Video by Mary Graham and Rhona Jamieson

One of the most talked about buildings in Maidstone is now
open for business.

The Maidstone Central Travelodge opened its doors this
week. Situated in St Peter's Street, the hotel looks out over
the River Medway.

It has 113 rooms - a mix of doubles and family sized rooms - and
providing bookings are made well in advance, prices start at
£19 per night, per room.

Managers expect the hotel will cater for clubbers at
weekends and for business people during weeknights. It
also has a bar and a restaurant which are open
to non residents.

Wesley Brown, Travelodge's district manager for the
south east, said: "The company is always looking for new locations
and we wanted to get a foothold in Maidstone.

"We are very well geared for leisure and business stays and
there is nothing similar in the centre of Maidstone. The Travelodge
concept is no frills and a low price. We provide the bare
essentials and you could say we are selling sleep."

More than 1,000 people have signed up to a Facebook
group criticising the design of the hotel, with some residents
comparing it to a giant pack of toilet roll, a portable cabin, or
something out of the Soviet design era.

Mr Brown added: "We are aware of the debate about the outside of
the building and we welcome it. A debate is always healthy. We are
delighted with the building and believe the design is
innovative and gets away from a dreary office block look. It has
been built with full design specifications.

"All the staff are really excited about the new hotel. Some
staff at Maidstone have transferred from other Travelodge hotels,
so they really wanted to work here.

And he issued an open invitation: "We will be having an official
opening on February 2, from midday and all are welcome to pop in
and have a look. MP Ann Widdecombe will also be there."

• For a full review on the hotel and to find out what spending the night is like, see Friday's Kent Messenger.