Budget hotels discussion

[dorsetdesiro]

The Travelodge boss may have resigned, hope this would not automatically make her immune from investigations and scrutiny. She once cancelled meeting with MPs when the brown stuff hit the fan when recent relevations came to light.

Reminds me a bit of the Post Office scandal with the boss getting off scot free without prosecution and jail time though with some damage no more than becoming persona non grata in society.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Anyone been in in the Easy Budget Hotel??

Yes, reviewed it a few months back. It's basic but for the price it's not bad. Has AC which is a massive bonus but windows don't open so needs it. Bed is really thin and uncomfortable but otherwise it's a good hotel. I've used it a few times as sometimes work nearby and I've had it for prices as low as £25 a night.

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

Ooof, I refuse to stay in there anymore after too many occasions where the corridors stunk of weed and questionable people were hanging around outside.

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

Ramada Encore are mainly a UK thing, budget to mid brand from Wyndham. From experience I'd put them just below HI express as no free breakfast.

When it's available through the work portal, I much prefer the Leonardo (was Jury's Inn)

 

[WelshBluebird]

I mean obviously all the news has been about travelodge, but in terms of getting a key ive never noticed any difference between any of the budget hotels really. Maybe thats just my experience but to me it feels like these things could have just as easily happened to the other ones too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Aug 2026 ==

Yes, reviewed it a few months back. It's basic but for the price it's not bad. Has AC which is a massive bonus but windows don't open so needs it. Bed is really thin and uncomfortable but otherwise it's a good hotel. I've used it a few times as sometimes work nearby and I've had it for prices as low as £25 a night.

When they are that cheap they are great. But quite often they arent. The london ones are much more expensive compared to what they used to be now, and the Cardiff one gets stupidly expensive when theres a stadium event on.

 

[D6130]

I've just booked the Premier Inns in Penzance (Tuesday 15th September) for £207 and Exeter St Davids (Wednesday 16th September) for £160.90. Flex rates in both cases.

 

[Kite159]

I've just booked the Premier Inns in Penzance (Tuesday 15th September) for £207 and Exeter St Davids (Wednesday 16th September) for £160.90. Flex rates in both cases.

Not what you would call budget by any means, but it is September time which is a popular time for Late Summer getaways for those without school kids.

 

[Trainfan61]

For a decent, convenient and good value stay with great access to the railway in Cornwall may I suggest the Best Western Fowey Valley at Lostwithiel?
Heated outdoor pool, good breakfast (including smoked haddock and eggs Benedict etc to order at no supplement to the normal breakfast price) and under 10 minutes’ walk to the station. £200 total for 2 nights room only for the PI dates mentioned above.
Plenty of options locally for food, recommend Sunny Spice, but avoid the Globe pub which does not welcome tourists and anyone foolish enough to dine will encounter a waitress bearing down on them demanding an unwarranted tip.

 

[route101]

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

I stayed at the Hub a few months ago. Its a bit tired and being used to house persons log term. The Premier Inn near the railway station is a better option.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I stayed at the Hub a few months ago. Its a bit tired and being used to house persons log term. The Premier Inn near the railway station is a better option.

PI generally is a better option in my view. There are about 5 in MK so prices tend to be good other than Silverstone weekend.

 

[route101]

PI generally is a better option in my view. There are about 5 in MK so prices tend to be good other than Silverstone weekend.

The prices are good even at short notice, I have booked a day or two before and still at a low price.

 

[Railcar]

The Elmington Guest Housel in Torquay (https://www.elmington.co.uk) is a few minutes walk from Torquay station, if you are travelling by train with luggage. Off-season prices for a single traveller are very good

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Attached is a picture of the 'double lock' sticker applied to Premier Inn rooms. This one in the very recently opened Premier Inn Manchester Northern Quarter - just a couple of minutes from Shudehill.

Picture shows the internal door hand with a sticker stating "turn to double lock".

 

[DM352]

Found the Premier Inn Terminal 4 good at 50 quid a night plus 5 quid extra for runway view room. It was not like some hotels where you hear doors closing at all hours from neighbours.

It was ideal for an early flight from Terminal 2 with a bit of walking and was easier than staying on the Bath Road where most airport hotels are without needing the pricey hopper bus.

 

[CC 72100]

It was ideal for an early flight from Terminal 2 with a bit of walking and was easier than staying on the Bath Road where most airport hotels are without needing the pricey hopper bus.

Although to be fair you can use several normal TfL buses on that route - certainly going to the airport, the bus stop is right outside the Premier Inn.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Found the Premier Inn Terminal 4 good at 50 quid a night plus 5 quid extra for runway view room. It was not like some hotels where you hear doors closing at all hours from neighbours.

It was ideal for an early flight from Terminal 2 with a bit of walking and was easier than staying on the Bath Road where most airport hotels are without needing the pricey hopper bus.

What's the runway view like from there... and is the place available for bookings to non-passengers?

 

[185143]

Yet another case that has gained media attention, I'd be interested to know how many more slip under the radar.

It happened to me a few years back in Croydon. I was in bed and someone walked in! Obviously apologised and said he'd just checked in and been given this room. Wasn't his fault obviously.

Complained the next morning and they offered me a free breakfast, but I didn't have time for it. So gave me a voucher and a drink there and then. Posted about it on my social media, a few people commented on it. Travelodge, to give them credit, contacted me directly (and unprompted) to ask exactly what had happened. They apologised profusely, raised it with the hotel manager directly and refunded my entire stay.

Just thinking of my own circumstances, that seemed a reasonable outcome. But no doubt if I was, say, a young woman travelling alone or had children with me, I certainly wouldn't have been!

 

[speedy1]

Attached is a picture of the 'double lock' sticker applied to Premier Inn rooms. This one in the very recently opened Premier Inn Manchester Northern Quarter - just a couple of minutes from Shudehill.

Stupid question but does that actually prevent the outside handle opening the door after swiping? In my experience it's always a mechanism attached to the main mechanism so it's just a false sense security but happy to be wrong in this case

(Ironic thing being that people needing it the most - single people - can't test that it is effective. And it is bad design - bolts that you can see working is good design for the customer but bad for the hotel - they want to be open doors easily at all times)

 

[DelW]

Stupid question but does that actually prevent the outside handle opening the door after swiping? In my experience it's always a mechanism attached to the main mechanism so it's just a false sense security but happy to be wrong in this case

(Ironic thing being that people needing it the most - single people - can't test that it is effective. And it is bad design - bolts that you can see working is good design for the customer but bad for the hotel - they want to be open doors easily at all times)

The internal knob operates an extra latch separate from that operated by the handle and electronic lock. If you look closely, it's usually just visible in the gap.

I'm currently staying in a Wetherspoon hotel with similar locks so I've tried a couple of photos. Hopefully the additional latch is visible in the second one, level with the knob.



Presumably hotel staff have a method of overriding it in case a guest is incapacitated, but (obviously) that isn't generally publicised.

 

[speedy1]

The internal knob operates an extra latch separate from that operated by the handle and electronic lock. If you look closely, it's usually just visible in the gap.

I'm currently staying in a Wetherspoon hotel with similar locks so I've tried a couple of photos. Hopefully the additional latch is visible in the second one, level with the knob.

View attachment 210710View attachment 210711

Love a Wetherspoons hotel!

Perhaps I misremembered...haven't stayed in a hotel for a while tbh!

Staying on topic: Travelodge have now done a complete audit of the deadbolt mechanism in all properties, so hopefully a non-issue moving forward if people use the mechanisms provided. I can absolutely believe people don't think about it or take 2 seconds to look at the door instead of their phones

 

[BuhSnarf]

I must admit even though I know the deadbolt is there, I've never used it.

 

[Smidster]

It happened to me a few years back in Croydon. I was in bed and someone walked in! Obviously apologised and said he'd just checked in and been given this room. Wasn't his fault obviously.

Complained the next morning and they offered me a free breakfast, but I didn't have time for it. So gave me a voucher and a drink there and then. Posted about it on my social media, a few people commented on it. Travelodge, to give them credit, contacted me directly (and unprompted) to ask exactly what had happened. They apologised profusely, raised it with the hotel manager directly and refunded my entire stay.

Just thinking of my own circumstances, that seemed a reasonable outcome. But no doubt if I was, say, a young woman travelling alone or had children with me, I certainly wouldn't have been!

Wonder if we need to do more to distinguish between genuine failures in company policy ( as we saw with key procedures) and individual errors which are inevitable when you are dealing with so many people each day.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't get a refund or other compensation if that happens but should be careful about playing the "what if..." game with every scenario when it is simply the receptionist forgot to click save or the computer glitched.

 

[DelW]

I must admit even though I know the deadbolt is there, I've never used it.

I'm the same, I never used them, though I do so more often now in the light of the recent publicity.

But I'm not in any particularly vulnerable category. Some of the recent cases involving (for instance) young women trying to escape abusive ex-partners, would surely have been more likely to use them. Perhaps one mitigation would be for reception to mention the deadlatches to such people, though of course that needs them to be identified first.

 

[DM352]

What's the runway view like from there... and is the place available for bookings to non-passengers?

It is not bad with a view of the closest runway and to the right. Terminal 4 blocked some of the view to the left. It was woth the upgrade go there again if visiting London.

Luggage drop off by car is free for 20 mins but to park there is 29quid a night. Used Enterprise car rental and the no 4 bus dropped us off at the hotel door as standard which saved a walk from the terminal 4 which is 10 mins covered walkway.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It is not bad with a view of the closest runway and to the right. Terminal 4 blocked some of the view to the left. It was woth the upgrade go there again if visiting London.

Thank you - I usually use the Rennaissance for aircraft photography purposes, but it is rather pricey... although it does have an extremely close and open view... but I may well try your suggestion next time...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I must admit even though I know the deadbolt is there, I've never used it.

I'm amazed anyone wouldn't, it prevents the possibility of someone walking in by mistake and the overenthusiastic cleaners walking in as you sometimes get when you're staying right up to checkout time, invariably precisely when you decide to undress for a shower.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 12:39 ==

Presumably hotel staff have a method of overriding it in case a guest is incapacitated, but (obviously) that isn't generally publicised.

There's usually a lock for a physical key on the outside which presumably does this, though one would hope that hotels keep this pretty securely and available only to limited numbers of staff members for dire-emergency purposes such as a reported medical emergency or the police attending. A key card certainly won't override it, and it is certainly not a fake physical lock like you now get on train toilets.

 

[BuhSnarf]

I'm amazed anyone wouldn't, it prevents the possibility of someone walking in by mistake and the overenthusiastic cleaners walking in as you sometimes get when you're staying right up to checkout time, invariably precisely when you decide to undress for a shower.

I might do after all this press information, but if I'm honest I've stayed in hundreds of hotel rooms and never had anyone walk in so it's never been a thought for me. I doubt anyone would really want to walk in to my room whilst I'm in the shower.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I doubt anyone would really want to walk in to my room whilst I'm in the shower.

I doubt anyone would want to do that (being male and very large I'm unlikely to be at physical risk in the way a woman might be) but it has happened to me both ways round due to the wrong keys being given out, though fortunately the time I walked into someone else's room the only thing there was luggage, someone did walk in on me when I was undressing for the shower (and quickly back out again as I shouted and dived behind the bed).

I've also found that cleaners knock quickly then enter, which one might not hear while in the shower, though if you usually leave rooms early it probably won't happen to you.

Either way, a quick flick of the deadlock means none of this can happen.

 

[75A]

I might do after all this press information, but if I'm honest I've stayed in hundreds of hotel rooms and never had anyone walk in so it's never been a thought for me. I doubt anyone would really want to walk in to my room whilst I'm in the shower.

I agree entirely, i've averaged around 30 days a year in the past 30 years, for Work Holidays & Sport and have never once had an univited visitor.

 

[johntea]

I find sticking the 'Do Not Disturb' hanger on the door from the moment I check in to the moment I check out does the trick in keeping the cleaners from potentially deciding to come in and if I saw that as another customer I would assume I had been given the incorrect room too!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I find sticking the 'Do Not Disturb' hanger on the door from the moment I check in to the moment I check out does the trick in keeping the cleaners from potentially deciding to come in

It helps, but I do find that if checkout is 12 I still sometimes get a knock at 11:30. In some circumstances that might be when I have a shower, e.g. if going out for something like parkrun then breakfast before leaving.

and if I saw that as another customer I would assume I had been given the incorrect room too!

Certainly.

But why not flip the lock? It takes half a second and provides a near* cast iron guarantee.

* OK, someone might get the master key, but it's very unlikely - the cleaners don't carry these, a bit like the override keys for safes where provided. You would have to have the manager engaging in misconduct for that to happen.

 

[BuhSnarf]

I doubt anyone would want to do that (being male and very large I'm unlikely to be at physical risk in the way a woman might be) but it has happened to me both ways round due to the wrong keys being given out, though fortunately the time I walked into someone else's room the only thing there was luggage, someone did walk in on me when I was undressing for the shower (and quickly back out again as I shouted and dived behind the bed).

I've also found that cleaners knock quickly then enter, which one might not hear while in the shower, though if you usually leave rooms early it probably won't happen to you.

Either way, a quick flick of the deadlock means none of this can happen.

I think I've obviously just been lucky as I reguarly 'outstay' my welcome in a hotel room and have never been disturbed