Construction work has started on a new 80-room budget hotel at a business park.
The Travelodge is being developed on the site of former office accommodation in Silver Fox Way, at the Cobalt Business Park, in North Tyneside.
The £3.6m project, by Esh Construction on behalf of Union Property Development, involves remodelling the two-storey office accommodation into 68 rooms. An adjoining lightweight steel frame extension will provide an extra 12 rooms.
A bar café and reception will be on the ground floor of the hotel.
Travelodge spokeswoman Shakila Ahmed said: "We are delighted to be working with Union Property and Esh on a further Travelodge hotel development which is located in the UK’s biggest business park, Cobalt Business Park.
"This is our seventh hotel in Newcastle, and it will also be the first budget hotel to be located at the business park, providing much-needed great value accommodation to visiting business and leisure travellers."
Peter Carruthers, consultant project director at Newcastle-based Union Property, added: "With construction rebounding from lockdown restrictions, we have several projects under way and are as committed as ever to delivering our development pipeline.
"The building is currently under-used and its conversion to a hotel will provide much-needed additional hotel capacity to Cobalt Business Park and the wider area.
"This is our third development for Travelodge, and we are especially pleased to appoint Esh Construction to work with us once again."
Esh Construction was appointed as the design and build contractor in November and will work in partnership with Wake Morley, Portland Consulting Engineers and kyoob to deliver the project.
Gary Dobson, divisional director at Esh Construction, said: "This is our second development on behalf of Union Property, with our commercial build division recently commencing work on a £10m retail scheme based at the entrance to Hexham.
"New developments like Cobalt - the jobs it will create and the boost to the local economy during the build and on completion - will play a key part in the region’s recovery from the pandemic.
"We look forward to working with Union Property and the project team to bring this underused building back to use.”
Work on the Cobalt hotel is expected to be completed by late 2021.
