British chain builds hotels out of containers

A BRITISH hotel chain, Travelodge, is building the first hotel constructed out of containers. It is made up of 86 units imported from China, stacked on top of each other and bolted together. Set for completion this month, the Uxbridge-based hotel will have the same look and feel as a traditionally built Travelodge hotel, with each room offering an en-suite bathroom, wardrobe, desk and chair, plasma TV, tea and coffee-making facilities and a hotel barcafé. The hotel can also be dismantled once its lifespan is complete. According to estimates published by Travelodge, using shipping containers could cut costs by 10% and improve construction speed by 25%. Travelodge aims to build approximately 20 such hotels each year until 2020 in the UK, Ireland and Spain.