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Client: Travel Inn, the UK's No.1 hotel network

Main Contractor: Willmott Dixon Construction

Project: Beehive, Travel Inn, Bolton

Need: 60 en-suite bedroom budget hotel to be completed within a 'fast-track' build programme.

Solution: A double storey, modular building designed and built to the 'Travel Inn' design specification and completed in 20 weeks, achieving a 35% reduction in build time against traditional construction methods and a 20% reduction in build time against Travel Inn's fast track timber frame construction.

Customer Comment: "Travel Inn's consistent room design lends itself perfectly to modular construction methods and our partnership with Rollalong.

Historically, it has been difficult to give suppliers commitment to ensure economies of scale. However with the increases in 'on-site' construction costs (driven by the shortage of skills and labour) and with the Travel Inn expansion programme the benefits of the manufactured environment are now viable.

In addition, Travel Inn is able to open its sites quicker and to an improved quality."

Richard Harris, Director of Property, Travel Inn

Project key points:

• 'Brownfield' development
• Two storey, steel frame modular building solution
• 60 en-suite bedrooms, core areas and reception
• Targeted room development budget £25,000 was achieved
• Complete off-site manufacture of room modules, including total fit-out of M&E services, internal decoration and furnishings
• 35% reduction in build time against traditional construction methods
• 20% reduction in build time against Travel Inn’s fast track timber frame construction
• Minimisation of on-site works and deliveries
• High degree of standardisation in room design

Project details: The Travel Inn hotels are traditionally constructed using a fast track timber frame solution. The Beehive, Travel Inn project provided an assessment of the benefits in terms of speed and quality that could be achieved using a modular construction approach.

The Travel Inn hotel design has a consistent room design and as such is extremely compatible with a modular construction process.

The Beehive, Travel Inn is a two-storey, 60 bed, modular 'budget hotel' development, providing high quality bedroom accommodation for single or shared occupancy.

All site preparation including groundworks, provision of mains services and foundations were undertaken by Willmott Dixon and carried out in parallel with Rollalong's manufacturing process.

All accommodation modules were manufactured in Rollalong’s quality controlled factory using the 'Module-8' hot rolled heavy gauge steel frame structure.

All interior decoration and furnishings were completed as part of the factory production process, prior to site delivery.

All mechanical and electrical services were completed as part of the factory production process, including the installation of bathroom sanitary ware and shower fittings.

The building was externally finished with a dash render to the ground floor level and timber cladding applied to the first floor level. The timber cladding was fixed in the factory.

Traditional timber trusses with concrete tiles were used in the roof construction.

The Benefits: The core benefits of a modular method of construction are speed, quality and value. These benefits are optimised when elements of standardisation are pre-engineered into the building design.

The ability to undertake site preparation works in parallel with manufacturing the building modules significantly reduces the overall build-time enabling earlier occupancy and return on investment.

By minimising the amount of on-site works and number of deliveries, inconvenience and disruption to the local community was limited.

By utilising an off-site manufacturing approach, it enabled the production of a proto-type room prior to mainstream manufacture. The project partners were able to test the room design and interior fit-out.