Travelodge in a container

I think the Travelodge shipping container hotel concept (www.designweek.co.uk,22 January), is fascinating, and certainly not new.

There are many companies working with freight container developments - Lot-Ek, for example, has created a container store for Uniqlo that is clever, fun and mobile.

Its progressive that Travelodge is working with freight containers and developing them into a mass-market proposition, but is this a missed opportunity?

The Yotel model uses windowless spaces that are small and cheap - thereby lowering the costs. The difference with Yotel is that the experience is different, exciting and designed intelligently to fit the small space and cater to the needs of the customer - it is compact, bijou and refreshingly different.

Leveraging Travelodge's innovative building scheme and making it part of the customer experience would make the starting price of £19 even sweeter.

By Michelle Du-Prat, Insights Director

Published in Design Week : 5th of February 2009.