A UK hotel company is offering members of the public monetary rewards for suggesting new sites for development.

Travelodge has released a "£25m bounty" to help search for new hotels across the country. Open to suggestion for new locations or conversions of existing buildings, they will payout for any tips that result in a new opening. The size of the reward will be based on the number of rooms - £500 per bedroom, up to a maximum payout of £150,000.

To suggest a site, you simply visit travelodgedevelopment.co.uk. Fill in an online form with your contact details and where to find your proposed location, then click on the dropdown menu to indicate whether the site is a major tourist destination, on a main road, in a town/business centre or near an airport.

The company's property director, Paul Harvey, says, "We have a fantastic property team that is already working on hundreds of sites, but you cannot beat local people for local knowledge."

But are members of the pubic really the best judges? "It's not unusual for hotel companies to pay a finder's fee to an estate agent," says David Chamberlain of CCA Chartered Architects, a company that has worked on numerous hotel projects. "But members of the public are not going to be aware of national and local planning guidelines and policies, and other relevant regulations. There could be all sorts of implications: building on flood plains, sustainability issues including transport and parking, conservation … "

So is this just another one of Travelodge's now infamous marketing ploys? They've already secured headlines this year for their portable hotel rooms and tales of a Sheffield couple who have made Travelodge their home for the past 22 years.

It's surely a win-win situation for the company. They get information on you, ideas on what you consider a good hotel location, and maybe, just maybe, a tip for a prime warehouse conversion.

Travelodge say they plan to open 500 additional UK hotels by 2020. The company believes that two-thirds of the hotels will be brand new developments and the rest will be converted from existing office buildings and hotels.

"We can place a Travelodge in many different locations, and in town centres we can have hotels above bars, restaurants, cinemas, health clubs, casinos and even doctors' surgeries," says Mr Harvey.