Travelodge is opening its 13th hotel in Edinburgh city centre with clothing retailer Arcadia Group. The new property is part of a £18.5 million investment drive that will create 40 new jobs. Travelodge has opened a 96-room Travelodge hotel above Edinburgh’s largest Topshop store in the city’s retail heartland, Princes Street. The four storey hotel which represents an investment of £10 million has been built in Scotland’s very first steel frame grade ll listed building. In addition to this hotel, Travelodge has also opened an 85-room hotel today in a grade ll listed property on Queens Street. This development represents an £8.5 investment and has been built in line with the Company’s ‘Metro’ style hotel model. Both investments have created 40 new jobs within the Edinburgh community. These two new additions have boosted Travelodge’s estate to 508 properties and increased Edinburgh’s stock to 13 hotels and 1,230 rooms. Edinburgh’s largest hotelier is offering rooms from just £19 at both sites. Paul Harvey, Travelodge, managing director explains: “As Edinburgh largest retailer we are delighted to be opening a further two new hotels in the city centre. “Since 2008, we have invested £64 million into Edinburgh and today we have 13 great hotels across the city. By offering rooms from £19 we are making Scotland’s capital more accessible to business and leisure customers.”    “With over 16 million people annually visiting Scotland, the need for good quality low cost accommodation is in great demand and our objective now is to grow our properties in other key areas across Scotland. To fulfil this need we are working with our retained property agents Sandy Cameron & Co to find new sites. “This autumn we are opening a 60-room hotel in Fort William and I am delighted to announce that we have just exchanged on a new property in Glasgow city centre.”      Malcolm Roughead,  chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “Investment in Scotland’s tourism industry is key to Scotland’s future. There are almost £2 billion worth of projects underway to improve tourism infrastructure across the country and Travelodge’s investment is another welcome addition to this.” Paul Harvey continued: “By attracting new visitors to Edinburgh by offering rooms from £19, we will boost the local economy by over £2.8million. Our research shows the average Travelodge customer will spend on average £36 per day in local shops, restaurants and bars during their stay.” Edinburgh Central Princes Street Travelodge is being managed by long serving staff member Caroline Morey, who has worked for the Company for 12 years. Edinburgh Central Queen Street Travelodge is being managed by Danny Donnelly who has worked for the company for 12 months. Danny started working at Edinburgh West End Travelodge last year as an assistant manager. These new properties are two of 41 hotels opening this year and creating over 1,000 new jobs. The Company is also the largest hotelier in London, Birmingham and Cambridge.