodge Dreamer beds, charging points, en-suite bathrooms with power shower, air conditioning, televisions, Wifi and complementary tea and coffee making facilities.

Carlos said: "I am honoured that my hotel is one of the 17 hotels, Travelodge is opening this year and it’s great to mark coming out of lockdown with opening a second hotel in Poole.

"It has been very challenging getting ready to open a hotel in a pandemic, but I am extremely proud to have built a fantastic team.

"I was looking for individuals who are passionate about delivering great customer service and I am delighted that I have a great team of local people in place.

"I received a record of number of applications and I was overwhelmed by the record number of high calibre of applications received.

"As we offer flexible working hours, we have attracted a lot of parents as they can work around the school run and climb the career ladder whilst raising their family.

"My team and I are working around the clock to get our hotel open for leisure customers from 17th May 2021.”