I had two and a half Wetherspoon's breakfasts once instead of one Travelodge (or similar) breakfasts. It was cheaper too. I would have had three, but the person I nicked the half off had to have their share first.

Not a fan of big breakfasts if I'm honest, just makes me sleepy and wanting to go back to bed.

A fantastic hotel breakfast I had was at the Royal Park Radisson Blu on the outskirts of Stockholm a few years ago. A lovely hotel and the food was plentiful and to a high standard, but what made it was sitting on the veranda in the sun, overlooking the gardens and lake, and accompanied by my colleague and several of our Swedish uniformed airport girls, who had come to meet us for breakfast.

Most pleasurable.

Yup I've stayed there loads of times it used to be the Bass Taverns hotel of choice, great to see it still going strong too. Both Bass and my current employer would never book a hotel that didn't have a good breakfast offering, and trust mke my current employer wouldn't be paying fancy money for it either.

£35 a night corporate rate inc breakfast

I'm pretty sure we were paying more than that 12 years ago.
Does it still have the massive car park underneath?

I agree. You wouldn't walk into a BMW showroom and demand a 120d for eight grand because you saw a same size Kia for that price.

Travelodge are to the hotel industry what Ryanair is to air travel.

The Paragon in Digbeth ?

It has an underground car park in what looks like an old warehouse next door to it, behind the actual hotel is what was a huge stable block that is closed now, not sure where the access to that leads to.

[urlhttp://jerrychicken.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/in-the-workhouse/[/url

[urlhttp://jerrychicken.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/what-are-all-these-people-doing-in-my-room/[/url

Would just add, never had an issue with Travelodge before and stayed in many of the hotels at various prices and have had no cause for complaint on either value for money or cleanliness. This one was booked at £19 per night and was booked for it's central location.

I take on board all of your suggestions BUT they are impossible to contact. I've emailed them and got responses from two different addresses, head office and press office, both telling me the emails are no longer in use, so I rang two different numbers from the original one I'd rang, again head office and press office, first took me to a voicemail and I was then advised it was inactive and my call was being terminated, second was an answerphone.

So, I seem to have reached a dead end and will have to wait until they contact me or we arrive and are told there is a problem.

With regards to the comment of not booking a hotel that isn't yet built, they were advertising rooms there, and it was supposed to open in October, I had no reason to believe that the hotel wouldn't be completed and opened in February, not all of us can afford the Hilton or similar, it doesn't mean we should accept any less in customer care and service.

Quote ="RoversTrace"Would just add, never had an issue with Travelodge before and stayed in many of the hotels at various prices and have had no cause for complaint on either value for money or cleanliness. This one was booked at £19 per night and was booked for it's central location. I take on board all of your suggestions BUT they are impossible to contact. I've emailed them and got responses from two different addresses, head office and press office, both telling me the emails are no longer in use, so I rang two different numbers from the original one I'd rang, again head office and press office, first took me to a voicemail and I was then advised it was inactive and my call was being terminated, second was an answerphone. So, I seem to have reached a dead end and will have to wait until they contact me or we arrive and are told there is a problem. With regards to the comment of not booking a hotel that isn't yet built, they were advertising rooms there, and it was supposed to open in October, I had no reason to believe that the hotel wouldn't be completed and opened in February, not all of us can afford the Hilton or similar, it doesn't mean we should accept any less in customer care and service.'" It's certainly not your fault - you're correct, they advertised on the premise the hotel would be completed, and are not not providing any level of service to keep your informed. That said, they are a budget hotel - they even use check-in machines - and seem to operate on the absolute bare minimum of staff. [url=http://www.saynoto0870.com/companysearch.phpSayNoTo0870[/url lists plenty of numbers but only a few alternatives for head office. You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk

Quote ="RoversTrace"Would just add, never had an issue with Travelodge before and stayed in many of the hotels at various prices and have had no cause for complaint on either value for money or cleanliness. This one was booked at £19 per night and was booked for it's central location. I take on board all of your suggestions BUT they are impossible to contact. I've emailed them and got responses from two different addresses, head office and press office, both telling me the emails are no longer in use, so I rang two different numbers from the original one I'd rang, again head office and press office, first took me to a voicemail and I was then advised it was inactive and my call was being terminated, second was an answerphone. So, I seem to have reached a dead end and will have to wait until they contact me or we arrive and are told there is a problem. With regards to the comment of not booking a hotel that isn't yet built, they were advertising rooms there, and it was supposed to open in October, I had no reason to believe that the hotel wouldn't be completed and opened in February, not all of us can afford the Hilton or similar, it doesn't mean we should accept any less in customer care and service.'" It's certainly not your fault - you're correct, they advertised on the premise the hotel would be completed, and are not not providing any level of service to keep your informed. That said, they are a budget hotel - they even use check-in machines - and seem to operate on the absolute bare minimum of staff. [url=http://www.saynoto0870.com/companysearch.phpSayNoTo0870[/url lists plenty of numbers but only a few alternatives for head office. You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk

Thank you Cronus, it's got to be worth a try!

Quote ="Cronus"... You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk'" That is superb advice. And so true. I have achieved good and fast results on several occasions in the past by doing exactly that, after having got precisely nowhere by traditional methods. The CEO emails do take a bit of tracking down but they are out there if you persist, in most cases, and of course here Cronus has handed you them on a plate. If that doesn't work then I'd issue a claim in the small claims system, using moneyclaimonline.

Quote ="Cronus"... You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk'" That is superb advice. And so true. I have achieved good and fast results on several occasions in the past by doing exactly that, after having got precisely nowhere by traditional methods. The CEO emails do take a bit of tracking down but they are out there if you persist, in most cases, and of course here Cronus has handed you them on a plate. If that doesn't work then I'd issue a claim in the small claims system, using moneyclaimonline.

Quote ="Ferocious Aardvark" Quote ="Cronus"... You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk'" That is superb advice. And so true. I have achieved good and fast results on several occasions in the past by doing exactly that, after having got precisely nowhere by traditional methods. The CEO emails do take a bit of tracking down but they are out there if you persist, in most cases, and of course here Cronus has handed you them on a plate. If that doesn't work then I'd issue a claim in the small claims system, using moneyclaimonline.'" Indeed it was superb advice as this morning I have received an email from Guy Parsons saying how sorry he is I have felt the need to contact him and promising a full investigation, he has handed my correspondance on to his team and they will contact me in due course. Thanks again for the advice Cronus

Quote ="Ferocious Aardvark" Quote ="Cronus"... You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk'" That is superb advice. And so true. I have achieved good and fast results on several occasions in the past by doing exactly that, after having got precisely nowhere by traditional methods. The CEO emails do take a bit of tracking down but they are out there if you persist, in most cases, and of course here Cronus has handed you them on a plate. If that doesn't work then I'd issue a claim in the small claims system, using moneyclaimonline.'" Indeed it was superb advice as this morning I have received an email from Guy Parsons saying how sorry he is I have felt the need to contact him and promising a full investigation, he has handed my correspondance on to his team and they will contact me in due course. Thanks again for the advice Cronus

I've stayed there as well; never knew it was an old workhouse, though it's not surprising considering the area it's in! Nice enough hotel, shame about the local area (well, it is Birmingham after all!).

Speaking of Birmingham, I would never, ever stay at the Brittannia hotel in the centre again, one of the worst chain hotels I've stayed in and I've been in a few.

As for Travelodge, never had a problem must have stayed in an average of 10 different ones each year for the past 6 years. We've only had to ask for another room twice and that was in the same hotel within minutes; any one whose interested, it's the Newcastle one near the Quay, absolute dive in need a serious renovation.

Quote ="RoversTrace" Quote ="Ferocious Aardvark" Quote ="Cronus"... You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk'" That is superb advice. And so true. I have achieved good and fast results on several occasions in the past by doing exactly that, after having got precisely nowhere by traditional methods. The CEO emails do take a bit of tracking down but they are out there if you persist, in most cases, and of course here Cronus has handed you them on a plate. If that doesn't work then I'd issue a claim in the small claims system, using moneyclaimonline.'" Indeed it was superb advice as this morning I have received an email from Guy Parsons saying how sorry he is I have felt the need to contact him and promising a full investigation, he has handed my correspondance on to his team and they will contact me in due course. Thanks again for the advice Cronus '" No worries, result! Hope they sort you out!

Quote ="RoversTrace" Quote ="Ferocious Aardvark" Quote ="Cronus"... You could always try emailing the exec team direct, I'm guessing the format might be '@travelodge.co.uk', and if experience is anything to go by as soon as a top dog is made aware of an issue, the minions jump through hoops. Worth a try at any rate - just make it clear it's not the cost, it's the lack response, information and assurance that's unacceptable: CEO: guy.parsons@travelodge.co.uk Exec Chairman: grant.hearn@travelodge.co.uk MD International: paul.harvey@travelodge.co.uk'" That is superb advice. And so true. I have achieved good and fast results on several occasions in the past by doing exactly that, after having got precisely nowhere by traditional methods. The CEO emails do take a bit of tracking down but they are out there if you persist, in most cases, and of course here Cronus has handed you them on a plate. If that doesn't work then I'd issue a claim in the small claims system, using moneyclaimonline.'" Indeed it was superb advice as this morning I have received an email from Guy Parsons saying how sorry he is I have felt the need to contact him and promising a full investigation, he has handed my correspondance on to his team and they will contact me in due course. Thanks again for the advice Cronus '" No worries, result! Hope they sort you out!

Just had an email from customer services saying the delay in opening is more a precaution and they hope to open 'about the 20th Feb' - we arrive 19th! They have offered to transfer us to Central, but I've said i would just now appreciate some honesty - they must know if they are likely to be open, they'd have to give start dates for employees, etc - we'd like to stay at Strand as that was our first choice, but if it's not open we'd accept a transfer, but that they can inform us a couple of weeks before and that a room at Central is guaranteed, that we're not gonna turn up and be told we're somewhere out in the sticks.

I await their response...

They've more or less suggested it would be a good idea for us to transfer even though others are still (ignorantly?) booked in to the new hotel. Decided to go along with the transfer and just booked our train tickets before they go up any more!!

The travelodge nearest to the quay in Newcastle is a brand new one. Now, if you are on about PREMIER INN, i agree with you, but this is a Travelodge thread.

I guess you're talking about the one on the docks near to the Liver Building? If so you may get moved to the other one in town which is near to the Mersey Tunnel. To be honest, I'd rather stay in that one anyway. It's closer to the museums, shops, pubs etc. and if the weather is anything like this in February, the docks are the last place you'll want to be by. I used to work on the Albert Dock and getting to work in Winter is no fun at all.

After being knocked down and rebuilt. The old one was in a sorry state.

No, I'm talking about the travelodge near the quay. I don't know if there's two but I didn't see another. Just to be sure we mean the same one, I mean [url=http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186394-d210707-Reviews-Travelodge_Newcastle_Central-Newcastle_upon_Tyne_Tyne_and_Wear_England.htmlthis one[/url.

Now I know part of it has been extended, but it's the old part I'm taking about, the bit right at the front of the building; it's in desperate need of renovation. Unlike the extension which is the same as the newer travelodges.

Like I say it's not indicative, most of them are perfectly fine, the old ones, newer ones, newest one and even the taken over/rebranded ones; although after saying that the one between Kings Cross and Angel is a little bit tired too (it's a take over, it's like something out of the 40's).

I've also had the pleasure of staying in The Regent Palace just off Piccadilly Circus before it was shutdown and subsequently renovated. I only found out afterwards it was well known as a house of ill-repute, I can well believe it after our stay too!