OXFORD’S newest hotel is taking shape in Abingdon Road.

The 83-bed Travelodge next to the Redbridge Park-and-Ride site is due to open early next year.

Oxford City Council wrangled with the designers for months over the external appearance of the £5.5m hotel, flanking one of the main entrances into the city, resulting in the more subtly-coloured panels now planned.

James Hinton, from Hinton Group, which is building the Travelodge, said: “Construction of the hotel is progressing well and we can finally see the building taking shape.”

The construction of a budget hotel has been welcomed by tourism bosses after it was revealed earlier this year that Oxford was the fourth most costly location for booking a double room in the the UK.

The survey by cheaprooms.co.uk found that with an average night in a double room in Oxford costing £98, the city was only cheaper than Edinburgh (£134), Bath (£106), and St Peter Port in Guernsey (£104).

It was more expensive than London (£97), St Helier in Jersey (£96), Inverness (£95), Cambridge (£95), Portsmouth (£94), and Dublin (£94).

Martin Walker, head of development at Experience Oxfordshire – the county’s tourist agency – welcomed the Travelodge, saying it would provide a much-needed cheaper alternative to Oxford’s high-price establishments like the Randolph Hotel.

A double room at the Travelodge Peartree hotel in North Oxford is advertised from £65.

The new hotel will create more than 25 full-time and part-time jobs.

Oxford City Council originally refused planning permission for the hotel in 2012, partly because of the bright orange and mint green cladding planned. That has now been changed to red brick and shades of brown.

Councillors also said the hotel’s planned 45 parking spaces were not enough, and guests would inevitably use the park-and-ride car park.

Planning inspector Alan Wood overturned the council’s decision in May last year.

It is not the only new Travelodge going up in Oxfordshire – the Thame-based firm is also building a new hotel in Bicester’s Franklyn’s Yard which is due to open next summer.

And the firm has said it was looking for another three Oxfordshire sites, which would create a further 90 jobs.