michaelh
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Freshly cooked? Or freshly micowaved from frozen?
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Budget hotels discussion
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Most pubs use foodservice food but the quality of it does vary. I found the Whitbread chains to be Wetherspoons quality at much higher prices, and they were invariably understaffed so bar queues were long.
jon81uk
Member
Some places in the USA will have secuitiy come and check the room instead if the Do Not Disturb (re-worded as room occupied) is left on for multiple days. This is following a shooting in Las Vegas and also people setting up meth labs in rooms.
Not sure if any UK hotels have that sort of policy, but at those US hotels having the sign up doesn't mean no one is going to walk in, just its more likely to be security at 3pm rather than a cleaner at 9am.
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Most of the pub restaurants are grill places, so the majority of the menu will be grilled (burgers, steak etc) or deep-fried (chips, breaded chicken etc) with some sous-vide stuff like ribs which might be microwaved. Wetherspoons probably do a little more like curry which is microwaved.
eyebrook1961
Member
Had two nice nights away with my wife this past weekend - Hampton by Hilton in Stockton on Saturday (£101.15 brekkie included) and HIE in Boro on Sunday (£59.00 brekkie included)
(Hampton is a higher quality but would need to be at the price).
Thoroughly enjoyable - like have a long walk bimbling about and just walking into whatever food place takes our fancy
(Hampton is a higher quality but would need to be at the price).
Thoroughly enjoyable - like have a long walk bimbling about and just walking into whatever food place takes our fancy
Certainly a lot of the chain hotels have a policy that regardless of do not disturb signs or any other requests, they'll clean rooms at least say once a week. Not so much because of the risk of the room being used as a sniper vantage point or to cook crystal, but because they don't want the room getting so dirty it requires a specialist clean, and to check nothing is damaged.
I have had two stints of spending two months staying full time in the same hotel and I spoke to the cleaner and agreed a once a week clean. I prefer just having my own undisturbed space which I keep clean, but understand the hotel's need for a policy on it.
Its happened a couple of times to me while I was in the shower, keen cleaners wanting in. When I hear the cleaners starting in the corridor I half expect them to enter.
Busman652004
Member
I've twice been given keys for an occupied room. At a Travelodge in Aberdeen I walked in on a couple sat on bed and eating their dinner. It could have been worse. At a definitely not budget hotel in Leicestershire we were met by a very angry Scotsman. Ironic as we were there from Scotland too.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
In a Premier Inn tonight and they have added a sticker too albeit smaller. They also asked for more details of my booking than before, though I won't post what so as not to help someone seeking to gain access to a room they shouldn't.
(Attached image shows PI door handle with small round "Turn to double lock" sticker)
(Attached image shows PI door handle with small round "Turn to double lock" sticker)
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Baxenden Bank
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The machine receptionist still has the three basic options.
Has anyone stayed at the Preston Central PI? Quite close to the station and with a mysterious (in use) sixth floor. Lift buttons go to 6, the plastic plate listing room numbers goes to 5xx, which is the 'Premier Plus' floor. Also one of those locations with the reception on the first floor. When checking out I left my key in the plastic box on floor one then found I couldn't access the stairs to get to the ground floor as you need a key!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Yep, it's one of the seedier looking ones but very usefully located for the station as you say and almost always dirt cheap. Never went to floor 6. It has a security guard checking who is entering on the ground floor at night and asking for names, I guess due to issues of prostitution and drug dealing - lovely place Preston is these days!
3rd rail land
Member
If a hotel needs a security guard I probably wouldn't stay there, even if it is really cheap. I guess having key card entry to the building after a certain time wouldn't entirely replicate the benefits of the security guard.Yep, it's one of the seedier looking ones but very usefully located for the station as you say and almost always dirt cheap. Never went to floor 6. It has a security guard checking who is entering on the ground floor at night and asking for names, I guess due to issues of prostitution and drug dealing - lovely place Preston is these days!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
No, they seem specifically interested in who is coming in - I suspect as I mentioned a prostitution issue.
It's a perfectly standard (if slightly old looking) Premier Inn once you're inside.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
The only difference between a cheap hotel and an expensive hotel is how noticeable the security guard is.
Stay at a Holiday Inn Express and it's a guy on minimum wage wearing a Carlisle Security uniform asking you brusquely who you are and where your room is.
But stay at a five-star hotel and it's a man in a suit who asks you all the same questions but holds the door for you and calls you sir...
Baxenden Bank
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Yep, it's one of the seedier looking ones but very usefully located for the station as you say and almost always dirt cheap. Never went to floor 6. It has a security guard checking who is entering on the ground floor at night and asking for names, I guess due to issues of prostitution and drug dealing - lovely place Preston is these days!
A couple of online feedback comments suggest undesirables hanging around outside, also people being loud in the courtyard late into the night. Plus the usual comments about slow service or not enough staff to attend to something.
I didn't leave the hotel between arrival early evening (no undesirables visible) and departure the next day. The room I had was on the main road side so no external noise (other than muted sirens) once I fully closed the window and trickle vent. I would give most Premier Inn visits an 8 or 9 out of 10 (nowhere is going to be perfect at the price and locations I am interested in). I would give this one 7 though. The bath / shower was clean but the tiled walls didn't look as though they had been done. The towels and bed-linen were fresh, there was no disturbance from guests other than doors closing, there was some clomping around from the mystery occupants of floor six above me. The mini-fridge wasn't cooling things particularly well where normally they do. The amount of crumbs down the side of the cushions on the bucket chairs was substantial though. Always a good check for housekeeping standards - under the bed, corners and under cushions!
That tends to be my line for pubs, if they are paying money for a bouncer they are probably expecting trouble, so avoid. I wouldn't take the same view on a hotel (or station, supermarket or office block though). Somebody mentioned earlier the first floor reception arrangement and all-night security guard at the Piccadilly Gardens Travelodge, but I wouldn't stay there because Piccadilly Gardens is an absolute hole at any time of day. Far easier to be just outside the main area.
CaptainHaddock
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I recently booked the Premier Inn at Barrow in Furness as part of the recent free breakfast offer but am concerned as to where ( and what) the breakfast will actually be now the chain has closed down all their adjoining Beefeater and Brewers Fayre pub/restaurants. Has anyone on here had a Premier Inn breakfast since the change?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Some PIs are keeping the former restaurant in use temporarily for breakfast/dinner, some e.g. Gargrave aren't offering meals at all, and some already have the new restaurant space. I suspect Barrow is likely to be the former, but I don't know for certain. Judging from the website saying it offers food it looks like it will be the former.
Failing anything else there's both a McD's and the roughest Spoons I've ever been in within a short walk.
I'm sure they'll mention that in the advert
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I'm sure they'll mention that in the advert
In all seriousness the ones without any facility don't mention restaurants on the page (but don't say there isn't one, it's just missing), the ones with something say there is one but not what it is. I know this as I was booked to stay in Gargrave and got an email about it, and looked at the page out of interest. It's a bit on the quiet to be honest, I hope they are allowing refund of the non-flex rates if people say they don't want to stay for this reason as it's otherwise a bit bait and switch. Many don't care but for some it's an essential component of the offering, particularly if it's an out of town one with nothing else nearby.
185143
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There's worse 'Spoons than that one, trust me!
The hotel above it is pretty decent actually. Though trying to find my room made the usual hike to the bogs (which are ground floor in that particular 'Spoons) seem like nothing!
Had room 230 on Friday night.
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DelW
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They're generally a good standard of furnishings and comfort, though because they're mostly old buildings, they're much less uniform in layout than typical PIs or TLs.
You get tea and coffee facilities in the room as usual, but unlimited hot drinks from the bar machines are also free for guests. Obviously the usual spoons food and drinks range is available too.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I wonder. Does the Wetherspoons unlimited hot drinks from the bar or hotel guests extend to Hot Chocolate and Mocca Coffee ?. I know they are no longer unlimited in the magic cup bought across the bar due to changes in government legislation (too much sugar). Only a minor question, and why Weterspoons does not just do a sugar free version of the chocolate I do not know.
Because some people like flavour
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Because some people like flavour
No reason they couldn't offer a choice. Unlimited sugar free, or chargeable with sugar.
Easily worked around by adding your own sugar anyway, fortunately the sugar tax hasn't got as far as rationing sugar sachets (yet).
Potentially but then they might've decided they just don't have the demand to bother. I doubt many people were going to spend all morning drinking hot chocolates, but tea/coffees yeah. Maybe children, but you wouldn't think children would be in Spoons long enough for more than say a couple of them.
3rd rail land
Member
This is likely to be the reason. Can't imagine hot chocolate is a big seller in Spoons.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Guilty as charged. I would spend an hour or two refilling my Cafe Mocha.Because some people like flavour
TBH I do not add sugar to anything and wish many sugar free drinks were not loaded with so much sweetener - they are overpowering and taste a little odd. With the Cafe Mocha I was shocked to discover how much sugar was in it - when I looked at the Wetherspoons menu I saw it is the same as the hot Chocolate. It is really coffee flavoured hot chocolate. So reluctantly I feel some sweetener is needed as a replacement.
Granddaughter would get through a few hot chocolates. Usually when we were out and during late afternoon I would top up her metabolism with chips. No wonder she "liked" the chips !.
I can only think the alternative is chocolate with artificial sweetener even though I dislike over sweetened and/or artificial sweetener.
The way Wetherspoons deal with the regulations is to give you a sachet of chocolate with your order for the initial cup - that allows for the policing that the machine could never achieve. I tried using half a sachet, so as to spread over two drinks, and it just is not good !. There was me thinking I did not have a sweet tooth. Anyway it alerted me to how much sugar was in the (wonderful) thing and I prefer to be sensible.
As for the Wetherspoons hotels. I have noticed a few in attractive places and friends have spoken quite highly of them.