Budget hotels discussion

[Harpo]

TL Bullring Birmingham a few weeks ago……receptionist stated she could check me in but I couldn’t have the room key until 1500 unless I coughed up £12.

Been charged £20 by TL for an early check-in at Norwich in August. Is that an increase?

 

[Kite159]

Been charged £20 by TL for an early check-in at Norwich in August. Is that an increase?

Most likely they are increasing such fees as a way to boost revenue without affecting the headline charge.

Especially in popular tourist locations where people might want early check in to drop off bags to avoid carrying them around with them etc.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Places like Croydon are often cheap if you don't mind the train ride (many here would of course consider that a positive).

Plenty of PI bargains in the London suburbs to be had if you don't mind a small commute: Hayes, Uxbridge, Wembley (when no events on), Hanger Lane, Bromley, Croydon, Sutton, Slough. The Moxy at Slough can often be a bargain and is a very short hop from the station.

 

[D6130]

Plenty of PI bargains in the London suburbs to be had if you don't mind a small commute: Hayes, Uxbridge, Wembley (when no events on), Hanger Lane, Bromley, Croydon, Sutton, Slough. The Moxy at Slough can often be a bargain and is a very short hop from the station.

....and Stevenage too.

 

[cactustwirly]

Plenty of PI bargains in the London suburbs to be had if you don't mind a small commute: Hayes, Uxbridge, Wembley (when no events on), Hanger Lane, Bromley, Croydon, Sutton, Slough. The Moxy at Slough can often be a bargain and is a very short hop from the station.

Moxy is a better hotel than premier Inn and you earn Marriott Bonvoy points too

 

[Puffing Devil]

Moxy is a better hotel than premier Inn and you earn Marriott Bonvoy points too

Agreed!

Also add Harrow to the PI list - right by Kenton station.

 

[johntea]

I've chosen Premier Inn Sidcup for my stay as after doing some research it is literally directly opposite Sidcup railway station and a nice simple 20-25 minute ride into London Bridge / London Waterloo East / London Charing Cross which seemed a nicer alternative especially in this recent hot weather than trekking in from a Zone 5 Underground route!

 

[Kite159]

I've chosen Premier Inn Sidcup for my stay as after doing some research it is literally directly opposite Sidcup railway station and a nice simple 20-25 minute ride into London Bridge / London Waterloo East / London Charing Cross which seemed a nicer alternative especially in this recent hot weather than trekking in from a Zone 5 Underground route!

You might even get lucky and get some 707s with their AC

 

[philjo]

I stayed at a Hampton by Hilton in York for 1 night last week - £170, with Breakfast included and was the flexible price allowing cancellation up the evening before. I got a notification from the app around 1pm to let me know that the room was ready for check in. The nearby Premier Inn was a very similar price for room only.

 

[BuhSnarf]

I've chosen Premier Inn Sidcup for my stay as after doing some research it is literally directly opposite Sidcup railway station and a nice simple 20-25 minute ride into London Bridge / London Waterloo East / London Charing Cross which seemed a nicer alternative especially in this recent hot weather than trekking in from a Zone 5 Underground route!

Stayed there a few times as in laws live close by. The Premier Inn is much more preferable to the Travelodge in Sidcup which is a bit of a walk from the station and has no air con, some of the hottest rooms I've ever stayed in.

 

[route101]

I stayed at a Hampton by Hilton in York for 1 night last week - £170, with Breakfast included and was the flexible price allowing cancellation up the evening before. I got a notification from the app around 1pm to let me know that the room was ready for check in. The nearby Premier Inn was a very similar price for room only.

York is one of them places that command high prices.

 

[Bald Rick]

York is one of them places that command high prices.

Well it is a tourist hotspot, races every 2-3 weeks from May to early October, and it was graduation at York Uni last week.

But you can have Hampton by Hilton (a great hotel) for little more than £100 tomorrow night. Allowing for inflation, that’s cheaper than I was paying for (much worse) hotels there when I was a regular 25 years ago.

 

[MicroLithium]

I've chosen Premier Inn Sidcup for my stay as after doing some research it is literally directly opposite Sidcup railway station and a nice simple 20-25 minute ride into London Bridge / London Waterloo East / London Charing Cross which seemed a nicer alternative especially in this recent hot weather than trekking in from a Zone 5 Underground route!

I stay there fairly often since my brother lives not far away. Rooms are fine and it is only a few minutes from sidcup station, down the hill, across the road and left under the bridge. Not masses nearby though, apart from M&S for snacks and drinks

 

[TheSmiths82]

Does anybody have any suggestions of cheap areas to stay in London with good pubs and local night life near by for the evenings? Ideally I would spend all day in Central London and just stay near the hotel in the evening. I have just got back from a short stay at the TL in Finsbury Park which was OK, the location was a little far out but being right next to a bus stop and tube station helped with that. It was however still a little expensive at £100 a night on the Thursday and Friday. I usually aim to stay in the Kings Cross area and will pay a small premium for that (I would be happy with £100 a night there) but Kings Cross seems to be getting more and more expensive. I like it because there are lots of good pubs which are cheap for central London, it is walking distance to most of Central London and also walking distance to Euston.

 

[Bald Rick]

Does anybody have any suggestions of cheap areas to stay in London with good pubs and local night life near by for the evenings? Ideally I would spend all day in Central London and just stay near the hotel in the evening. I have just got back from a short stay at the TL in Finsbury Park which was OK, the location was a little far out but being right next to a bus stop and tube station helped with that. It was however still a little expensive at £100 a night on the Thursday and Friday. I usually aim to stay in the Kings Cross area and will pay a small premium for that (I would be happy with £100 a night there) but Kings Cross seems to be getting more and more expensive. I like it because there are lots of good pubs which are cheap for central London, it is walking distance to most of Central London and also walking distance to Euston.

Depends what night of the week. But I have used Travelodge Liverpool St or London City (close to each other, between Liverpool St and Aldgate). These can be cheap (<£100) Friday and Sundays nights, and often in the week too if you book more than a week out. Handy for Shoreditch / Spitalfields / Hoxton / Brick Lane etc. Walkable to the river, and the south side has some great places to go out in the Tower Bridge / London Bridge area.

 

[nlogax]

Does anybody have any suggestions of cheap areas to stay in London with good pubs and local night life near by for the evenings?

I suggest looking at somewhere like the Liverpool St / Aldgate / Shoreditch area. Plenty of cheap rooms, most recent example I stayed at last week was the Point A in Shoreditch. Yes the rooms can be a little pokey but the whole hotel has been refurbed and the ac works an absolute treat. You may also want to consider The Corner on Altab Ali Park which is very reasonable, or the Ibis Budget a little further to the east. Both are between Aldgate East and Whitechapel stations, both are at the bottom end of Brick Lane and there are some excellent pubs back down towards Aldgate and Minories.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Does anybody have any suggestions of cheap areas to stay in London with good pubs and local night life near by for the evenings?

Depends on what nights of the week, really. Weekends, as others have said, the area around Shoreditch/Aldgate can be good value, but during the week less so. Unless there's something big on at Excel I find the area around Canning Town and around City Airport to be good value, though neither really have much in the way of pubs or nightlife (the Husk micropub at Canning Town station excepted). Stratford used to be good value but not so much anymore, although I've got lucky a couple of times with the Holiday Inn Express.

There's always Croydon, although it's not as cheap as it was as people have cottoned on to how convenient it is.

I'd actually have suggested around Finsbury Park, but that's mainly because I could spend my life in the treehouse at the Faltering Fullback.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Thanks, I have seen the some suggestions around Aldgate and have stayed there before, I remember the pubs around Shoreditch being a little bit too trendy (e.g bouncers on every door) but I was only there for one night I think before the Eurostar so won't have given it a proper try.

Croydon is probably a little far out, especially as it likely involves awful Thames Link trains. I would like to go to London again in October but my target is less than £150 for two nights so it will be an interesting challenge! I book anything yet either as I can't afford to have money tied up in hotels.

 

[BuhSnarf]

If there is no events on I've always found hotels round the Excel centre / City Airport offer some great rates (picked up a PI for £40 a few years back) and you're not far from central London on the DLR.

Less than £150 for two nights is definitely do-able, done it many times myself including earlier this year, you just have to go a little further out and maybe use some less well known hotels, I've always found Trivago great for finding some deals.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

If there is no events on I've always found hotels round the Excel centre / City Airport offer some great rates (picked up a PI for £40 a few years back) and you're not far from central London on the DLR.

Less than £150 for two nights is definitely do-able, done it many times myself including earlier this year, you just have to go a little further out and maybe use some less well known hotels, I've always found Trivago great for finding some deals.

But you've got to check Trivago.
Hey Benny, he didn't check Trivago.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Booking for a week in London recently I'm just confused how Premier Inn manage to get custom around King's Cross / St Pancras at the prices being charged when Travelodge in the exact same vicinity are £300 - £400 cheaper for a week!

I get Premier Inn are the 'better' brand but it certainly isn't £300 - £400 worth of better! They have the 'hub' idea elsewhere in Central London but that is still a rather expensive version of Easyhotel!

Of course I booked in Zone 5 which cost about the same for a week as a couple of nights in Zone 1

I experienced a very similar situation in Blackpool last month. When I booked my stay back in April the Premier Inn in the town centre wanted just under £300 for four nights on their cheapest rate (15th to 19th June were the dates I stayed in Blackpool). In comparison the Travelodge near the football stadium (South Shore) wanted only £135 for saver rare or £164 for flex rate. While Premier Inn's location might be more convenient, it was certainly not worth more than double Travelodge's price. The Travelodge near the Pleasure Beach (South Promenade) was a bit more expensive than South Shore, but only by a few pounds per night, so still well below Premier Inn's price.

Saying that, I'd imagine that Premier Inn see the Holiday Inn next to North Station as their main competition, and therefore price accordingly to them (that Holiday Inn is rather pricey, even moreso than Premier Inn).

 

[PMH]

I experienced a very similar situation in Blackpool last month. When I booked my stay back in April the Premier Inn in the town centre wanted just under £300 for four nights on their cheapest rate (15th to 19th June were the dates I stayed in Blackpool). In comparison the Travelodge near the football stadium (South Shore) wanted only £135 for saver rare or £164 for flex rate. While Premier Inn's location might be more convenient, it was certainly not worth more than double Travelodge's price. The Travelodge near the Pleasure Beach (South Promenade) was a bit more expensive than South Shore, but only by a few pounds per night, so still well below Premier Inn's price.

Saying that, I'd imagine that Premier Inn see the Holiday Inn next to North Station as their main competition, and therefore price accordingly to them (that Holiday Inn is rather pricey, even moreso than Premier Inn).

The newer or refurbished Travelodges are quite nice, and the first place I look these days.

I stay in them in Liverpool (all of them) and Manchester (again, all of them) fairly regularly, and stayed at the one near whatever the Millenium Dome identifies as these days. All decent, though some locations in Liverpool and Manchester are much preferable to others.

 

[TheSmiths82]

The one the TL in Finsbury Park was very good, I had a great view of the main line out of St Pancras too but I did feel a little bit far out but it depends on what you're doing in London. It is one of the view hotels that I felt like I had spent a bit of money on a decent hotel rather than just a bed for the night. I enjoyed watching the trains for a good 20 minutes while waiting for my phone to charge. I would go back to that hotel without a doubt if the price is right.

 

[Kite159]

The slow decline of Premier Inn restaurants continue

 

[SuspectUsual]

The slow decline of Premier Inn restaurants continue

Can’t think for the life of me where it was, but a couple of weeks ago we went past a Premier Inn and the on site restaurant was a Spoons. Maybe that’s their future?

 

[dorsetdesiro]

Can’t think for the life of me where it was, but a couple of weeks ago we went past a Premier Inn and the on site restaurant was a Spoons. Maybe that’s their future?

A Beefeater near me is being converted into a Wetherspoons, a Premier Inn is located behind it.

Not sure if there will be cross promotion between the two, more likely they will ignore each other. Also McDonalds are next door & Starbucks are inside Sainsburys across the road, so PI guests of this location will have plenty of choice.

 

[styles]

A Beefeater near me is being converted into a Wetherspoons, a Premier Inn is located behind it.

Not sure if there will be cross promotion between the two, more likely they will ignore each other. Also McDonalds are next door & Starbucks are inside Sainsburys across the road, so PI guests of this location will have plenty of choice.

I'd probably be a bit surprised if Premier Inn collaborated with Wetherspoons. I get the impression Tim Martin likes having the authority over offers, costs, etc. Also Wetherspoons themselves run hotels, so Premier Inn are a competitor. I'm not even sure the Wetherspoons hotels include breakfast in the booking, so it may be a bit odd to start doing meal deal offers with a different hotel chain.

 

[Dai Corner]

I'd probably be a bit surprised if Premier Inn collaborated with Wetherspoons. I get the impression Tim Martin likes having the authority over offers, costs, etc. Also Wetherspoons themselves run hotels, so Premier Inn are a competitor. I'm not even sure the Wetherspoons hotels include breakfast in the booking, so it may be a bit odd to start doing meal deal offers with a different hotel chain.

The Press Release quoted says they're creating 'integrated restaurants' within the hotels so anyone offering food next door will be in competition.

 

[styles]

The Press Release quoted says they're creating 'integrated restaurants' within the hotels so anyone offering food next door will be in competition.

I missed that bit. In that case yeah, even less likely there'll be a Wetherspoons-Premier Inn partner offering!

 

[route101]

I can understand why they would want to get rid of Bar & Block where they are the restaurant for a hotel. I stayed in one in Glasgow with work with a package that tied me to the hotel restaurant. I was quite content to have a steak for the one night I was there, but the menu was very limited beyond burger and steak, not as diverse as a Thyme restaurant, so perhaps they want something targetted at a wider audience of hotel residents?

The Bar and Block in Milton Keynes appeared to have a good number of non guests dining.

At the Premier Inn Cambridge North, there was a good number of persons dining in the Thyme restaurant. We made the effort to go into Cambridge.

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Just look at the prices they charge at stations, 2 bottles of 500ml pop for a mere £5. Even the promotional drinks they do for a £1 (or £1.50 in some London stations) are normally left out in the open at room temperature rather than taking up space within a chiller (and on a hot day I can't think of anything less appealing than a bottle of room temperature sprite mint.

They do put the £1 drinks in fridge but often sell out. I would rather have no drink than a room temp drink apart from water perhaps. I wonder why shops put the 500ml drinks on a on non refrigerated shelf, fridges cost money of course.