Budget hotel group Travelodge has appointed the world’s first director of sleep for £60,000.

The announcement comes a week after the company revealed 80 middle-management jobs were at threat as part of a cost-cutting excercise.

Wayne Munnelly, dubbed “the sleep tzar”, has been appointed to ensure that guests get a good night’s sleep in the hotel group’s 25,000 UK beds.

His role includes testing mattress tension and pillow density, as well as writing a 20-point “dream plan” that every guest can follow to get a good night’s sleep.

Munnelly said: “There must be thousands of people out there who would have loved the idea of sleeping for a living but I know my role is going to be demanding.  Getting the balance right to deliver a sound night’s sleep is close to science.”

Travelodge announced last week that it has begun redundancy negotiations with its 80 cluster and area managers in a drive to cut £3m in costs.

At the time of the announcement Travelodge director of communications Greg Dawson said: “We have to look at all areas of the business to remain as lean as we can.”

By Emily Manson

Jobs under threat at Travelodge >>

Company profile: Travelodge >>

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