Budget hotel chain Premier Travel Inn appoints first chief operating officer

Budget hotel chain Premier Travel Inn (PTI) has promoted operations director Paul Flaum to the newly created role of chief operating officer.

Flaum joined PTI from cinema company Odeon in November 2002, and in 2004 was credited as an integral part of the team that oversaw the integration of Premier Lodge.

Patrick Dempsey, managing director of PTI, said: "It's great news that Paul will continue to help develop our UK operations and therefore ensure we maintain our market leading position while we continue to develop our international expansion plans such as our new sites in the Gulf region."

PTI has more than 470 hotels and 30,000 bedrooms in the UK and is part of Whitbread Group. It aims to have 45,000 bedrooms by 2010.

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By Chris Druce

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