Budget hotels discussion

[High Dyke]

I appreciate that this is the fault of the hotel, but why do people not deadlock their door ?

That was my thought too. I do, just in case.

 

[BuhSnarf]

That was my thought too. I do, just in case.

I must admit I haven't ever done it in the past, but since all these stories have come out I have made a concious effort to do so.

 

[styles]

Further issues with Travelodge.

BBC News - Lincoln Travelodge gave stranger key to couple's room - BBC News

Lincoln Travelodge gave stranger key to couple's room

Woman says she was left feeling shaken and believes the chain needs to do more to improve security.

www.bbc.co.uk

This one is a little bit more understandable as a one-off combination of events. It's quite different to not verifying somebody's identity before reissuing a room key.

But it's really not a good look is it.

 

[johntea]

Checking in to a Travelodge the other day as well as being asked for my name and usual question of first line of address I was asked the bonus question of confirming the last 3 digits of my mobile number so they're obviously making some effort to improve security

 

[boyaloud]

I should have done that, but not all Travelodge Hotels offer that service and I had a particularly big suitcase with me as I took my camera equipment with me. It was just easier to to check in and have done with it, I wouldn't normally ever use that service early check-in though. I did once try to leave my luggage at the IBIS in Bristol but it was 1pm and they said they had a room available so I may as well just check in now (for no extra cost).

Ooo interesting! That's good they let you go in early.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Ooo interesting! That's good they let you go in early.

I think it really depends on luck, the member of staff you speak to and if there are actually rooms free. I think I was just very lucky and certainly wouldn't turn up at IBIS at 1:00pm expecting to get a room. I also wonder if I had asked for a room they would have said no, it was only because I was asking them to store my luggage and they probably though since a room is free anyway it would be less work for them if they simply offer me a room.

 

[johntea]

I stayed in the Travelodge Meadowhall yesterday for work which was very handy for the station once you find the little side path at Platform 1, apparently refurbished to some extent (the shower was quite unique in that it had a seat in it, I did search for the company Taplanes only to find they went bust in September last year!)

I paid the £15 for early check in as I had work to get on with which was fine apart from trying to find a member of staff to get me checked in! (I guess they’re off on other duties until around the usual 3pm mass rush of check in)

 

[BuhSnarf]

I stayed in the Travelodge Meadowhall yesterday for work which was very handy for the station once you find the little side path at Platform 1, apparently refurbished to some extent (the shower was quite unique in that it had a seat in it, I did search for the company Taplanes only to find they went bust in September last year!)

I paid the £15 for early check in as I had work to get on with which was fine apart from trying to find a member of staff to get me checked in! (I guess they’re off on other duties until around the usual 3pm mass rush of check in)

I've stayed in (and did a video) on this Travelodge. It's always insanely good prices when I've stayed there and the room design is so weird for Travelodge.

It's refurbished in some ways, but not others - things like the headboards and beside lights are very old school. There's no power or USB at bedside and it also has once had Air Conditioning but appears to have been disconnected at some point in the past.

The rooms are MASSIVE with wardrobe hidden behind the headboard of the bed which leads to one wall of the room feeling absolutely empty. The showers, like you say, have a handy seat in them! Also, if you get the right side of the building you get a lovely view of the Tinsley Viaduct, as well as the Supertram and Northern Rail lines going in to Meadowhall. And like you say, straight on to the platform.

 

[route101]

Has anyone stayed at the Premier Inn at Stansted Airport? Does the bus from the terminal to the hotel take card?

 

[BuhSnarf]

Has anyone stayed at the Premier Inn at Stansted Airport? Does the bus from the terminal to the hotel take card?

Yes, we used it last year and it took card.

 

[TravelDream]

Has anyone stayed at the Premier Inn at Stansted Airport? Does the bus from the terminal to the hotel take card?

Yes, it does.
Very convenient as it's 24/7 and runs every 15 minutes I believe, but it's a steep price for a few minutes journey.



On the budget theme (though this is being very tight), you can book the Ramada or Days Inn Stansted M11 at Birchanger Green Services. There's not bus from the hotels themselves, but you can walk 3-4 minutes behind the Days Inn and there are normal public bus stops there where you can catch the 309 or 509 to the airport. There's 24/7 7 day a week service between them, though a lot less frequent and there's a 3 ish hour gap in the very early hours.
I've stayed a few times as the savings can be dramatic, and there's always a surprising number of people waiting for the buses in the early hours.

 

[bspahh]

Yes, it does.
Very convenient as it's 24/7 and runs every 15 minutes I believe, but it's a steep price for a few minutes journey.

The bus from the Stansted Premier Inn costs £4. Its an 8 minute walk to the Mid Stay car park drop off zone, which has free buses to the terminal.

 

[jon0844]

I stayed in the Rotherham Central Travelodge yesterday which was very nice…apparently only been knocked up a couple of years ago along with some sort of ‘Forge Island’ leisure development

I initially read that as 'Farage Island' and shuddered...

 

[TravelDream]

The bus from the Stansted Premier Inn costs £4. Its an 8 minute walk to the Mid Stay car park drop off zone, which has free buses to the terminal.

Isn't that what I said?
It's £4 and in reality takes less than 5-6 minutes so 60-80p per minute. Not cheap.


Anyone planning on walking to the mid-stay car park needs to realise there's no pavement and some fairly tricky high-speed roads and a roundabout to negotiate between the two. Not ideal with luggage or in the dark.

 

[bspahh]

Isn't that what I said?
It's £4 and in reality takes less than 5-6 minutes so 60-80p per minute. Not cheap.

I was adding detail, rather than disagreeing with you.

Anyone planning on walking to the mid-stay car park needs to realise there's no pavement and some fairly tricky high-speed roads and a roundabout to negotiate between the two. Not ideal with luggage or in the dark.

The speed limit on the roundabout is 30mph. There is a kerb and a reasonable verge, although its not paved.

I once stayed at the Premier Inn when I had an early flight. I took the train to the airport, the bus to the Mid-Stay car park, and walked to the hotel. I was on travel expenses, so it wasn't to save money, but because I knew where Mid-Stay car park buses left the terminal. I used the bus from the hotel in the morning.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Further job cuts at Premier Inn: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ye5g9m7mpo

"Restaurants at 197 hotels would be replaced by an "integrated food and drink model", which the company said would be more efficient and was preferred by guests."

Is this, essentially, that the restaurants will only become breakfast/meal deal only?

Looks like more detail on the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/busines...with-loss-of-3800-jobs-premier-inn-owner-says

"Last Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants to close, with loss of 3,800 jobs, Premier Inn owner says"

"The cuts will affect about 12% of Whitbread’s 30,000-strong workforce in the UK and Ireland working in its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, which are usually located next to, or inside, Premier Inn hotels. The company said consultations with affected employees would begin immediately." so it appears Beefeater and Brewers Fayre will soon be gone.

"As part of the business review, Whitbread said it would convert restaurants to an "integrated food and beverage offer", which it said is preferred by hotel guests.

As part of this, it will replace its 197 restaurants with hotel-based food and beverage offerings.

It had already agreed the sale of 51 branded restaurants and agreed terms for the sale of a further 60 sites."

 

[jon81uk]

Further job cuts at Premier Inn: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ye5g9m7mpo

"Restaurants at 197 hotels would be replaced by an "integrated food and drink model", which the company said would be more efficient and was preferred by guests."

Is this, essentially, that the restaurants will only become breakfast/meal deal only?

Yes Whitbread are selling off or closing all of their restaurants such as Beefeater and Brewers Fayre. Any restaurant they retain will become basically hotel guests only. But I expect some of the ones not in the hotel building might go to another operator, perhaps M&B will take some as Harvester or Miller & Carter etc.
More discussion here https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...o-disappear-soon.162232/page-173#post-7768942

 

[BuhSnarf]

Yes Whitbread are selling off or closing all of their restaurants such as Beefeater and Brewers Fayre. Any restaurant they retain will become basically hotel guests only. But I expect some of the ones not in the hotel building might go to another operator, perhaps M&B will take some as Harvester or Miller & Carter etc.
More discussion here https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...o-disappear-soon.162232/page-173#post-7768942

Yes, looks like sales are already at advanced stages for most of the sites:
"It had already agreed the sale of 51 branded restaurants and agreed terms for the sale of a further 60 sites."

 

[route101]

I have never had evening meal at Premier Inn. Do they vary in quality?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is this, essentially, that the restaurants will only become breakfast/meal deal only?

Meal deal isn't mandatory, you can order a la carte too.

 

[takno]

I have never had evening meal at Premier Inn. Do they vary in quality?

The in-house ones are usually alright, particularly if you get the dinner and breakfast deal. Pretty much good pub-chain level, with mixed grills and steaks as well as the basics.

It sounds like they're keeping that offering and getting rid of the remaining Beefeaters, which seem whenever I've been in to have a dwindling customer base of elderly coupon clippers which doesn't justify enough staff to actually cover the menu.

Hotel customers would likely be better served by a conversion to a hotel restaurant. Bit of a pity that the local Beefeater is the only place we can easily wheel my dad to these days, but even then I'm struggling to view it as much of a loss.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm struggling to view it as much of a loss.

Indeed. I think (as a frequent user) they have probably made the right choice, much as it's a shame for the staff.

 

[317 forever]

In some cases PI may find an area to convert to a dining area once the adjacent restaurant closes.

I stayed at Edinburgh A1 Newcraighall hotel in September 2022 and September 2023. In the meantime such a change had happened there.

 

[route101]

I can't remember the last Premier Inn I stayed that had a Beefeater. Most of them are Thyme branded or perhaps no brand.

 

[boyaloud]

Around ten to fifteen brewers fayre and beefeater have already been converted to Wetherspoon (albeit franchise branches). For instance, Coombe Lodge in Croydon. Perhaps more will be?

 

[WesternLancer]

The beefeater name may suggest to some the menu is rather limited. So perhaps that’s a good reason to drop the name.
I assume that they do offer non beef based menu options?

Vegan beef style dishes?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Around ten to fifteen brewers fayre and beefeater have already been converted to Wetherspoon (albeit franchise branches). For instance, Coombe Lodge in Croydon. Perhaps more will be?

I did stay in one to the north of Newcastle which had a Spoons. The PI had a breakfast room, but I wonder about how much business it would do when Spoons breakfast is basically the same but cheaper (unless you eat 3 plates worth at the buffet)...

Are these franchised branches operated by Whitbread? Or someone else?

I could see the recently opened Willen Dragon doing VERY well as a Spoons.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 May 2026 ==

The beefeater name may suggest to some the menu is rather limited. So perhaps that’s a good reason to drop the name.
I assume that they do offer non beef based menu options?

Vegan beef style dishes?

It's named after the royal guards, not the nature of the meat on sale. Though as a kid I did think that

 

[DelW]

It's named after the royal guards, not the nature of the meat on sale. Though as a kid I did think that

I suspect that the pun was deliberate when the chain was established - steakhouses were very much the thing at that time, and that's what most people went there for.

 

[takno]

Around ten to fifteen brewers fayre and beefeater have already been converted to Wetherspoon (albeit franchise branches). For instance, Coombe Lodge in Croydon. Perhaps more will be?

That's possibly the only thing they could do to make me a hard no on staying at the attached PI tbh.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's possibly the only thing they could do to make me a hard no on staying at the attached PI tbh.

Why? The PI would have a breakfast room and evening restaurant for guests only* so you wouldn't need to use the Spoons. Unless simply seeing one somehow offends.

* Nobody in practice checks though.