My social mobility story

As a major employer in the UK, and in the hospitality industry, Travelodge takes its responsibility towards social mobility seriously, and believes it can really help people to fulfil their potential. To demonstrate their commitment, in 2022 Travelodge became the first hotel group to become members of the Purpose Coalition. In June 2023, Travelodge also launched their first Levelling Up impact report which highlighted the key things the business is doing to support social mobility for its colleagues and improve social outcomes in the communities they operate in. 

Guest blog by Stacey Coleclough, Hotel Manager Liverpool, The Strand

Growing up where I did in Saltney on an estate in the suburban areas of Chester, people didn’t think much of getting jobs or having a career, it was about survival. I still recall some of the advice I received about how I could access benefits and housing without having to work! It very much was the stereotype of living on a council estate.

From a young age I always knew there was a better life to be had and a better way of living to be experienced. So, contrary to some of the advice I’d previously received, I enrolled on a Graphic Design course at college, which stemmed from my interest in graffiti on the estate where I grew up.

However, the need and demand for a full time income in my household, whilst I was growing up, was more of a priority than continuing in full time education. I therefore made the decision to step out of education and into a full time role at Travelodge to support my family and my household at the age of 17. As a teenager this was not something that I wanted to do, but I had no choice. I remember wishing that I had been born into wealth just so that I did not have to face the world of work before finishing my education.

Whilst cleaning a room one day, in Chester Central where I had first joined Travelodge, my Manager who was making the bed with me, said “Stacey you can do something with yourself, you can really go somewhere”. This was a pivotal moment for me, as it completely changed the way that I thought, it was no longer just a job, it was a career. I started to apply myself to the work in a way that I had never done before. I no longer felt bound by where I had grown up, my lack of education or how I sounded, I just started to believe that I could make something of myself! 

Throughout the years that I have worked at Travelodge, I have received great support from my Managers and our People team - I feel like they really recognised my determination and commitment to my career development at Travelodge. My colleagues have also played a pivotal role in my development and growth. I have completed a broad range of training programmes that have enabled me to gain nationally recognised qualifications and I have also completed several levels of our in-house development programme, Aspire, which has progressed my career into various Hotel Manager roles throughout some of the company’s 600 hotels. I am always looking to broaden my knowledge through experiences or training programmes and Travelodge has that readily available for its colleagues.

I have to give huge credit to my first Manager who inspired me. My second Manager really got behind me, giving me constant guidance and ample opportunities - the point at which my development really took off. By the age of 19 I graduated from Travelodge’s Internal Management Development Program, and became an Assistant Hotel Manager. I now successfully manage one of Liverpool’s thriving city centre Travelodges.

There were times when I doubted myself and questioned my ability to do more, to be more and to better myself. I am no stranger to Imposter Syndrome as a result of where I grew up, however I now see my background as a means of relating to people and hopefully inspiring others! In fact, I am really proud of my background and what I have achieved in my career. I want to beat the stereotype! 

I used to look at people in business and think I would love to be one of those people. When I was younger I never thought for one moment that I could be one. Today, thanks to my first Manager, who inspired me to work hard and believe in myself, along with the coaching, the support and career development that Travelodge has provided me with, I am now one of those people that I always aspired to be. 

This is my journey from Housekeeper to Hotel Manager at one of Liverpool’s busiest Travelodges, something I am both proud of and grateful for.