The Easyhotel chain is selling “takeaway zip-up hotels” — otherwise known as tents AlamyThe budget hotel chain founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has cocked a snook at Whitbread’s new Zip by Premier Inn concept by launching “takeaway zip-up hotels” — otherwise known as tents — for £25. Easyhotel, in which the Easyjet founder has a 24.5 per cent stake, said the bright orange tents would be aimed at festivalgoers and “hardy travellers happy to stay on rudimentary, less-than-convenient sites”. The zip-up hotels stunt comes after Premier Inn’s £19-a-night no-frills concept made its debut in Cardiff in February, with a second site set to open in Southampton by the end of this year. Yesterday, Easyhotel reported a 25.3 per cent jump in sales to £20.2 million in the half-year to the end of March, with underlying earnings up by…

Source: The Times May 29, 2019 23:10 UTC