Craig Bonnar leaves Asda for COO role at Travelodge
Budget hotel group Travelodge has appointed former Asda executive Craig Bonnar as chief operating officer.
Bonnar, who will be responsible for the operation of 534 hotels in the UK, Ireland and Spain, will report to Travelodge's chief executive Peter Gowers and join the company's board.
During a 20-year career at Asda, Bonnar moved through a range of positions. He began with a stint on the checkouts before joining the company's graduate training scheme, then became head of retail operations, operations director of supermarket and, most recently, vice-president of store proposition and format development.
He said he was "hugely proud" to be joining the UK's second-largest hotel brand, behind Premier Inn.
"Travelodge is an iconic brand that has built a strong position as a leading player in the fast-growing value segment," he said. "I am looking forward to helping us grow the business and continue Travelodge's journey to become the UK's favourite hotel for value."
Gowers added: "Craig's extensive experience in leading large multi-site operational teams to deliver great customer service at low cost will be invaluable to the further development of the business."
Travelodge is owned by GoldenTree Asset Management, Avenue Capital Group and Goldman Sachs.
Travelodge reveals the weirdest things left in its hotels in 2016 >>
Travelodge returns to the black with pre-tax profit of £5.9m >>
Travelodge rebrands three hotels >>
Looking for a job? See all the current hotel vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs >>
Videos from The Caterer archives