Britain's budget accommodation market with a franchising and marketing strategy to sign up 300 independent hotels before 2020, its founder told Reuters on Wednesday.

Marking its first expansion outside Asia, the franchiser said it plans to invest $53 million to launch in 10 British cities in the next 18 months via a smartphone-based service for franchise owners and guests.

Whitbread's Premier Inn chain is the leader in Britain's economy hotel industry. Other branded operators include private equity-backed Travelodge and Holiday Inn Express, a unit of Intercontinental Hotels Group.