OXFORD tourists on a budget had their first chance to try out the city’s new Travelodge this week.

The £5.5m, 83-bed hotel in Abingdon Road opened its doors to visitors on Monday.

Construction firm Hinton, which has built the hotel over the past 34 weeks, said it was “thrilled” to hand over the keys.

Andy Elwell, from Hinton, said: “After four years in the planning and making, we are thrilled to handover the keys of this project that Hinton Group have developed, designed and constructed.

“A new budget hotel is a welcome addition to the city which was recently coined as having some of the most expensive rooms across the UK.”

It was revealed earlier this year that Oxford was the fourth most costly location for booking a double room in the UK.

Rooms at the hotel, beside the Redbridge park and ride, cost from £49 a night.

In November, the Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel, also in Abingdon Road, revealed plans for 48 new bedrooms and a conservatory. It said it served a different market to Travelodge.