Richard McKevitt, managing director of Premier Hotels Plc, who holds the master franchise in the UK for Days Inn said: �This move will provide immediate distribution for the Days Inn brand at Welcome Break�s key locations around the UK. There will be financial and operating benefits as well as the marketing potential from introducing the leading US lodging brand into the UK. 

�In addition to the initial 19 Welcome Break properties, we are also developing future Days Inn sites that by the end of the year 2000 we should have an additional 35 Days Inn properties in the UK,� McKevitt concluded. 

Mark Hudson, commercial director of Welcome Break, said: �This is a tremendous step forward for our hotels operation. With the Days Inn brand, we have secured an internationally recognised brand name that will enhance Welcome Break�s business, grow our yield and increase job opportunities for our staff. To support the Days Inn brand we are investing £18 million in upgrading all our properties to the standard of our new Oxford lodge.� Welcome Break has already committed £150 million to completely modernise and upgrade their motorway service areas. 
 

Welcome Lodge Abington Welcome Lodge Bridgend Welcome Lodge Burtonwood  Welcome Lodge Chorley Welcome Lodge Fleet Motorway Service Area Welcome Lodge Gordano Motorway Service Area Welcome Lodge Gretna Welcome Lodge Hartshead Moor Service Area Welcome Lodge London Nw7 Welcome Lodge Membury Welcome Lodge Michael Wood Motorway Service Area Welcome Lodge Milton Keynes Welcome Lodge Oxford Welcome Lodge Sedgemoor Motorway Service Area Welcome Lodge South Mimms Welcome Lodge Stansted Welcome Lodge Warwick Motorway Service Area Welcome Lodge Woodall

The addition of the Days Inn affiliation continues the Welcome Break strategy of introducing world class brands to our motorway service areas. To date the programme has seen the addition of Burger King, KFC, Brioche Doree and Garfunkels restaurants to the existing catering offers, and several high street brands into the shops. 

�We�re extremely enthused with our association with the Welcome Break organisation who is known for operating quality properties,� said Joe Kane, Days Inns president and CEO. �This agreement gives us our first entry into the UK market, and we look forward to serving our growing family of customers in the UK and welcome our exiting 36 million guests a chance to experience Days Inn hospitality the UK way �, Kane said. 

Days Inn hotels in the UK will be positioned at the premium end of the budget accommodation market with emphasis on independent business travellers and families. The hotels will offer more substantial services than many existing operators in the sector in areas such as receptions, lounges, electronic security, in-room telephones and modem points. 

Pricing for Days Inn units will be on a per room basis, with price bands from £39 to £59.50. As well as the Welcome Break motorway units, Premier expects Days Inn properties to be developed on main roads close to towns and in city centres. The first central London hotel, boasting 162 rooms, will be opened by Premier Hotels at Waterloo in October 2000. 

Premier Hotels Plc was established in 1996 to develop internationally branded, economy hotels throughout the UK. The company is the largest franchisee of Holiday Inn Express in the UK, currently operating 11 units (1046 rooms). Additionally, Premier holds the UK master franchise for Howard Johnson, another Cendant owned international hotel brand. 

Welcome Break is the largest independent motorway service area operator with 23 sites across the UK and is owned by Investcorp which acquired the business in March 1997.