Travelodge is to open its 75 bedroom hotel in Sandwich in time for the summer season.

The chain announced the news this morning and said 20 jobs will be created locally.

The Sandwich hotel, located at Spitfire Way, Discovery Park, is one of 17 hotels Travelodge expects to open in the UK in 2021 and it is the chain's 17th hotel in Kent.

Collectively this expansion programme of 17 hotels represents an approximate investment of £175 million for third party investors. It also creates 360 new jobs across the UK and will boost the group’s portfolio to 597 hotels.

The company said it received a record number of applications for the 20 positions it advertised for its new team at Sandwich Travelodge and was overwhelmed by the high calibre of applications received. The hotel team was recruited in record time and the team members are currently being trained.

The purpose built hotel features 75 rooms, an on-site restaurant called the Bar Café and on-site car-parking.

It will be styled in the company’s contemporary brand design which has been created by business and leisure customers and features family, double and accessible rooms from £29.

The rooms will also feature a modern en-suite bathroom, power shower, comfort temperature cooling, a 32 inch Freeview TV, complementary in-room tea & coffee making facilities and access to Wifi.

Sandwich Travelodge is being managed by Coleen Piper, who joined the company three years ago and has spent 19 years working within the hospitality sector.

She said: “We are delighted to be opening the first branded hotel in Sandwich.

"The town is one of the best preserved medieval towns in England and a big attraction for holidaymakers but there is a desperate need for good quality and low cost accommodation.

"Our hotel will fill this gap and be a magnet to attract new visitors to the area.

"We are expecting a busy summer as the Staycation is set to big this year. This is also 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.”

She added: "It is very challenging opening 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.

"The team is being trained in nearby Travelodge hotels and we will be working around the clock to get our hotel ready for the summer season.”

The company has not confirmed it will be open when The Open returns to Royal St George's Golf Club for a week from July 11. British summertime starts on Wednesday June 21.

This is the R&A's 149th Open, and it was postponed from last year because of the pandemic.

The nearest Travelodge to Sandwich is at St James Retail and Leisure park in Dover.

Read more: All the latest news from Sandwich