Tourism Profile in the South East

Hotel Supply

Surrey Thames (incorporating Staines, Egham, Chertsey, Weybridge, Walton-onThames, Sunbury-on-Thames, Addlestone, Shepperton and Cobham) has a total of 27 hotels with 1,520 rooms between them. Nearly half of this supply is in six 4 star hotels, four of which are large hotels of 130-180 rooms. A further 21% of supply is in five 3 star hotels, which tend to be smaller in size (average 65 rooms). The 3 and 4 star supply includes three country house hotels/resorts. There are only 4 budget hotels in the Surrey Thames area, generally small units of 20-50 rooms, though one has 65 rooms.

Surrey Thames Hotel Supply — by Standard — 2004
Standard Estabs Rooms % of Rooms Av. Size of Hotel
4 star 6 750 49 125
3 star 5 324 21 65
2 star 2 35 2 18
Budget 4 164 11 41
Non-inspected — 2/3 star/ Budget equivalent 7 219 14 31
Diamond Rated/ Lower Grade Non-inspected 3 28 2 9
Total Supply 27 1,520 100.0 56
Surrey Thames Hotels — 2004
Hotel Location Rooms Grading
Runnymede Egham 180 4 Star
Great Fosters Egham 53 3 Star Country House
Savill Court Egham 104 3 Star
Crown Chertsey 30 2/3 Star equivalent
Bridge Lodge Chertsey 37 2/3 Star equivalent
Wheatsheaf Virginia Water 17 2 Star
Foxhills Ottershaw 38 4 Star Resort
Shepperton Moat House Shepperton 185 4 Star
Ship Shepperton 31 2/3 Star equivalent
Warren Lodge Shepperton 50 3 Star
Anchor Shepperton 29 2/3 Star equivalent
Stanwell Hall Staines 18 2 Star
Thames Lodge Staines 78 3 Star
Anne Boleyn Staines 45 2/3 Star equivalent
Travelodge Staines 65 Budget
Flower Pot Sunbury on Thames 7 Lower grade
Innkeeper’s Lodge Walton on Thames 32 Budget
Hilton Cobham Cobham 158 4 Star
Cedar House Cobham 8 2/3 Star equivalent
Premier Travel Inn Cobham Cobham 48 Budget
Cobham Lodge Cobham 39 2/3 Star equivalent
Fairmile Lodge Cobham 13 Lower grade
Woodlands Park Stoke d’Arberon 57 4 Star Country House
Oatlands Park Weybridge 132 4 Star
Ship Weybridge 39 3 Star
Innkeeper’s Lodge Weybridge 19 Budget
Ditton Lodge Thames Ditton 8 Lower grade

Hotel Demand

3 and 4 star hotels in Surrey Thames perform at between 65% and 76% occupancy, and are most typically around 75% - an above average performance for Surrey. Mid-week occupancies are very high at 77-95% with Monday to Wednesday occupancies running at 90-100%. Weekends are typically between 50% and 60%, though higher in summer due to weddings and increased leisure break demand. Achieved room rates for 3 and 4 star hotels in Surrey Thames are between £65 and £86 and are increasing.

The market mix is 65-70% business and 30-35% leisure. Business demand is predominantly corporate discounted business from Chertsey, Staines, Sunbury-on-Thames, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, Shepperton, Guildford and Woking. Corporate rates are typically £115-£120. Weddings are an important leisure market but those chain hotels with leisure break package promotion also attract good levels of leisure break business; key draws are Legoland, Thorpe Park, Hampton Court, racing at Sandown and Kempton Park and rugby at Twickenham.

3 and 4 star hotels in the area are regularly denying business Monday to Wednesday (5-20 rooms); these denials are increasing. There is also some denied residential conference business.

Hotel Development Opportunities

The strengthening of the local economy, particularly new companies moving into Chertsey and Staines, high occupancy levels and levels of weekday denials all point towards the potential for new hotel development in the Surrey Thames area. The strength of the hotel market in this part of Surrey and the paucity of existing budget hotel supply, particularly larger budget and upper tier budget hotels and new/emerging brands, also indicates a market opportunity in this sector.

In terms of the type and location of hotel development, there would seem to be scope for: