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Post by jno on Sept 3, 2015 2:24:25 GMT
With brother Arch Stanton recently suffering some agg while at a hotel, I feel it is time the issue of hotel stays was discussed here. So this week it is two popular chains seen on most roadsides around blighty. So, generally speaking .... which of these two 'similar price bracket' hotels takes your fancy for stay away from home? Neither? Do you prefer Holiday Inn, Ibis, Ibis Budget or an independent B&B? Are you loyal to a particular chain? Is anybody? Is price everything while you're staying away from home? Where's my free breakfast? Any hotel chains need chaining up? It's a hotel chain showdown! In the interests of fairness - other British chain names that should be mentioned, albeit in differing price brackets of certain degrees: Sofitel, Warner Leisure, Best Western, Q Hotels, Marriott, Crowne Plaza, Novotel, Hilton, Britannia etc. to name but a few - apologies to the competition committee for the omission of any others which was purely unintentional. Apologies also to those outside the UK who might not know these but your opinions and experiences are very welcome as always!  |
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Post by ace5150 on Sept 3, 2015 7:28:56 GMT
Despite Lenny Henry being the 'face' for Premier Inns TV ad, it's a far superior chain.
I have complained several times to Travelodge, who's policy it is NEVER to reply/reimburse. Just check out ANY Trip Advisor review on any given location for Travelodge.
I will add more later.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Sept 3, 2015 7:51:07 GMT
Yes and Tonks never did get his stuff back, despite his pleas that he was getting in the role for Connor Downs' up coming Christmas pantomime production of 'Sliver in Boots'!  |
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Post by jno on Sept 3, 2015 8:06:28 GMT
You will have to share this legendary incident on here guys!
I would always stay at Premier Inn instead of Travelodge, it is far better quality for the money I believe. I also booked Premier Inn with the wrong dates by accident, totally my fault on a non-refundable deal - I begged and said sorry, they reimbursed. Fair play that is customer service. The only issue I had with Premier Inn was in Wimbledon - the rooms were incredibly hot and like a sauna to sleep in, also a pay and display car park?!
Travelodge - I have also stayed in a few of these over the years, most recently in Pembroke Dock a few months ago. The bed was the only thing on a level playing field with any Premier Inn I've stayed in - but you can tell the who room is just not as good as Premier Inn. The same applies to my local Travelodge near to where I am from in Wales.
In fairness, both have a consistent product, but I feel Travelodge's is just about a third as good.
Throughout Euroland there are of course a few chains in the same cost ball park - I have stayed in many IBIS Budget hotels in Europe and although it's basic, it's always clean and pretty good value for money that I can live with for one or two nights. This is their BLUE product. Their RED one is a level better and have a stayed in a superb IBIS nr Düsseldorf which is definitely on a par if not marginally better than UK Premier Inns I've been to for the same money. With any hotels, you want value for money, cleanliness and a bit of peace and quiet and sometimes I will often suffer paying 10-20 Euro more if I can have it a bit better.
Where do the good ol' British B&Bs fair here though?
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Post by Arch Stanton on Sept 3, 2015 8:07:48 GMT
Premier inn is way better than Travelodge in my experience.. I stayed in a Travelodge once and the shower didn't work hardly, and there were no towels!!
I've stayed in Holiday Inn's a few times, which was alright - say a step down from Premier Inn.... and I've stayed in Radisson's a few times, they were good, and the Hilton on Park Lane. Which I was disappointed by..
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Post by Arch Stanton on Sept 3, 2015 8:12:10 GMT
Where do the good ol' British B&Bs fair here though? Really good in my opinion! I've stayed in loads and found them excellent value, and generally really friendly! |
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Post by jno on Sept 3, 2015 8:16:53 GMT
I stayed at the Premier Inn next in Manchester recently and discovered their purple sauce. Fair play, this was superb.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Sept 3, 2015 16:24:40 GMT
I stayed at the Premier Inn next in Manchester recently and discovered their purple sauce. Fair play, this was superb.
I saw this advertised in the Premier this morning.. What's it taste of? I've never seen a bottle of it yet! |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Sept 3, 2015 16:40:02 GMT
Being the snob I am, I have never been camping or stayed in a b & b................ You should try B&Bs mate, if you select wisely you can get a room well cheap, and I've yet to stay in a bad one.. They're a lot more of a sociable experience than chain hotels.. Re: Camping. That's more of a marmite thing I reckon. Personally I enjoy it, but I think the older you get, the less tolerant you become, and that includes roughing it! |
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Post by jno on Sept 3, 2015 17:04:02 GMT
Arch - it is like HP Fruity Sauce, just a lot lot better. It is similar to the barbecue type stuff you get on a kebab in some places. I liked it so much I swiped a half a suitcase of it and exported it to jno 'integrated expat towers' here in the Austrian hills to put with me Käsekrainer sausages! Cheers, sauceinasuitcase  |
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Post by ace5150 on Sept 3, 2015 17:35:28 GMT
I stayed at the Premier Inn next in Manchester recently and discovered their purple sauce. Fair play, this was superb.
I saw this advertised in the Premier this morning.. What's it taste of? I've never seen a bottle of it yet! Similar to BlackBerry ketchup. Best way I can describe it. |
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Post by barrythebook on Sept 3, 2015 20:46:56 GMT
I've got experience of both Travelodge and Premier and would opt for Premier every time.
I realise they are both economical accommodation but Travelodge really is as basic as you can get if you ask me.
Re- B&B's, I've stayed in a few and as Arch says they're a far more personal, friendly option.
Also with a B&B you're pretty much assured a quality homecooked breakfast.
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Post by yoyopickles on Sept 4, 2015 8:14:24 GMT
I prefer Premier Inn to travellodge hands down! I have stayed at the Gatwick airport travel lodge about 3 times, and found that there was always a minor problem. Fist time was, the food I bought in the evening was very stale and dry tasting, another time the beds needed more sheets, so I was given them at the reception desk and had to March up the stairs like a convict being issued his bedding.
I have stayed at the one near london city airport a few times. One visit, I was on the way to belguim the next day, and my room still had HAPPY HEN NIGHT banners under the bed, from the weekend befor! Anohter time they gave me my afters between the starter and the main course, but apologised and gave me a free drinks. I recall being there with my mum when we were on our way back from Northern Irleand, she wanted a glass of rose wine, and they said "we can only sell it by the bottle", so i asked where they get the white wine from and was told from the bottle, in end it turned out that they simply could not be bothered to open a bottle of rose! Another time, I stayed there as it was near the O2 Arena to see THE ROLLING STONES, and they shut the bar early due to "safetly reasons" i.e there were about 4 tabels of people having a quiet post concert drink and they could not cope with "the rush".
I had no problems at the Plymouth travel lodge,but they did not do breakfast and if you wanted it, you had to order it the night before and it consisted of a plastic bag with some cornflakes in, that was hung on the door handle outside your room
The only other Travel lodge I have stayed in was in Londonderry/ Derry, Being a former 4 star hotel, the rooms are larger and more elegant then the usual "clinical" look of a normal Travelodge room There was a WEATHERSPOONS pub next door that did a much cheaper and better breakfast My Only complaint was, being a weekend, there were a few groups of party goers, who were a bit noisy, at times and liked to bang on other peoples doors and stand in the corridors talking until 4am in the morning. The staff did all they could to stop this, so i give them 10 out of 10 for service!
Premier Inn –
I have stayed at the Dover one twice and on my first visit there, I actually bumped into PAULINE QUIRKE! Stayed at the ones in Wolverhampton, Manchester, Bournemouth and Bristol and have always enjoyed the stay. My only slight complaint about the Bournemouth one was, I asked the lady on reception how far the bus station was, as I was getting a bus to the airport, to wish she replied in an east European accent “ I have never been to the airport by bus, so I do not know!”
I have stayed at the IBIS near luton airport twice,and that was quite nice, better then the travel lodge, but not quite as good as Premmier inn
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Post by yoyopickles on Sept 4, 2015 8:17:30 GMT
Arch - it is like HP Fruity Sauce, just a lot lot better. It is similar to the barbecue type stuff you get on a kebab in some places. I liked it so much I swiped a half a suitcase of it and exported it to jno 'integrated expat towers' here in the Austrian hills to put with me Käsekrainer sausages! Cheers, sauceinasuitcase I am actually staying at one of the manchester premmier inns again for a few days next week, so will check this sttuff out............... |
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Post by yoyopickles on Sept 4, 2015 9:45:22 GMT
I make all sorts of nice little earners on EBAY, mainly in the nostalaga market, i.e doctor who merchandise, but I am open to other areas
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Post by yoyopickles on Sept 10, 2015 16:39:59 GMT
just back from manchester with 20 packets of the lovely stuff in my suitcase
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Post by Shakyfan on Sept 20, 2015 19:46:12 GMT
Premier Inn definitely, though if the Travelodge is cheaper I'll stay there! Usually stay in the Belfast ones when I'm going to concerts as I'd have to leave halfway through the show to catch the last bus or train home. Stayed in the Ibis once - when I couldn't get a decent price in any of the others (Belfast has 3 Premier Inns and 1 Travelodge). At the end of the day it doesn't really matter how basic it is, I get back after the concert, go to bed and away first thing after breakfast in the morning.
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Post by gustav on Sept 20, 2015 23:51:11 GMT
I've only ever stayed in Premier Inns to be honest but I have never had a bad experience with one. In fact in some of them I have found the staff very helpful. Never encountered purple sauce though. Nor Pauline Quirke for that matter.
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jvz
One Of Your Own
Posts: 163 
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Post by jvz on Jan 5, 2016 17:06:46 GMT
Premier Inn definitely, though if the Travelodge is cheaper I'll stay there! Usually stay in the Belfast ones when I'm going to concerts as I'd have to leave halfway through the show to catch the last bus or train home. Stayed in the Ibis once - when I couldn't get a decent price in any of the others (Belfast has 3 Premier Inns and 1 Travelodge). At the end of the day it doesn't really matter how basic it is, I get back after the concert, go to bed and away first thing after breakfast in the morning. The Belfast Travelodge is part of Travelodge Ireland, not UK. Caught me out on something as basic as a teaspoon when I used it going to a gig at the Ulster Hall. Wooden stirrer only which made eating a yoghurt challenging. I do like to try and support independent businesses but for one nighters, especially where I cannot be sure of an arrival time or will be late I will use chains, location and price, sometimes parking being deciding factors. I think Premier Inns are superior but for one night find the usually cheaper Travelodge perfectly acceptable. I do look at Ibis as I have reached the heady heights through their loyalty scheme of a free drink on arrival. |
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Post by chopper on May 2, 2017 14:48:06 GMT
Neither,a nice preferably independently run guest house,hotel or B&B
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Post by Arch Stanton on May 2, 2017 16:46:41 GMT
Neither,a nice preferably independently run guest house,hotel or B&B I'm 100% with you Chopper. I had a really bad experience booking a Premier Inn recently. Saturday it was in fact. A harrowing experience indeed, when I realised how much I was paying for the hotel equivalent of a McDonalds! You can get B&Bs loads cheaper, quite often the quality is better and so is the customer service. The ones that looked a comparable standard to the Premier Inn were about £70 cheaper for the night!!  |
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Post by jno on Jan 22, 2019 18:40:10 GMT
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Post by felixdeburgh on Jan 22, 2019 22:38:55 GMT
After seeing the number of adverts I had to dismiss on that Mirror page before I could actually get to the story, I'm tempted to drive a mechanical digger into their office as well.
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Post by jno on Jan 26, 2019 16:15:32 GMT
Get the infrared lamp out and it's more like travelsplodge.  |
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Post by jno on Jun 7, 2019 2:52:44 GMT
If anyone travels to Dublin airport you get a real choice of Travelsplodge vs Premier Inn there. The shuttle bus from Dublin airport (Terminal 1, Zone 16) is the same one that goes to both places, with Travelodge just one stop before Premier Inn, right next to Ryan Air HQ in Swords, a town near the airport.  Picture taken from Premier Inn in Swords, Travelodge is right (to the left) beside Ryan Air behind B&Q. So I had to stay for 1 night recently and after checking the reviews opted for Premier Inn - why? Well, reviews online suggested Travelodge was being used as a centre for asylum seekers who were coming in at all hours of the day or night and hanging about in the corridors. I have no idea if that's true but if I'm handing over me hard-earned Euro buck I thought I wouldn't take the risk! Besides, Premier Inn has the better breakfast AND I was able to half-inch 18 individually wrapped Twinings Everyday teabags. Overall a good stay at Premier Inn apart from the Luthuanian woman working in the breakfast room. Give her dues she was working hard, but I just wish someone would teach Eastern Europeans a bit of 'Language Register' and that there is a difference between 'How can I help?' and 'WHAT YOU WANT?' Good stay at Premier Inn Swords but I am still bitter about about the purple sauce. |
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Post by harryshand on May 28, 2020 15:51:17 GMT
As a Whitbread shareholder I'm very pleased to see this poll. I'd stay nowhere else.
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Post by jno on May 28, 2020 20:39:59 GMT
As a Whitbread shareholder I'm very pleased to see this poll. I'd stay nowhere else. I used to work for Whitbread in the 90s ... for a month! |
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Post by harryshand on May 28, 2020 20:49:44 GMT
As a Whitbread shareholder I'm very pleased to see this poll. I'd stay nowhere else. I used to work for Whitbread in the 90s ... for a month! Way before I could afford Whitbread shares. Was that on the brewing side because that went long ago. |
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Post by jno on May 29, 2020 9:02:41 GMT
I used to work for Whitbread in the 90s ... for a month! Way before I could afford Whitbread shares. Was that on the brewing side because that went long ago. On the pulling pints side. I was only there a few weeks and they said "come in on Saturday for staff training and induction" and I said "paid for my time?" They said "no", I said "bye". |
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Post by jasonsinternet on Jun 1, 2020 22:56:27 GMT
Prem inn seem to be more consistant and generally seem to be better placed location wise for me. Normally attached to a decent pub for food as well so it gets my vote.
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