Almost 2,000 jobs are under threat after the UK’s second biggest hotel chain was snapped up in a £1billon deal masterminded by Goldman Sachs.

Fears are mounting for Travelodge’s 6,000-strong workforce as sources suggest up to 150 of the chain’s worst performing hotels could be axed.

Goldman led a cabal of finance houses to take control of Travelodge – along with its colossal debt pile. It was previously owned by Dubai International Capital.

The chain has touted itself as an island of hope for jobseekers, participating in the Government’s Job Centre Plus Scheme. In one recent round of hiring, it took on a batch of employees who had all been long-term unemployed.

It could now be forced to return those very staff to the dole queue. Sources say the burden of any job cuts would fall disproportionately on rural areas. Travelodge is said to be struggling to make its sites on out-of-town A-roads pay.

It confirmed yesterday it has plans to offload leases on 49 troubled hotels. Additionally, it has pleaded with landlords at 109 of its hotels to reduce its rent bill.

However, top industry sources say the chain is unlikely to find any takers for the 49 sites, in which case the 350 workers at those hotels would almost certainly face the chop.

‘There isn’t another hotel company in the UK that could make them profitable,’ said one expert.

Little Chef was similarly squeezed after demand plummeted when its most lucrative sites were bypassed by larger roads.

Experts fear that Travelodge’s new owners could be planning to offload even more properties than the 49 announced yesterday. ‘There’s 150 hotels that don’t make any profit,’ said a hotel industry source.

Despite the bad news – contained in a rescue deal known as a Company Voluntary Agreement – there were also promises of new investment.

Travelodge said that it, along with its new owners, planned to invest £75million in the business including £55million to refurbish older hotels.

Under the terms of the CVA, banks wrote off over £235million of Travelodge’s debts which will bring the firm’s total debts down to £330million.

The CVA will be voted on by creditors on September 4 and must command approval of three-quarters of lenders to pass.