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Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Beverley and Bridlington are on a hitlist of 16 key locations Travelodge is eyeing up new hotel sites.

It is aiming to widen the group’s operations from 23 to 39 in its North East region, as it closes in on 600 venues. In total, it would represent a £160 million investment with third parties, creating some 400 new jobs.

Claire Good, Travelodge’s chief operating officer, said: “As we look to the future, the North East business and leisure economies are growing at pace especially as the region is a top staycation destination. However, as we have become a nation of value-conscious travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type, there is a shortage of good quality and low cost accommodation within the region.

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"To help fill this gap and fulfil growing demand, we are today announcing our North East hotel target expansion programme and are actively looking for hotel sites in 16 target locations. This expansion includes finding a site to open our first hotel in Grimsby.

“For nine of these target locations it would be the town’s first Travelodge hotel which would help attract new business and leisure visitors to the area.”

The full list includes Headingley, Knaresborough/Wetherby, Northallerton, Ripon, South Shields and Thirsk, with second sites in Barnsley, Chesterfield and Middlesbrough, a third in Wakefield fourth in Sheffield and fifth in Leeds.

It was released as a 69-room Hexham Travelodge was opened and contracts were agreed with Muse Developments and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to develop at the same scale.