Budget hotels discussion

[Tetchytyke]

It does appear that there are differing sides to the story, TL have said that the abuser already knew the name (obviously will do) and the room number whereas the abused is stating that TL gave him the room number.

True, and the fact the abuser knew which hotel she was in is interesting. Assuming the victim is telling the truth, I wonder if he had some way of spying on her or monitoring her movements? It would explain why he was able to know with certainty where she was, even if he did or didn't know the room number.

But either way, they still gave him a key to the room.

 

[75A]

About 10 years ago the Wife and I were stalked by her Sister. When we were in a area for a Motorsport event she would visit the local Premier Inns and look for our very distinctive Car Registration Number with a view to making contact

 

[TheSmiths82]

Premier Inn Chester Railway Station

Booked this one as I was arriving late into Chester and leaving early to go to Wales. Usually this Premier Inn has high prices for Friday and Saturday nights but I git it for a reasonable £74. I have stayed at one of the Travelodge's in Chester City Centre which was above a club or bar.

For the first time I was given a room downstairs in a Premier Inn, although not a new hotel, the room had been refurbished. Was pretty quiet so I slept pretty well. I was too early for the Breakfast. Only a five minute up to Chester Railway Station, where the station cat Tiggy was to greet me.

That is a good location if you're wanting to get the train the next day. I have stayed in both TL's in Chester and I find the Bridge Street one is a lot better.

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One problem with doing so is that there's a reasonable chance the ID is locked in the room they can't open. Often they do in my experience ask for the address on the booking, though there is the risk of someone up to no good knowing that. The only really sure way of dealing with that would be to go up to the room with them and ask them to get the ID out, but that uses a lot of staff time.

I have found now if my key start stops working they ask a lot of questions like my address and what my mobile numbers ends in.

 

[route101]

That is a good location if you're wanting to get the train the next day. I have stayed in both TL's in Chester and I find the Bridge Street one is a lot better.

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I have found now if my key start stops working they ask a lot of questions like my address and what my mobile numbers ends in.

Not stayed at the Bridge St one. May give it a chance next time.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Not stayed at the Bridge St one. May give it a chance next time.

It is decent, it is right in the middle of the city centre without being above a night club, there is just a handy Tesco downstairs.

 

[route101]

It is decent, it is right in the middle of the city centre without being above a night club, there is just a handy Tesco downstairs.

One minor issue with Premier Inn up near the station, was no shop or somewhere to get something to eat early doors. My fault for getting out at 6am though!

 

[eyebrook1961]

Been up to Middlesbrough on Saturday and stayed the night in a new hotel (to us) - Station Suites at the start of Linthorpe Road over the road from the station .

We parked the car and went to reception and then realised we recognised the receptionist - from the Holiday Inn Express in Boro. The next morning at breakfast it was one of the ladies who usually does the breakfast shift at HIE as well(!) They explained that the people who own the HIE franchise also own Station Suites and there's the odd shift cover done by HIE staff.

The cost for a double room (king size bed) was £89 including breakfast (almost the same selection as HIE) but the nice thing is that the rooms are apartment-style rooms with settee, coffee table, 2 person dining table and microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge and 2-ring induction hob - so if you wish you can cater for yourself in the evenings

The price was identical to the HIE but with more space for the price. We thought it was very nice

 

[ChrisC]

One minor issue with Premier Inn up near the station, was no shop or somewhere to get something to eat early doors. My fault for getting out at 6am though!

A few years ago I stayed for a few nights at The Queen Hotel directly opposite Chester Station entrance. It‘s a nice hotel with a good breakfast but nowhere close by to get a reasonable meal in the evening without a long walk towards the city centre. I didn’t want to eat expensive food in the hotel restaurant every day. It was winter with dark nights too and the walk toward the city centre with busy roads and subways was not that pleasant after dark.

 

[route101]

How are forum members finding prices in the USA? I was hoping to go over in a few months but rates even at the lower end are pretty high. I guess that's down to exchange rate.

 

[Bald Rick]

How are forum members finding prices in the USA? I was hoping to go over in a few months but rates even at the lower end are pretty high. I guess that's down to exchange rate.

Outrageously expensive, for everything except petrol.

 

[bspahh]

I only discovered this recently; Travelodge have a pricefinder tool that lets you browse rates (if available) simply by location using a calendar view without having to make a specific search...

Best Price Finder: Travelodge Hotel Deals near london on Wednesday 5th August 2026

Travelodge best price cheap hotels near london for Wednesday 5th August 2026

pricefinder.travelodge.co.uk

Premier Inn now have a similar page as well

https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/calendar.html

 

[BuhSnarf]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2k7e7zwxvyo

The fall out from the issues continues.. the CEO has now left, not sure why the link above won't unfurl to give a quote?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The link works for me; here's a quote from it:

The boss of hotel chain Travelodge, Jo Boydell, is stepping down as the group addresses safety issues after a sexual assault at one of its hotels.

A woman staying at a hotel in Maidenhead, Berkshire was sexually assaulted in December 2022 after a man lied to staff to get a key card to her room, triggering an independent review of security measures at the firm.

Kyran Smith was jailed for seven years and six months for the attack.

 

[DelW]

Normally Travelodge rooms with electronic card locks have a mechanical dead latch on the inside. This is the one fitted to the room I stayed in at a city centre Travelodge last weekend.

(Picture of a T/L room lock)

I wonder whether the victims in these cases were unaware of them, or whether their rooms didn't have them?

I assume staff can override them in case a guest becomes incapacitated, but they should block someone who'd illicitly obtained a key card.

 

[WAB]

A few weeks ago I took part in a Travelodge survey which gave a few options for new labels for these locks and which looked clearest.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's a standard one yes. A few older TLs (and indeed PIs) have traditional key locks without an additional securing chain. It's not common but I have stayed in ones like that.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

A few weeks ago I took part in a Travelodge survey which gave a few options for new labels for these locks and which looked clearest.

I stayed in a Premier Inn earlier this week and there was a sticker on the inside of the door, above the lock, pointing out the deadlock and to turn the knob to use it*.
I haven't seen this before.

*Not the exact wording!

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Normally Travelodge rooms with electronic card locks have a mechanical dead latch on the inside. This is the one fitted to the room I stayed in at a city centre Travelodge last weekend.
View attachment 209902
(Picture of a T/L room lock)

I wonder whether the victims in these cases were unaware of them, or whether their rooms didn't have them?

Not to victim blame but there are people who don't lock toilet doors on trains.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not to victim blame but there are people who don't lock toilet doors on trains.

Most of the time that's because it's not obvious how to, though newer designs of units that have a fake physical lock (and often a fake physical locking sound) are more intuitive.

 

[styles]

Not to victim blame but there are people who don't lock toilet doors on trains.

I do it on purpose so that I can be revealed like a speedboat on an episode of Bullseye.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2k7e7zwxvyo

The fall out from the issues continues.. the CEO has now left, not sure why the link above won't unfurl to give a quote?

To take the caption text below the video clip in the BBC article:

In an interview with the BBC, Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell says she only became aware of the assault during the court case almost three years later.

Really?

If someone doesn't get fresh orange juice with their breakfast, it's not a CEO matter.
If a serious sexual assault takes place it should be straight up the management chain very quickly indeed. I would suggest this case is a 'CEO needs to know, now'. Action should then follow very quickly, be that disciplinary action, reminders and enforcement of correct procedure, or a review of procedures and implementation. To be doing that three years later, only after a court case related to the incident, suggests management focus was not where it ought to have been.

 

[Howardh]

Travelodge this week, large room, nice chair, comfy bed, lovely bath, all I needed were the toiletries brought with me. Was a basic one without bar/restaurant/lounge etc, but plenty of shops nearby for snacks. Over loud bathroom fan though!!

It's the one in Milton Keynes near the station! As an aside, the new painting of the pavements adjacent makes me feel I'm on another trip!! It will get weather down in due course?

 

[BuhSnarf]

Travelodge this week, large room, nice chair, comfy bed, lovely bath, all I needed were the toiletries brought with me. Was a basic one without bar/restaurant/lounge etc, but plenty of shops nearby for snacks. Over loud bathroom fan though!!

It's the one in Milton Keynes near the station! As an aside, the new painting of the pavements adjacent makes me feel I'm on another trip!! It will get weather down in due course?

The one near the station (next to the Tenpin bowling) or the Hub one just up from the station. They're very different experiences when I've used them!

 

[Howardh]

The one near the station (next to the Tenpin bowling) or the Hub one just up from the station. They're very different experiences when I've used them!

Yes, ten pin, the other, usually more expensive, is at the Hub.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The one near the station (next to the Tenpin bowling) or the Hub one just up from the station. They're very different experiences when I've used them!

The Hub one was formerly another slightly more upmarket budget hotel. It wasn't Premier Inn or Ibis but I forget what it was. The rooms may therefore be to a slightly nicer spec than the station-end one which was purpose built as a Travelodge.

 

[Howardh]

The Hub one was formerly another slightly more upmarket budget hotel. It wasn't Premier Inn or Ibis but I forget what it was. The rooms may therefore be to a slightly nicer spec than the station-end one which was purpose built as a Travelodge.

Ibis rings a bell (???) although I'm not sure I'd put it higher than Travelodge! In winter when it's much more affordable, I stay in the Holiday Inn up the road, the one with the indoor pool and breakfast included, luxury! Althoug it's a bit of a hike uphill from the station, plenty of buses go past, and it's handy for the shopping centre (in other words, Greggs).

Anyone been in in the Easy Budget Hotel??

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ibis rings a bell (???) although I'm not sure I'd put it higher than Travelodge!

It definitely wasn't Ibis. It was one of the less common ones. I'm not sure the brand it was still exists.

I'm not thinking of Jury's Inn by the way, that's the other nicer bit which was taken over by Leonardo.

Edit: a bit of Googling confirmed it was a Ramada Encore, not a common brand in the UK though there are others.

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Ibis rings a bell (???) although I'm not sure I'd put it higher than Travelodge! In winter when it's much more affordable, I stay in the Holiday Inn up the road, the one with the indoor pool and breakfast included, luxury! Althoug it's a bit of a hike uphill from the station, plenty of buses go past, and it's handy for the shopping centre (in other words, Greggs).

Anyone been in in the Easy Budget Hotel??

There's a Greggs to the right of the station facing it.

I stayed in an easyHotel once, in Switzerland. It was basic but OK, probably the same level as Ibis Budget which is a bit below Travelodge, more like a YHA ensuite private room type level.

 

[DelW]

The Hub one was formerly another slightly more upmarket budget hotel. It wasn't Premier Inn or Ibis but I forget what it was. The rooms may therefore be to a slightly nicer spec than the station-end one which was purpose built as a Travelodge.

It definitely wasn't Ibis.

Google Streetview for July 2012 shows "encore" (small "e") branding, though that's not a chain I remember.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Google Streetview for July 2012 shows "encore" (small "e") branding, though that's not a chain I remember.

Ramada Encore. There are a few around the UK but not many.

 

[Howardh]

It definitely wasn't Ibis.

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There's a Greggs to the right of the station facing it.

I stayed in an easyHotel once, in Switzerland. It was basic but OK, probably the same level as Ibis Budget which is a bit below Travelodge, more like a YHA ensuite private room type level.

You know better than I! can't think of any other chain that was around at that time, anyone??

Was in the Greggs next to the station today, for a sausage butty. Good range of shops to pick up snacks for the journey, if you avoid M+S (apart from the Belgian lager!) and WH Smith(?) on the station itself. Would help if the displays on the "bridge" would display the TOC along with the train time, helps if you have a particular ticket for, say, LWM. Otherwise a good station with helpful staff and £3 for a large tea in the snack bar seems to be the default price around all stations these days??

 

[Bletchleyite]

Was in the Greggs next to the station today, for a sausage butty. Good range of shops to pick up snacks for the journey, if you avoid M+S (apart from the Belgian lager!) and WH Smith(?) on the station itself. Would help if the displays on the "bridge" would display the TOC along with the train time, helps if you have a particular ticket for, say, LWM.

Outside of disruption and the evening/Sunday 2 track timetable the platform will give you that. 1, 2, 3 or 5 will be WMT, 4 or 6 will be Avanti (though the southbound WMT Crewe may use 4, I forget). 2a will be Chiltern...eventually!