Budget hotels discussion

[Iskra]

The Leicester city centre Premier Inn is pretty tall....I think it may have thirteen floors.

That’s true, I stayed there once actually. I think the one in Leeds near the arena is fairly tall too, possibly a tall-ish one in Reading too from memory.

 

[DelW]

Another thing I like about Travelodge is none of their rooms have the stupid card slot to turn the electricity on. Although I do usually have a few Metrolink tickets in my wallet

I was in a Travelodge just last week that needed a card in the slot for lights and power, including the USB outlets - which is a bit of a nuisance if you want to leave a device charging in the daytime. Mostly when I've encountered that system in recent times the slot has had a spare card already in it, but this one didn't. Fortunately a random plastic card worked

 

[jon0844]

Some hotels won't work with anything shoved in the slot anymore, which is even more of a pain if you wanted to charge things when out. Sockets (and USB ports) should really remain live throughout, or the very least have one or two sockets marked as constantly powered.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Some hotels won't work with anything shoved in the slot anymore, which is even more of a pain if you wanted to charge things when out. Sockets (and USB ports) should really remain live throughout, or the very least have one or two sockets marked as constantly powered.

Until lithium battery safety issues are fully resolved, I suspect unattended charging will remain strongly discouraged in this way.

 

[317 forever]

Fair enough, possibly works in a small PI but probably wouldn’t in the building I’m referring to which has 13 floors!

The largest one I've noticed out of those I've stayed in is Heathrow T4.

It's not always easy to find our breakfast table as quickly as at most other Premier Inns.

 

[brad465]

I don't think they'll go under imminently, but I can see this story doing damage to the business in the short-term at least:

Travelodge probes room access reports after Maidenhead assault

Jo Boydell says the hotel is carrying out a review after guests reported people entering their rooms.

www.bbc.co.uk

Travelodge is investigating more reports of strangers accessing rooms, after a woman was sexually assaulted by a man who was given a key card to her room by staff.

The hotel chain is carrying out a full review after two women told the BBC that people they did not know came into their rooms while they were alone.

They got in touch after a woman was sexually assaulted by Kyran Smith, 29, who was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for the attack in Maidenhead in 2022.

Jo Boydell, CEO of Travelodge, said: "I apologise to all of those people that have had a frightening circumstance."

 

[Djgr]

I don't think they'll go under imminently, but I can see this story doing damage to the business in the short-term at least:

Travelodge probes room access reports after Maidenhead assault

Jo Boydell says the hotel is carrying out a review after guests reported people entering their rooms.

www.bbc.co.uk

Travelodge is a brand that I proactively boycott. Any customer focus was financially engineered away many years ago.

 

[duffield]

Travelodge is a brand that I proactively boycott. Any customer focus was financially engineered away many years ago.

Can't remember the details and I've never stayed but somehow I've picked up the vibe in recent years that they were somewhere to avoid if at all possible (run down? dirty? bed bugs? something like that).

 

[DelW]

Can't remember the details and I've never stayed but somehow I've picked up the vibe in recent years that they were somewhere to avoid if at all possible (run down? dirty? bed bugs? something like that).

I stay in Travelodges regularly and have rarely had any issues other than very minor things. The great majority are clean, comfortable, well maintained and quick to check in and out of. If you pick quiet nights (Sundays particularly) they can be great value, I've stayed in city centre locations for around £30 per night room only.

 

[Towers]

I don't think they'll go under imminently, but I can see this story doing damage to the business in the short-term at least:

Travelodge probes room access reports after Maidenhead assault

Jo Boydell says the hotel is carrying out a review after guests reported people entering their rooms.

www.bbc.co.uk

You can’t help but presume that there must be any number of similar horror stories relating to other hotel chains; security never seems particularly stringent when dealing with overworked reception staff on minimum wage or thereabouts.

Clearly Travelodge are currently in damage limitation mode, but in all honesty I would imagine most budget chains’ staff would have behaved similarly in the circumstances.

 

[Harpo]

Clearly Travelodge are currently in damage limitation mode, but in all honesty I would imagine most budget chains’ staff would have behaved similarly in the circumstances.

The only harm this will cause Travelodge will be some extra spending on revised processes and training. For a chain so penny-pinching that it doesn’t have orange juice with a paid buffet breakfast, that’ll hurt.

 

[Steddenm]

The only harm this will cause Travelodge will be some extra spending on revised processes and training. For a chain so penny-pinching that it doesn’t have orange juice with a paid buffet breakfast, that’ll hurt.

They do have orange juice. They have orange, apple or orange and apple (mix) at most that I have used in the past few months

 

[SuspectUsual]

The one time I’ve had an issue with a hotel like this was in a Travelodge in Glasgow, where I checked in, went to my room, opened the door and found a bloke asleep on the bed. He had his bags all unpacked so clearly it was his room, not like some weird Scottish Goldilocks type thing

 

[Techniquest]

I stay in Travelodges regularly and have rarely had any issues other than very minor things. The great majority are clean, comfortable, well maintained and quick to check in and out of. If you pick quiet nights (Sundays particularly) they can be great value, I've stayed in city centre locations for around £30 per night room only.

I echo that, I did avoid them for years but went back to them a couple of years ago after a really good stay. Don’t get me wrong, some of the hotels aren’t amazing, Croydon Central had heating issues when I stayed in December 2024, however I’ve also had some really good ones.

The shining examples there are Stratford Centre, opened a couple of months ago and it was a beautiful hotel. Absolutely on my list of hotels to use in London, so well connected and a nice place to stay The other example was a much older hotel, this one in Leamington Spa which was The Regent Hotel. Packed with history and a grand staircase, impressive stained glass windows, I really enjoyed my stay and will happily use that one again too.

 

[Harpo]

They do have orange juice. They have orange, apple or orange and apple (mix) at most that I have used in the past few months

Last three that I used (Norwich, Luton, Swindon) were apple or the mix.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Mar 2026 ==

The one time I’ve had an issue with a hotel like this was in a Travelodge in Glasgow, where I checked in, went to my room, opened the door and found a bloke asleep on the bed.

Travelodge Aylesbury gave me a room that turned out to be in use, but luckily occupant-free.

 

[styles]

They do have orange juice. They have orange, apple or orange and apple (mix) at most that I have used in the past few months

My most-used Travelodge only does those Breakfast to Go boxes.

Orange juice (in a carton) is one of the few things you do get!

 

[stuartl]

The one time I’ve had an issue with a hotel like this was in a Travelodge in Glasgow, where I checked in, went to my room, opened the door and found a bloke asleep on the bed. He had his bags all unpacked so clearly it was his room, not like some weird Scottish Goldilocks type thing

Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago in London.

 

[HBP]

Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago in London.

Tbf I’ve had the same thing happen to me at a Premier Inn in Manchester and a Hilton at Heathrow. Not a nice experience though.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

In such instances, the question really is:

Have they given the other person the wrong room upon checking in, or have they given you the wrong room on checking in?

Worse - has the check in system not logged the first guest, meaning staff think the room is unoccupied? That has safety implications for evacuations as well as personal security.

 

[AlterEgo]

You can’t help but presume that there must be any number of similar horror stories relating to other hotel chains; security never seems particularly stringent when dealing with overworked reception staff on minimum wage or thereabouts.

Clearly Travelodge are currently in damage limitation mode, but in all honesty I would imagine most budget chains’ staff would have behaved similarly in the circumstances.

Not just budget hotels. I've been in some much more salubrious chains which didn't really undertake any checks when I lost my keycard. It is a widespread issue.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Clearly Travelodge are currently in damage limitation mode, but in all honesty I would imagine most budget chains’ staff would have behaved similarly in the circumstances.

I think you're right. When I've lost my keycard before, or when it has stopped working for some reason, the checks the reception staff have undertaken before giving me a new card have been minimal. And that's not just at budget chains.

This matter has come to national attention because the attack was particularly horrific. In most cases the victim might have had something stolen. Unpleasant, but nothing compared to what happened to that poor woman.

But, if we're being honest, the reason why it's really come to national attention is because Travelodge's central customer services staff followed it up by only offering the victim thirty quid in compensation. That's what's really done the harm to their reputation. Something like this should have been escalated right up the food chain at Travelodge but, instead, some first-tier customer services agent has metaphorically rubbed the victim's face in it.

Of course Travelodge's CEO resorted to the standard non-apology:

I'm genuinely sorry that the victim feels dismissed

I hate that sort of apology. No, the issue isn't that the victim feels dismissed. The issue is that the victim was dismissed. Clearly Travelodge's CEO still doesn't get it.

 

[Djgr]

But, if we're being honest, the reason why it's really come to national attention is because Travelodge's central customer services staff followed it up by only offering the victim thirty quid in compensation. That's what's really done the harm to their reputation. Something like this should have been escalated right up the food chain at Travelodge but, instead, some first-tier customer services agent has metaphorically rubbed the victim's face in it.

Of course Travelodge's CEO resorted to the standard non-apology:


I hate that sort of apology. No, the issue isn't that the victim feels dismissed. The issue is that the victim was dismissed. Clearly Travelodge's CEO still doesn't get it.

Yep. No customer empathy. They don't even try to make out that they are interested in more than ££££££.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I stay in Travelodges regularly and have rarely had any issues other than very minor things. The great majority are clean, comfortable, well maintained and quick to check in and out of. If you pick quiet nights (Sundays particularly) they can be great value, I've stayed in city centre locations for around £30 per night room only.

I agree with your comments entirely. Outskirts of Manchester City Centre 'Strangeways View' you might say, frequently available from £25.00 room only. Ideal for the X41/X43 bus stop. The soap dispensers are a bit flimsy, err, there are some scratches on the paintwork, perhaps some stains or scratches on the desk and so on. Basic, not luxury silk sheets or chocolates on the pillow.

 

[takno]

I agree with your comments entirely. Outskirts of Manchester City Centre 'Strangeways View' you might say, frequently available from £25.00 room only. Ideal for the X41/X43 bus stop. The soap dispensers are a bit flimsy, err, there are some scratches on the paintwork, perhaps some stains or scratches on the desk and so on. Basic, not luxury silk sheets or chocolates on the pillow.

They do put KitKats on the tea tray if you get a premium room, which is much more sensible than putting them on the pillow.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

They do put KitKats on the tea tray if you get a premium room, which is much more sensible than putting them on the pillow.

Indeed, along with sachets of drinking chocolate and a fancy coffee pod machine. I'm not all that keen on KitKat though! But I do like not having someone clomping around on the floor above so am prepared to pay a few quid extra. As an example: saver rate £24.99, flexible £29.99, plus saver £28.99, plus flexible £34.99.

 

[Harpo]

I agree with your comments entirely. Outskirts of Manchester City Centre 'Strangeways View' you might say, frequently available from £25.00 room only. Ideal for the X41/X43 bus stop. The soap dispensers are a bit flimsy, err, there are some scratches on the paintwork, perhaps some stains or scratches on the desk and so on. Basic, not luxury silk sheets or chocolates on the pillow.

Doubtless several degrees of luxury over staying in the Brown Bear in Salford at the end of the 80s. Knitted quilts on the bed and the entertainment of a regular being told the gent she left with the previous night, had phoned to say she’d left her teeth at his place. Quality.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The stories about poor room security at Travelodge made the BBC news tonight, at least the local London news at 18.30 had a quite long segment full of fresh stories about people falling victim to persons of very dubious morality.

I haven't, as yet, seen anything on one of the national bulletins, but it is surely only a matter of time?

 

[JamesT]

The stories about poor room security at Travelodge made the BBC news tonight, at least the local London news at 18.30 had a quite long segment full of fresh stories about people falling victim to persons of very dubious morality.

I haven't, as yet, seen anything on one of the national bulletins, but it is surely only a matter of time?

There were earlier versions of the Travelodge story on the BBC lunchtime news for several days this week. At least one was regarding inconsistencies between an interview the CEO gave and what the victims have said.

 

[Trackman]

Do Travelodges not have locks on the door inside?
I know they can be bypassed, but you would have to take the front key/swipe panel off first and know what you are doing.

I'm sure Holiday Inn/Expresses and some other hotels have them.
Also, some have physical deadlocks on the inside.

I always lock inside now and if need be put a DND notice on the handle outside.
The reason for this I was having a shower one morning and they decided to service my room (the bathroom is the first right after entering the room)
The girl was very apologetic and embarrassed - I laughed it off. I was behind a screen too.
Saw her later in the corridor as I spotted her trolley and asked her if she was still servicing my room. She told me she was, so I left her a tip on the side which she was pre-warned about.

 

[Andyh82]

There were earlier versions of the Travelodge story on the BBC lunchtime news for several days this week. At least one was regarding inconsistencies between an interview the CEO gave and what the victims have said.

Yes it’s been being covered all week to varying degrees. The CEO in the interview is giving off ‘Post Office’ vibes in my opinion, covering herself as she clearly knew about the shoddy ‘give her £30’ apology, and probably knows key cards are given out willy nilly