Tuesday 14 April 2015

Travelodge - quality stays at budget prices

I must admit, I've always been something of a snob when it comes to hotels, believing you get what you pay for.  I'm all for grabbing a bargain, but not if it compromises our holiday or overnight away.

Travelodge have recently spent £57m refurbishing their hotels and I have to say, from our recent stay at their Birmingham Airport location, it really shows.

Travelodge Birmingham Airport
Image: Travelodge 

From only £31 for a double room (advance booking rate) I can honestly say there was very little to set it apart from a hotel room at four times the cost.

All the staff that we came into contact with were extremely amenable, all asking us about our stay and offering any help we needed.  I'd like to praise especially the guy on reception who was exceptionally welcoming and helpful.

We were visiting Birmingham to see Disney on Ice at the Genting Arena, NEC and this hotel is ideally situated, only about a mile and a half away - don't be tempted to walk it though as the route is down a duel carriageway - trust me! Instead, the reception staff will book you a discounted taxi which costs around £5.50.

If you're visiting the NEC, arena or flying from the airport, then this is an ideal base.  In fact, our room overlooked the runway and Ruby had a great time watching the planes take off (it's situated right next to the control tower so for any budding plane spotters it's perfect).

Travelodge Birmingham Airport runway view

That said, we weren't in any way affected by noise during our stay.  I guess they don't have night flights from Birmingham and that, together with excellent double glazing meant we all slept undisturbed.

The beds in Travelodge hotels are all designed exclusively by Sleepezee and have over 900 individual pocket springs.  We did find the beds firmer than we're used to, but all had a comfortable night's sleep.  Ruby's bed was a single and she was a bit put-out by that - usually in family rooms she's used to sofa beds which give her more room, but given that she was asleep within 5 minutes of hitting the pillow it obviously didn't bother her that much!

Travelodge Birmingham Airport Family room

Travelodge Birmingham Airport  room

Travelodge Birmingham Airport  room

Travelodge Birmingham Airport Family room

Travelodge Birmingham Airport tea making facilities

In the room you'll find everything you need - a colour remote TV; bedside lights; a desk, temperature controls; hanging space and coat hangers; tea and coffee making facilities (they are much more generous with their consumables than other more expensive hotels we've stayed in and were happy to provide sachets of de-caf when we asked).  There's a good sized en suite bathroom with a lovely powerful shower and everywhere was spotlessly clean and fresh.  Toiletries are provided in the form of wall mounted pump dispensers, I guess to reduce the cost of disposable individual bottles of shampoo and shower gel.  There were plenty of soft, white, fluffy towels for us all.

Travelodge Birmingham Airport en suite bathroom

Travelodge Birmingham Airport en suite bathroom shower


The only thing that seemed to be missing was a phone.  If you needed anything from reception, you couldn't ring down, but let's face it, when was the last time you used a hotel room landline? Ok, so there was no mini-bar either, but again, who pays mini-bar prices these days?

As we were pushed for time, we decided to eat in the hotel bar area rather than at the venue.  This was a good choice as it meant we could avoid the crowds and the over-priced takeaway food options at the arena.  The food is not going to win any Egon Ronay awards, but it was cheap and cheerful and filled us all up nicely.  There was a good kid's menu offering 2 courses for only £4.95 which is excellent value and we chose the nachos at £6.95 to start,  piri piri half a roasted chicken at £8.75 and a chicken salad at £7.95.  They also had a pizza option you could eat in your room.

Travelodge Birmingham Airport food options

Travelodge Birmingham Airport food options


The bar area was spacious and airy, with a contemporary feel to it and they offered a good selection of wines, beer and soft drinks.

Travelodge Birmingham Airport lounge area

Travelodge Birmingham Airport lounge area

Travelodge Birmingham Airport bar

Travelodge Birmingham Airport lounge area

Breakfast is served in this area in the morning and it's an extra £6.65 per adult if booked online in advance.  There was a wide selection of hot and cold foods and again the staff were very attentive at clearing tables (and mopping up spilt milk - sorry about that!).

Travelodge Birmingham Airport buffet breakfast

Travelodge Birmingham Airport buffet breakfast

Parking's not included in your stay, but there is a NCP operated car park right outside priced at £7.50 for 24 hours and you can come and go within that period for no extra.

Travelodge Birmingham Airport reception area

In the lobby area there's vending machines offering quick snack options, a cash machine and an electronic checkout facility, but you'd miss the delight of speaking to the staff if you use that, which I honestly think is one of the biggest selling points of this hotel.  All the team seemed young, but very passionate about their roles and eager to help.  They were a real asset and credit to the company.

Our stay has certainly opened my eyes and changed my perception of 'budget' hotels and next time I'm looking for an overnight stay or a weekend away, I'll definitely be seeking out a Travelodge.  They are ideal for families as kids not only stay free, but get free breakfast too.

Disclosure: We were invited to stay for the purpose of this review. All opinions and images (unless otherwise stated) are my own.

Linking up with Time Travellers.

23 comments:

  1. I'm always looking for a good deal when it comes to booking a hotel but do worry that when its only £31 it won't be very good. I love the refurbishment, especially the bathroom (always need a nice clean bathroom)

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    1. I know what you mean, like I say I've always been a bit snobby, but this has totally changed my mind.

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  2. That actually looks really good, and much better than many "hotels" I have stayed in in the past that have cost considerably more! The breakfast made me hungry too! :D

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    1. I was genuinely really pleasantly surprised by how good it was, never mind the price!

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  3. I've stayed in 2 or 3 of the new refurbed bedrooms and they make such a difference, gorgeous beds. Mich x

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    1. We stayed in the Bedford one on New Year's Eve which although the room was great and the price was great, there was no food service and therefore barely any staff. I really think the staff we met at Birmingham were wonderful.

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  4. It looks their £57 million went in the right direction. That all looks fabulous and your pictures sell it well - so glad you had an enjoyable comfortable stay and a decent night's sleep - which is, of course, priceless! Brilliant review, as always :)

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    1. Thank you! Yes, you can really see that they've invested a lot in getting it right.

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  5. Not sure that Travelodge has spruced up here across the pond, but maybe we should check it out. Glad you enjoyed your trip. Linda@Wetcreek Blog

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    1. Hi Linda, oh I don't know about over in the US I'm afraid.

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  6. We love Travelodge, they have really smartened up their act of late - good to know that the food there is good too, I don't know about you but more often than not I'm too knackered to venture out to find food!

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    1. They have haven't they? Total image change.

      I know want you mean about food options, it's much easier if there's a good option within the hotel, saves trekking around to find somewhere.

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  7. Sounds perfect for what you needed Liz

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    1. It was absolutely perfect and if we go back to the NEC we'll definitely be using it again.

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  8. I hadn't realised that Travelodge had done a renovation/upgrade. It looks really good!

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  9. Oh my god that food looks really nice! And the rest looks really nice too!

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    1. The breakfast was great, so much choice.

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  10. It looks a lot better than I remember Travelodges looking and that breakfast looks yummy x x

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    1. They've really changed, if you haven't been in a while I recommend you check them out.

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  11. i never know when and where i'm going to be travelling and never seem to get these room rates

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  12. I stayed in a Travelodge last year with Megan after BMLive and we had a superb night, it was fantastically placed just by Covent Garden. I don't think you'd get a better deal that central. I second everything you say here.
    Thanks for linking up to #TimeTraveller :)

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  13. Oooh, I love a bargain night away! That Travelodge certainly looks better than I remember the last one I stayed at - must give them another try post re-vamp ;)

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