Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain which currently operates over 590 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, today announces the appointment of Claire Good as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Good brings to the role twenty years of experience in leading customer and commercial transformation programmes across consumer-facing businesses, as well as her already in-depth knowledge of Travelodge. The first woman to take up this role, Good becomes the fourth female of the group’s current operating board.
Good has been serving as Chief Operating Officer of Travelodge on an interim basis since January 2021, holding direct management responsibility for leading the group’s operations across its hotels in the UK and Ireland. She will continue to report directly to Travelodge Group Chief Executive, Craig Bonnar.
Having joined Travelodge in 2016 as Head of Central Operations, Good later moved to the role of Director of Central Operations, leading a company-wide productivity programme including strategy development and contingency planning, as well as leading the hotel’s operational change programme.
Over the last year in particular, Good played a key role leading the company’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. She has also overseen the automation of Travelodge’s operation model, with the introduction of a “mobile first” programme and industry leading task management solutions.
Prior to joining the group, Good led a number of customer and commercial transformation programmes at Heathrow Airport Holdings, including being part of the leadership team who successfully opened the new Terminal 2 in June 2014, and before that took on multiple large-scale programmes of work for the mobile operator, Everything Everywhere, including as Customer Experience Director for Orange.
Craig Bonnar, Travelodge Chief Executive, said, 'I am delighted to confirm the appointment of Claire as our permanent Chief Operating Officer. Claire has a wealth of operational experience across many customer-facing businesses and I have had the pleasure of working closely with her at Travelodge over the last few years.
'During this time, I have been deeply impressed by her leadership skills, industry knowledge and extensive customer experience, which has had a strong positive impact on our Operations function, helping maximise efficiency and productivity.
Over the past year in particular, Claire has played an instrumental role in the group’s Covid response, and with her strong skillset and passion for hospitality, she is the ideal choice to continue leading our operations and support us in our on-going transformation as we emerge from the pandemic.”
Good added, “I feel hugely proud and privileged to be appointed Travelodge’s Chief Operating Officer, especially as the first woman to take up this role, at this exciting and important time for the business.
'Travelodge is a fantastic brand and during my five years here, I have seen the business transform at a remarkable pace, showing incredible resilience, in particular over the last year; a time which has challenged the whole industry.
'Looking ahead, I am excited to build on the brand’s strong foundation and continue working with the leadership team and our brilliant colleagues as we look ahead to the next phase of our growth.”