Travelodge has announced plans to open its first hotel in Falmouth as part of a mass expansion across Cornwall to mark its 20th anniversary.

In total the company wants to open seven new hotels in the county, in Falmouth, Truro, St Ives, Penzance, Fowey, Newquay and Bude.

The Falmouth development would represent a £7 million investment by third party investors and create 25 new jobs within the community, Travelodge said.

The company said: "Travelodge has selected Falmouth as one of its key Cornish target locations as it is the gateway to the beautiful Fal River, which runs through an area of natural beauty.

"Its thriving harbour and many art galleries attract visitors from all corners of the UK."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Travelodge, having opened its first seaside hotel in Brighton in 1999.

Tony O’ Brien, Travelodge UK development director, said: “We are becoming a strong staycation nation that likes to take lots of short breaks throughout the year rather than a traditional two week block holiday, and Cornwall is a key destination that we all want to visit.

"The county is a £127 billion powerhouse and is growing from strength to strength with year on year rise in visitor numbers. However there remains a shortage of good quality, low cost branded accommodation in areas such as Falmouth, to meet the needs of leisure travellers.

"To meet this consumer demand we are looking to double our presence in Cornwall and are actively looking for a further seven hotel sites across the county and this includes our first hotel in Falmouth."

He said this would would support the local economy as the company's research showed on average our customers spent double their room rate with local businesses.

Tony added: “To kick start our Cornish expansion programme, we are writing to Falmouth Town Council to see if we can play a pivotal role in their regeneration programme.

"Investing in a low-cost hotel like Travelodge is an increasingly attractive choice, as it draws visitors, creates jobs and helps boost the local economy.”

The Cornish expansion would be part of a £165 million programme in seaside towns nationally, with Travelodge revealing a list of 26 planned hotels around the UK.