Is hotel availability and high pricing affecting leisure and/or business rail travel?

[Bald Rick]

I suspect this is the reason why the Hertfordshire hotels are so popular, straight off the motorway, park your car and forget about it, jump on a 20 minute train into Central London

You won't be parking in the Travel lodge car park in St Albans, as there isn’t one. You’d be in the NCP across the road and paying rather more than at the station.

 

[Butts]

I think part of the problem with both Travelodge and Premier is that you associate them with cheap prices - ie £30 - £50 per Night.

However I have seen both at well north of a Ton at various points in time - mainly but not exclusively in the smoke.

Personally I could not bring myself to shell out over £50 on either but plenty obviously have no such reservations ()

Older contributors will remember that when Travelodge started out it was a fixed price albeit slightly lower at Weekends.

Perhaps dynamic pricing is not all it's cracked up to be.

 

[bramling]

We found in the West Country last year that hotel prices had substantially increased during the summer time when travel was permitted, compared to the previous year. It was coupled with a distinct downturn in standards of service as well.

The Eden Project still charging full admission, but only when you got inside did you discover whole items had been closed off was a typical example. Restaurants which only had half staff but were stuffed full with people waiting for the kitchen. Grumpiness all round.

Our experience in west Wales wasn’t massively different. For starters the whole of west Wales seemed to be fully booked at the point we initially wanted to go (late September, so hardly peak season). So for the first three nights we had to stay in a Travelodge, which as well as being quite expensive for a Travelodge, was absolutely vile - thankfully we were able to get something else for one of the nights, presumably a cancellation. When we eventually got to the hotel we actually wanted, to be fair the experience wasn’t too bad - the place went from being packed at the beginning of our stay to being pretty much empty by the end, such that they weren’t opening the restaurant some nights, which they apologised for and said they simply couldn’t sustain the costs just for low single figure numbers of people. Aside from that it was all decent, though the room wasn’t serviced (not the end of the world).

What was more of an issue was restaurants - this was an almighty nuisance, as we hate being tied down by booking. Some nights we simply couldn’t get in anywhere - and it didn’t help that a lot of places were clearly getting “no shows” galore. Similar with attractions - tied down with bookings, and when you do get in sections closed, and at times a bit of a passive-aggressive atmosphere over distancing / masks.

All in all we enjoyed our two weeks, but it still felt pretty strained.

I think part of the problem with both Travelodge and Premier is that you associate them with cheap prices - ie £30 - £50 per Night.

However I have seen both at well north of a Ton at various points in time - mainly but not exclusively in the smoke.

Personally I could not bring myself to shell out over £50 on either but plenty obviously have no such reservations ()

Older contributors will remember that when Travelodge started out it was a fixed price albeit slightly lower at Weekends.

Perhaps dynamic pricing is not all it's cracked up to be.

Premier Inn isn’t too bad, their rooms are massively better than Travelodge. In fact there’s times when I prefer them to a normal hotel, as at least with a Premier Inn their standard is pretty consistent - you know what you’re going to get, and it won’t be any better or worse.

Travelodge seems to have gone downhill over time. At one point they were useful as a means of having somewhere tolerable to sleep over, however we’ve had a few bad experiences recently such that they are an absolute last resort for us - we will only use one if there’s nothing else.

 

[Bald Rick]

I’m finding it rather surprising that so may people are finding it surprising that prices have risen. No one can go abroad, so many more people are looking to holiday in this country. There is only so much accommodation / restaurant space / etc and the laws of economics apply. Of course the prices have gone up.

The more savvy will have booked UK accommodation for the summer some months ago, whilst those wanting foreign holidays will be booking flights for summer now. Flight prices for Portugal, for example, have gone through the roof for school holiday weekend dates.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think part of the problem with both Travelodge and Premier is that you associate them with cheap prices - ie £30 - £50 per Night.

However I have seen both at well north of a Ton at various points in time - mainly but not exclusively in the smoke.

Personally I could not bring myself to shell out over £50 on either but plenty obviously have no such reservations ()

Older contributors will remember that when Travelodge started out it was a fixed price albeit slightly lower at Weekends.

Perhaps dynamic pricing is not all it's cracked up to be.

I would certainly rather pay Marriott £150 than Travelodge £100, say. But PI is really quite good these days. The only real difference between a PI and a Marriott (other than the absence of the ubiquitous business-hotel trouser press) is the other on-site facilities like a gym, pool or whatever, or I suppose the outrageously priced minibar. But if you won't use those, PI is perfectly good.

 

[trainophile]

The main reason I prefer PI to TL is that PI supply hairdryers in every room, whereas in TL you have to request one at the reception desk and hope they have one available. Also the shower gel/shampoo provided is nicer in PI.

I appreciate hairdryers probably aren't such a major consideration for many of you!

 

[WestCoast]

For hotels, my general view is that the chains are pricing cheap, but the independents are pricing high in anticipation of a surge in demand with staycations. Particularly in popular tourist spots, of which Edinburgh is one.

I would concur. Looking at prices in Edinburgh many of the more price focused chains (PI, Travelodge, Ibis & Ibis Budget, Hampton Hilton, Holiday Inn Express, Moxy etc) seem cheaper than normal but the independents seem to have hiked their pricing considerably. I'm not sure it's the best strategy considering that it's likely many of the foreign guests that would fill the rooms won't be coming, but I'm sure they know what they are doing.

I’m finding it rather surprising that so may people are finding it surprising that prices have risen. No one can go abroad, so many more people are looking to holiday in this country. There is only so much accommodation / restaurant space / etc and the laws of economics apply. Of course the prices have gone up.

The more savvy will have booked UK accommodation for the summer some months ago, whilst those wanting foreign holidays will be booking flights for summer now. Flight prices for Portugal, for example, have gone through the roof for school holiday weekend dates.

Yes but we've also got to consider that there's going to be far fewer inbound tourists. I can understand why the popular seaside / country locations will rocket in price but in London there's surely going to be an oversupply of rooms this summer. So I reckon if you choose your destination wisely it will be still be affordable. Bournemouth in the middle of August? Yeah expect it not to come cheap.

I would certainly rather pay Marriott £150 than Travelodge £100, say. But PI is really quite good these days. The only real difference between a PI and a Marriott (other than the absence of the ubiquitous business-hotel trouser press) is the other on-site facilities like a gym, pool or whatever, or I suppose the outrageously priced minibar. But if you won't use those, PI is perfectly good.

It depends. Some of the older supposedly 'upmarket' chain hotels aren't even much to my taste, I've stayed in the Hilton Metropole at the NEC more times than I remember and I'd honestly prefer a Premier Inn. In fact, I find Hilton's budget arm, their Hampton by Hilton hotels, actually nicer in some ways and they're cheaper and include a free breakfast! They are probably my favourite to stay in out of the chains.

 

[bramling]

The main reason I prefer PI to TL is that PI supply hairdryers in every room, whereas in TL you have to request one at the reception desk and hope they have one available. Also the shower gel/shampoo provided is nicer in PI.

I appreciate hairdryers probably aren't such a major consideration for many of you!

I’d say PI is vastly superior to TL. The room fixtures are generally a much better quality, most importantly the beds themselves.

We’ve had some pretty ropey Travelodges in recent years. One in west Wales which was nothing short of disgusting, another on the south coast where the whole place reeked of cannabis. In pretty much every case recently we’ve found the bed uncomfortable to the point of having difficulty sleeping.

By contrast any PI we’ve used has ranged from pretty good to excellent.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’d say PI is vastly superior to TL. The room fixtures are generally a much better quality, most importantly the beds themselves.

We’ve had some pretty ropey Travelodges in recent years. One in west Wales which was nothing short of disgusting, another on the south coast where the whole place reeked of cannabis. In pretty much every case recently we’ve found the bed uncomfortable to the point of having difficulty sleeping.

By contrast any PI we’ve used has ranged from pretty good to excellent.

I'm with you there. TL isn't just a basic, budget hotel. It's a basic, budget hotel that skimps on cleaning and maintenance - it's just rubbish.

An interesting comparison is Ibis Budget. The rooms are even more basic than TL - they are a bit more like YHA private rooms than hotel rooms, though they are fully en-suite. But despite that basic approach and very low prices indeed, they actually bother to clean and maintain things properly.

In short, Travelodge is just rubbish, even compared with other budget chains. OK, they now have "premium rooms" or whatever they call them, but they'll still be filthy and with bits falling off within very short order.

To mention another chain, by the way - Motel One, which *sound* rubbish, are a German chain that are like "Premier Inn plus" - they are really quite good. Only downside is that the breakfast is only Continental. Which is a good thing on a work trip as otherwise I get fat!

 

[Butts]

I would certainly rather pay Marriott £150 than Travelodge £100, say. But PI is really quite good these days. The only real difference between a PI and a Marriott (other than the absence of the ubiquitous business-hotel trouser press) is the other on-site facilities like a gym, pool or whatever, or I suppose the outrageously priced minibar. But if you won't use those, PI is perfectly good.

From my experience Marriotts used to have Two Double Beds in a normal room.

One good thing about them was that if you had a HB rate you could dine in the Bar (at far cheaper prices) utilising your allowance.

 

[Bald Rick]

Yes but we've also got to consider that there's going to be far fewer inbound tourists. I can understand why the popular seaside / country locations will rocket in price but in London there's surely going to be an oversupply of rooms this summer. So I reckon if you choose your destination wisely it will be still be affordable. Bournemouth in the middle of August? Yeah expect it not to come cheap.

Oh yes I quite agree. London hotels will be a bargain this summer. It’s the coastal resorts, Lake District Etc that will be expensive.

It depends. Some of the older supposedly 'upmarket' chain hotels aren't even much to my taste, I've stayed in the Hilton Metropole at the NEC more times than I remember and I'd honestly prefer a Premier Inn. In fact, I find Hilton's budget arm, their Hampton by Hilton hotels, actually nicer in some ways and they're cheaper and include a free breakfast! They are probably my favourite to stay in out of the chains.

Again I agree. I’d choose a Premier Inn over most of the hotels on Park Lane!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oh yes I quite agree. London hotels will be a bargain this summer. It’s the coastal resorts, Lake District Etc that will be expensive.

Interestingly there aren't many PIs or Travelodges actually in the Lakes - they are pretty much all on the fringes (Penrith, Kendal, Ulverston etc). Same with North Wales.

Though I believe a PI is planned for Keswick, most of it is still the preserve of independents or small chains.

 

[Bald Rick]

Interestingly there aren't many PIs or Travelodges actually in the Lakes - they are pretty much all on the fringes (Penrith, Kendal, Ulverston etc). Same with North Wales.

Though I believe a PI is planned for Keswick, most of it is still the preserve of independents or small chains.

A Premier Inn opened in Tenby a couple of years ago, and it’s routinely booked up over the summer, and most weekends year round. You might get a room mid week for a night or two in summer, but expect to pay well over £100.

 

[WestCoast]

I'm with you there. TL isn't just a basic, budget hotel. It's a basic, budget hotel that skimps on cleaning and maintenance - it's just rubbish.

An interesting comparison is Ibis Budget. The rooms are even more basic than TL - they are a bit more like YHA private rooms than hotel rooms, though they are fully en-suite. But despite that basic approach and very low prices indeed, they actually bother to clean and maintain things properly.

In short, Travelodge is just rubbish, even compared with other budget chains. OK, they now have "premium rooms" or whatever they call them, but they'll still be filthy and with bits falling off within very short order.

To mention another chain, by the way - Motel One, which *sound* rubbish, are a German chain that are like "Premier Inn plus" - they are really quite good. Only downside is that the breakfast is only Continental. Which is a good thing on a work trip as otherwise I get fat!

Somewhat ironically I've always found Travelodge inconsistent in their consistency. Some of their older hotels are downright awful and they never come across as 'polished' as PI but their newer locations can be quite good - and the 'SuperRooms' are very decent 3 star hotel rooms. I really like that they've put them next to hubs like Clapham Junction and Balham stations - stayed in both and liked them. However, the Royal Scot one near Kings Cross is a bit grotty. I think they took it over from another chain years ago and have basically just kept giving a lick of paint and it shows.

Having said that, I'd rather live in a Travelodge than stay in a Britannia hotel, now they are horrendous! The one I use to stay at in Birmingham was basically Fawlty Towers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Having said that, I'd rather live in a Travelodge than stay in a Britannia hotel, now they are horrendous! The one I use to stay at in Birmingham was basically Fawlty Towers.

I would rather camp than stay in one of those.

Edit: can't help but be reminded of the episode of the programme the BBC did about the Adelphi in Liverpool in the 90s. When the IRA bomb threat happened at the Grand National, people were opening their homes up to put people up who were stranded, and the railway was offering free travel to get everyone home who had ended up stuck without their car keys and wallet (the evacuation was very quick). The Adelphi, by contrast, was auctioning its remaining rooms to the highest bidder, and the fact that that was allowed to go out on the programme proves that Britannia management approved of it.

That made me resolve never to stay in any of their hotels.

They were also the only hotel I ever heard of (except small B&Bs maybe) that objected to people bringing food in to consume in their room. Crikey, one of my colleagues used to arrive at the Preston Marriott with takeaway (he is Muslim so wanted halal food) and they were more than happy to give him crockery and cutlery to eat it with.

 

[Kite159]

Some of the older Travelodges are grim, no Air conditioning and windows which only open a tiny amount for H&S, meaning even with a fan the rooms remain warm.

Although there are some decent ones, but sometimes let down by grumpy staff.

 

[WestCoast]

I would rather camp than stay in one of those.

Edit: can't help but be reminded of the episode of the programme the BBC did about the Adelphi in Liverpool in the 90s. When the IRA bomb threat happened at the Grand National, people were opening their homes up to put people up who were stranded, and the railway was offering free travel to get everyone home who had ended up stuck without their car keys and wallet (the evacuation was very quick). The Adelphi, by contrast, was auctioning its remaining rooms to the highest bidder, and the fact that that was allowed to go out on the programme proves that Britannia management approved of it.

That made me resolve never to stay in any of their hotels.

They were also the only hotel I ever heard of (except small B&Bs maybe) that objected to people bringing food in to consume in their room. Crikey, one of my colleagues used to arrive at the Preston Marriott with takeaway (he is Muslim so wanted halal food) and they were more than happy to give him crockery and cutlery to eat it with.

How anyone still wants to stay in a Britannia hotel amazes me. I know they are usually cheap when they can't price gouge but even so! I'm sure they've been on numerous TV shows and also various undercover type things yet they are still in business! I went to an event at the delightful Norbreck Castle in Blackpool a few years and it felt dystopian!

They actually took over a Travelodge in Edinburgh and from what I gather it's dropped from 3.5/5 to 2/5 on Tripadvisor, so there you go.

 

[johntea]

You haven't experienced a grim Travelodge until you've stayed in Reading Central! (The 'air conditioning' is a fan...), but it is cheap enough to not care too much, the staff are generally friendly enough and try their best at least

I actually stayed in one of the SuperRooms on a Sunday in Manchester Piccadilly last year as it was maybe £1 more than the standard room and it was excellent - surprising how nice little touches such as a few KitKats and a Tassimo style machine go a long way!

 

[ChrisC]

Likewise for myself, I'm glad I put down money on a stay at the Travelodge in Lowestoft during the first week of August back at the end of March. For four nights, I paid £285 for their flexi-rate (considerably more than the £175 I paid last year for 6 nights, but of course last year was quite a blip due to the early stages of the pandemic), but checking it today they now want £418 for the same four nights, which is nearly a 50% hike. The nearby Premier Inn is at £432 for the same four nights. While the saver rate at both reduces the cost to around £355-360, I wouldn't trust booking in a way that's not refundable right now.

I had a booking for 7 nights at the Premier Inn in Penzance for May last year. It had to be cancelled because of lockdown but I think it was about £350.
Back in March I tried to rebook for September this year and 7 nights was around £800. I wasn’t paying that price for a Premier Inn and so tried the first week in October instead and have booked at only £361. I’ve also checked recently and just in the few weeks since I booked it has now gone up to £960!
I think that is generally what is happening in the West Country and along the South Coast.

In contrast many inland areas and even large cities have prices far cheaper than usual. In London the opposite may be happening to the rising prices in Cornwall. I’ve just tonight cancelled and rebooked a Travelodge booking and saved over £100 due to falling prices. I had a 7 night booking in a Super Room at Vauxhall Travelodge for the last week in July. I thought that I had done quite well to get a flexible 7 night booking in London at £490 as prices in July are often in excess of £100 a night. I checked the price tonight and it had gone down to £388.

I know it’s a Travelodge but I have stayed there before and the Super Rooms are quite comfortable. I would never stay in a standard Travelodge room as I like some shelf space to store my belongings. The last time I stayed in a standard room I felt like someone homeless living out of my case. Also I never bother with Travelodge breakfasts as I think they are way below the standard of Premier Inn.

 

[Tezza1978]

London hotel prices are seriously cheap at the moment - 4 star hotels such as citizenM Shoreditch are the same price as Premier Inns at around £75-80 a night room only. Have stayed there a few times in the last few weeks for work reasons. Ibis hotels at similar prices. Pre pandemic it was difficult to get a Premier Inn for under £110-130 a night room only in London, with breakfast on top. Some of the smaller trendy chains such as Point A are even cheaper at about £60 a night room only currently, but as the rooms are a lot smaller I've been temporarily avoiding them until inside hospitality opens as am less keen to stay out for a drink / food later when its freezing outside!
i
Booked a pretty high quality B&B for 2 nights in Blackpool for me and the missus and our 2 kids in July for a very reasonable price, it helps that Blackpool has so many options that prices are kept low. The brand new Premier Inn in the centre was very expensive relatively - would have been £280 for us for 2 nights room only , more like £330-340 if breakfast added - clearly PI think they can rake in the cash at Blackpool this summer because of the staycation boom.

I looked at more trendy/posher seaside resorts in the SE/SW and the prices are ludicrous this year - 2 nights in a very bog standard 3 star level B&B for a family - over £500! If I was staying for a week it would be far cheaper to go to Spain, Portugal or Greece self catered with guaranteed weather.

 

[Kite159]

You haven't experienced a grim Travelodge until you've stayed in Reading Central! (The 'air conditioning' is a fan...

Typical for some of the older buildings, although I did notice last year the newish looking Travelodge near Bradford Forster Square didn't have AC fitted (windows were open). Should be the standard for new builds to have AC fitted. So much better than having a window open and a fan, especially if in a city centre where sealed windows makes the rooms quieter

Even the "Superbudget" Easyhotel & Ibis Budget has AC.

 

[bramling]

I'm with you there. TL isn't just a basic, budget hotel. It's a basic, budget hotel that skimps on cleaning and maintenance - it's just rubbish.

An interesting comparison is Ibis Budget. The rooms are even more basic than TL - they are a bit more like YHA private rooms than hotel rooms, though they are fully en-suite. But despite that basic approach and very low prices indeed, they actually bother to clean and maintain things properly.

In short, Travelodge is just rubbish, even compared with other budget chains. OK, they now have "premium rooms" or whatever they call them, but they'll still be filthy and with bits falling off within very short order.

To mention another chain, by the way - Motel One, which *sound* rubbish, are a German chain that are like "Premier Inn plus

Somewhat ironically I've always found Travelodge inconsistent in their consistency. Some of their older hotels are downright awful and they never come across as 'polished' as PI but their newer locations can be quite good - and the 'SuperRooms' are very decent 3 star hotel rooms. I really like that they've put them next to hubs like Clapham Junction and Balham stations - stayed in both and liked them. However, the Royal Scot one near Kings Cross is a bit grotty. I think they took it over from another chain years ago and have basically just kept giving a lick of paint and it shows.

Having said that, I'd rather live in a Travelodge than stay in a Britannia hotel, now they are horrendous! The one I use to stay at in Birmingham was basically Fawlty Towers.

How anyone still wants to stay in a Britannia hotel amazes me. I know they are usually cheap when they can't price gouge but even so! I'm sure they've been on numerous TV shows and also various undercover type things yet they are still in business! I went to an event at the delightful Norbreck Castle in Blackpool a few years and it felt dystopian!

They actually took over a Travelodge in Edinburgh and from what I gather it's dropped from 3.5/5 to 2/5 on Tripadvisor, so there you go.

We stayed in the Palace hotel in Buxton. Now we knew all about Britannia, but we kind of took the risk as we really wanted that particular hotel. Let’s just say it fully lived up to Britannia’s reputation. The cheek of it was the place wasn’t cheap, and had the audacity to be a 4-star.

The North Stafford in Stoke is just about okay for a Britannia - again a shame as that’s a beautiful hotel on the outside, and is quite well located.

Agree with the comments that TL are very variable, however they’re definitely tipping more towards the bad nowadays. We stayed in a brand new one last year, only open a couple of weeks when we stayed, and it was still pretty rubbish. Just couldn’t get comfortable in the room, which has been a theme of all our recent TL stays. It didn’t help there was no hot water for some of the time, which fair enough we were prepared to accept was a teething issue in a new hotel, and to be fair the staff were very good about it and we were offered some money back.

 

[Butts]

We stayed in the Palace hotel in Buxton. Now we knew all about Britannia, but we kind of took the risk as we really wanted that particular hotel. Let’s just say it fully lived up to Britannia’s reputation. The cheek of it was the place wasn’t cheap, and had the audacity to be a 4-star.

The North Stafford in Stoke is just about okay for a Britannia - again a shame as that’s a beautiful hotel on the outside, and is quite well located.

Agree with the comments that TL are very variable, however they’re definitely tipping more towards the bad nowadays. We stayed in a brand new one last year, only open a couple of weeks when we stayed, and it was still pretty rubbish. Just couldn’t get comfortable in the room, which has been a theme of all our recent TL stays. It didn’t help there was no hot water for some of the time, which fair enough we were prepared to accept was a teething issue in a new hotel, and to be fair the staff were very good about it and we were offered some money back.

Britannia Hotels always prop up The Which League Table of Hotels each year.

It's basically a glorified Butlins/Pontins from my experience.

Perhaps a job for Ms Polizzi, but as I recall even Watchdog were unable to make them recant.

 

[David Dunning]

I would rather camp than stay in one of those.

Edit: can't help but be reminded of the episode of the programme the BBC did about the Adelphi in Liverpool in the 90s. When the IRA bomb threat happened at the Grand National, people were opening their homes up to put people up who were stranded, and the railway was offering free travel to get everyone home who had ended up stuck without their car keys and wallet (the evacuation was very quick). The Adelphi, by contrast, was auctioning its remaining rooms to the highest bidder, and the fact that that was allowed to go out on the programme proves that Britannia management approved of it.

That made me resolve never to stay in any of their hotels.

They were also the only hotel I ever heard of (except small B&Bs maybe) that objected to people bringing food in to consume in their room. Crikey, one of my colleagues used to arrive at the Preston Marriott with takeaway (he is Muslim so wanted halal food) and they were more than happy to give him crockery and cutlery to eat it with.

Actually you are not quite right in saying the hotel allowed it to go out. That’s not the way these programmes worked. Editorial control is with the broadcaster and the programme is produced on that basis. The hotel owners complained bitterly about that sequence being shown but only after transmission. When you made a docu-soap, as they were called in those days, mainstream broadcasters did not offer the chance to edit the show before it went out.

 

[jon0844]

I think part of the problem with both Travelodge and Premier is that you associate them with cheap prices - ie £30 - £50 per Night.

However I have seen both at well north of a Ton at various points in time - mainly but not exclusively in the smoke.

Personally I could not bring myself to shell out over £50 on either but plenty obviously have no such reservations ()

Older contributors will remember that when Travelodge started out it was a fixed price albeit slightly lower at Weekends.

Perhaps dynamic pricing is not all it's cracked up to be.

While I agree that once the price goes beyond a certain amount, I'm perhaps less likely to book - the fact is that a Premier Inn hotel room is a very safe bet, and I've always had a very good night sleep. I try and pick the hotels attached to a decent bar/restaurant to take advantage of the breakfast deal, and I also once or twice used the evening meal deal that was (IMO) exceptional value for money with three courses AND an alcoholic drink with very little restrictions.

Should a room jump to £100+ then you might be tempted to look at more premium hotels, but I've had more disappointment at big name chains than any Premier Inn.

For some reason, I've never really liked Travelodge - although I expect the new builds in the last 5-10 years are probably okay.

I’m finding it rather surprising that so may people are finding it surprising that prices have risen. No one can go abroad, so many more people are looking to holiday in this country. There is only so much accommodation / restaurant space / etc and the laws of economics apply. Of course the prices have gone up.

Indeed, yield management working as designed.

I think I'll be taking lots of short weekend breaks or daytrips this year and use the money saved during the pandemic for a bigger holiday in 2022.

 

[yorksrob]

Oh, how I miss Premier Inn breakfasts.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oh, how I miss Premier Inn breakfasts.

Same, they are good and well priced, aren't they?

 

[yorksrob]

Same, they are good and well priced, aren't they?

They are very satisfying (or were, pre-pandemic).

 

[Mike99]

I've just managed to book Holiday Inn in Aberdeen for 1 night (no breakfast required) for £38.00 for 1 person at the very end of May, and a private hotel in Penzance for the next night, 1night for £60.00 including breakfast. So each to their own, but I was pleased with this.

 

[peters]

Premier Inn isn’t too bad, their rooms are massively better than Travelodge. In fact there’s times when I prefer them to a normal hotel, as at least with a Premier Inn their standard is pretty consistent - you know what you’re going to get, and it won’t be any better or worse.

Travelodge seems to have gone downhill over time. At one point they were useful as a means of having somewhere tolerable to sleep over, however we’ve had a few bad experiences recently such that they are an absolute last resort for us - we will only use one if there’s nothing else.

Agreed. Premier Inn seem to be good at ensuring noise is reduced within the hotel and try to reduce the amount of exterior noise you hear in the rooms as much as you can expect. On the other hand Travelodge in Scarborough is one of the worse hotels I've ever stayed in, it had single glazed wooden framed windows and while noisy seagulls can be expected in any seaside town, Travelodge had obviously not put any effort into sound proofing rooms so the noise is minimised.