Accommodation suggestions and reviews

[Blindtraveler]

Ny argument here is that your paying for a hotelroom to effectively be your home for the length of time your there so the choice to smoke in that private space should be yours. As long as hotels keep non smoking and smoking rooms as seperate as is practicle. I say this as a non smoker with smoking friends



Just booked a stay at The Roadhouse Bed and Breakfast in Carlisle. Very poorly reviewed but website makes it seam nice and its cheep. Will report back

 

[grid56126]

Ny argument here is that your paying for a hotelroom to effectively be your home for the length of time your there so the choice to smoke in that private space should be yours. As long as hotels keep non smoking and smoking rooms as seperate as is practicle. I say this as a non smoker with smoking friends

Smoking is incredibly divisive. I would add that as much as smokers like to have a room to smoke in, non smokers like myself and my good lady who have managed to avoid being in the same room (as in indoors) with smokers for the last 15 years, walking into a hotel room used by smokers would result in an immediate room change at the very least. It has thus far happened just once in a Travelodge and to be frank it was a distress purchase in the first place. I have no issue with being in an outside space with a friend or family who light up and being a reasonably frequent overseas visitor I occasionally have to put up with the odd person lighting up nearby in cafe / restaurant terraces whilst eating. Whilst this is just plain rude I suppose it's the risk I take and I have the choice of course to move inside, but to be frank I don't see why when eating anyone should be subjected to it.

I know it's a marmite subject.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The rooms in which smoking is permitted are all on the 3rd floor and are clearly signed on the doors; the lower floors are smoke free. In fact I took an uncharacteristic gamble and booked a 3rd floor room after doing a personal recce in back January and the room, although a smoking designated room, did not smell of smoke at all ( some smell was evident in the corridor but nowhere near as strong as you might expect ).

Do remember that people are many times more likely to complain than heap praise on anywhere or anything these days.

An ashtray accidentally placed in a non-smoking room ( easily done if the staff are following a training checklist ) would not encourage people to smoke in that room as those requesting such rooms are not likely to be smokers in the first place.


PS No, I am not on a commission or any other incentive from the hotel company! I do have one or two gripes about the place, one in particular being that they do not have a newspaper delivery service.

The ultimate point being your satisfaction of course. . .

I was a late convert to Tripadvisor as it was impossible to tell the fake reviews of owners from reality initially. The user numbers are now so high that it's now a pretty decent tool and we use it a lot for foody stuff as well as hotels. It's a fairly simple process to work out the people for whom a person provided to wipe their back sides would be something to moan about. A place with very few recent reviews is usually passed by pretty quickly, as well as those with obvious repeat moans. Thus far since using it we have never had any bad experiences and near in mind we are just as likely to want a simple family run B&B in transit through to the St Pancras Renaissance for a treat via place to stay for a week or so on holiday. The latter is why I like it so much. As Blindtraveller says, it's your room for your stay and depending on circumstances we are quite often likely to stay in the grounds of a Hotel for a whole day when taking a day off of sightseeing and getting reviews from users of things like swimming pools and other facilities is so much better than the stock pictures the resort / Hotel will use to entice you.

Next big test comes soon for our holiday this year! Sadly for this thread it will be way off topic. Two weeks with little likelihood of a train trip other than a tram or metro . . .

 

[richw]

I was a late convert to Tripadvisor as it was impossible to tell the fake reviews of owners from reality initially. The user numbers are now so high that it's now a pretty decent tool and we use it a lot for foody stuff as well as hotels . . .

A friend of mine runs a B and B and I noticed on trip advisor around 15% of her reviews are by people who it's shows have a mutual friend on Facebook with me and either her or her son! It's great where most people have it linked to their Facebook and shows when a friend or someone with a mutual friend has reviewed, and lists at the top, I will send a Facebook message for further info etc if needed.

 

[Kite159]

Jesmond Park hotel in Newcastle

Located a 10 or so minute walk from West Jesmond metro stop (so good train frequencies), with various pubs/takeaways in that area (plus a mini Waitrose)

Very friendly staff, good breakfast and well sized rooms with comfy beds. Only downside I can think of is that they only have two bathrooms and the WiFi could be advertised better.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The ultimate point being your satisfaction of course. . .

Indeed - and is that not the whole point of this thread? To report from direct personal experience on hotels and B&Bs with which one is personally satisfied or up in arms about?



The trouble with ratings sites is, as has been said, there is no way of proving the independence or otherwise of anything on the sites. There was one hotel I stayed in once which was very conveniently located, had all the right stuff in their PR ( well, it would wouldn't it?! ) and the online reviews weren't indicative of a problem.

However, the reality was somewhat different - the list of faults in our formal complaint to the relevant local authority ran to about a page and a half of A4 and we pretty quickly heard back that an inspector had been sent in as a result of our complaint and that several of the faults had been found to be so serious that the hotel was instructed to remedy them immediately. It also transpired that they were not entitled to use either the AA or RAC three stars they were displaying - neither organisation had rated them...

 

[507021]

Holiday Inn - Welbeck Street, London.
I slept poorly here, but that was down to other problems rather than the hotel being at fault, so I won't mark it down for that. The beds were comfortable and the room was a decent size for two people sharing, and our hot drink making facilities were fully stocked, much appreciated after a long day. The service was very good, so I'd recommend this hotel.

Night Riviera - Great Western Railway.
This is an absolutely brilliant experience. My first journey wasn't the best, with a 90 minute delay in departure and we were woken early after the train was terminated short at Truro because of the line side fire at St Erth. Nevertheless, my second journey was even better. My friend and I woke up feeling really refreshed, and the food and drinks were very good quality. If you haven't done this before, I would strongly recommend that you do.

Travelodge - St Mary Street, Cardiff.
This wasn't bad either, although the only downside was a bit of noise outside, but then again that's what happens when you stay in the city centre, so we weren't really massively bothered about it. Again, the room was a decent size and our refreshments were fully stocked when we arrived. The beds were comfortable and the shower was lovely and warm on both mornings. I'd stay here again if I needed to stay close to the station, otherwise I'd probably look at staying a bit further outside the city centre.

Holiday Inn Express - Railway Terrace, Slough.
We had a great view of the railway station, which was a big plus point of this hotel. The room wasn't a bad size and the beds were comfortable. The WiFi worked well in the room, and the tea and coffee was nice too. The shower was nice and warm, and we also enjoyed the complimentary breakfast we had prior to checking out. I'd stay here again if I was in the area, although I don't think that'll be for a while.

 

[Kite159]

Ibis Budget, Bradford

Located a good 10-15 minute walk from Forster Square, opposite a large tesco. I eventually located how to get into the hotel (not the best signposted) after some hassle with checking in (tried to say I had 3 rooms). The room was basic, but functional. No free shower gel or shampoo, just a bar of soap.

Bed was comfy, although the bottom sheet kept coming away. The main issue that the hotel overlooks a main road in Bradford which has traffic lights so sounded like a racetrack at times

I would use it again

 

[Blindtraveler]

Interesting how their still offering a soap bar rather than a pump dispenser of some kind

 

[dave87016]

Stayed at Premier Inn Edinburgh Park last Friday & Saturday the first time for a couple of years and it's improve some what the air con system seems to work far better and maintains a cool room and the quality of the breakfast food was far better than any of the previous Premier Inn breakfast I have had up and down the country and all the staff were very pleasant and helpful all of it made for a brilliant weekend

 

[trentside]

The Spilman Hotel, Carmarthen

Located not far from the station on Spilman Street. Not given a warm welcome, it was like our mere presence was an inconvenience to the lady manning the reception (the owner, I believe). The car park has awful access and closes at 2300 (allegedly, as it didn't) so if you're driving this might not be the place for you. I'd classify this as a fancy B&B and not a hotel but I've noticed they get very defensive about this when responding to reviews.

Compared to the welcome our room in the annex was lovely. It was big and clean with a lovely bathroom. Tea and coffee facilities were well stocked. Room was a little noisy thanks to the adjacent pub on a Saturday night. The breakfast was also delicious and there was plenty of choice and was served at reasonable hours.

Not sure I'd go back, but if you need somewhere in Carmarthen it's clean and comfortable and not badly priced (£75 for a Saturday night).

 

[Kite159]

A couple from me:

The Little Northern Hotel at the Millstone - Manchester

Located in the city centre, less than 10 minutes walk from Piccadilly & Victoria so ideal for an early morning getaway. A small guest-house above a pub (separate businesses), friendly staff and a reasonable sized room with ensuite bathroom. City centre location is also a curse as it gets a tad noisy at kicking out time.

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Waverley Guest House - Inverness

Another great location, a couple minutes walk from Inverness station, friendly staff although again the curse of a city centre location meant it was a tad noisy with smokers outside a couple nearby pubs (although I guess it depends which side of the guest house you get). Continental breakfast included in the price, I found the shared bathroom a bit on the tight side, like a new shower enclosure has been wedged into the room.

 

[Techniquest]

Crescent Hotel, Reading

I must remember later to get on TripAdvisor actually to post a review, I'd completely forgotten until now. Not at all obvious I have a list of stuff longer than my arm to do this weekend...

This hotel was my first in a shared bathroom establishment in quite some time, the first since my visit to Margate in 2014 I believe. So let's start from the beginning:

Getting there took me about 22 minutes by foot from Reading's main station. Reading West is probably closer but that was no use to me on this occasion. The road alongside was surprisingly busy, considering it's suburbia out here. The welcome was good and check in a piece of cake. No lifts here, which wasn't an issue for me but for others it might be.

What I thought was slightly strange was at the top of each flight of stairs was a door. Whether this is for fire regulations, or just noise prevention I'm not sure, but you don't expect to get to the top of some stairs and need to pull a door towards you. As it was quiet when I used the stairways, this wasn't an issue, but as you cannot see through the doors (solid wood, no glass panels) it runs the risk of sending someone flying on the other side when coming down the stairs. Something to bear in mind for a potential visit.

As for the room itself, it was quite a decent size to my surprise for what is clearly an older establishment than a lot of hotels I've stayed at. The bed was nice and comfortable to my extreme surprise, as were the pillows, but my irritance with hotel beds returned later when I realised it's on wheels, so sitting upright and leaning against the wooden bit behind the bed (helpful description I know!) meant the bed kept moving forward until it touched the wardrobe. More movement of the bed simply made the wardrobe generate creaking noises, so I stopped sitting upright and lay down to read.

The room had a kettle, and I should point out now this was a single bed room, room number 2 on the second floor. The fact I could make a coffee in the morning, a luxury compared to staying at easyHotel, was just heavenly. More so when on the morning following night 1 here I was up at 5am (to catch a train at 6am on a Sunday morning!), and the following morning getting up at 5:30am! The tap in the sink kept dripping, which was frustrating all night long on both stays, and I could not find a way to stop it whatsoever. Hopefully by now it's been looked at, but again something to potentially consider. I really should have mentioned it to the owner when I spoke to him actually!

Breakfast was a hot food option and, to be honest, sounded awesome at £4 per person per night, but with my early starts there was no point in getting it for me. It would have saved me a small fortune on both days I was visiting the area for!

As for the shared bathroom, I gave up waiting for the guy to eventually get out of the bathroom on night one, he was in there for absolutely ages and there is only so much patience you can have while waiting on the stairways! I cannot tell you how glad I was to use the lavatory later on by the time he eventually got out of there! Night 2 thankfully this wasn't an issue, but night 1 reminded me of why I normally avoid shared bathroom hotels like the plague.

I would use the hotel again, most definitely though!

 

[Ash Bridge]

Can't find it mentioned anywhere, so a quick heads up that the new 115 bed Holiday Inn Express at Stockport Station is nearly complete and should be opening before the year is out, if of interest.

 

[Techniquest]

Very much of interest, I look forward to using that one in 2017

 

[Ash Bridge]

Very much of interest, I look forward to using that one in 2017

Perhaps see you on the FO Pacer Pullman to Stalybridge next year then?

 

[Kite159]

100 Pipers Hotel, Blackpool

A great little find, I paid £20 for a Saturday night during the Blackpool Illuminations. Very friendly staff. Located a few minutes walk from St Chad's Road on the tramway, and around 10 minutes from Blackpool South. Down a side street away from the main road so not that noisy (bar a loose ceiling panel and a slight leaky tap).

Breakfast was included as well. The stairs were a bit steep so might not be for everybody.

------

Depends on the average room rate of that Holiday Inn in Stockport it might be useful for those wanting some probable Pacer Thrash on a Friday morning.

 

[James Wake]

Premier Inn Stockport Central visited March 2016 before 0922 parly to Stalybridge

Located about 12 mins walk from station, clean, complimentary wifi up to a certain amount, freeview TV and en suite. Nice staff, has a main and annexe building, you have to walk outside between them. Breakfast if you want to pay for it is in the Fayre and Square pub on the same site. Also it of course does the usual evening meals being open to everyone, not just hotel guests. The Stockport Metroshuttle stops 50 yards to the right of the stairs back out onto the road outside, goes via Bus Station so is about a 20 min ride to station, but is free.

 

[Kite159]

Premier Inn Stockport Central visited March 2016 before 0922 parly to Stalybridge

Located about 12 mins walk from station, clean, complimentary wifi up to a certain amount, freeview TV and en suite. Nice staff, has a main and annexe building, you have to walk outside between them. Breakfast if you want to pay for it is in the Fayre and Square pub on the same site. Also it of course does the usual evening meals being open to everyone, not just hotel guests. The Stockport Metroshuttle stops 50 yards to the right of the stairs back out onto the road outside, goes via Bus Station so is about a 20 min ride to station, but is free.

Used by many of a basher for the Denton Flyer

Although I found if you have a rear facing room in the Annex you get a small amount of aircraft noises from the airport.

 

[James Wake]

Used by many of a basher for the Denton Flyer

Although I found if you have a rear facing room in the Annex you get a small amount of aircraft noises from the airport.

I had I think the highest numbered room in the hotel, I remember saying that to myself at the time. It was certainly past quite a few other annexe rooms, and was forward facing, so I could see the road outside behind the wall.

 

[Kite159]

Travelodge, Middlesbrough

Usual Travelodge hotel, around a 10 minutes walk from the station, on top of an Aldi. I was in a room which overlooked the flat roof of the shop so didn't have much in the way of road noise or other noise (sometimes it helps being put into a room furthest away from the entrance)

Bit of a farce getting in as the intercom wasn't working (the front door is locked after 10pm for security), and it is only 30 minutes free Wi-Fi per stay.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Not strictly accommodation as such, but closely related and very relevant to bashing trips:

Warning!!!

The Carlton Hotel in Edinburgh was taken over by Hilton just two weeks ago* and as a result they are no longer selling breakfasts to non residents, not even to Sleeper train passengers...!! Apparently it's not Hilton policy to sell food to non-residents.

Fortunately, however, the Scotsman Hotel over the road came to my rescue yesterday morning as they sell breakfasts to non-residents, and I have to say extremely well cooked breakfasts... they are prepared to go "off menu" if you don't want the set menu and you ask very nicely, with the proviso that you do choose from those items that are listed for the set menu.



*Two weeks ago is according to the doorman. I suspect it might have been a bit longer ago given that it's already been fully re-branded externally.

 

[Blindtraveler]

It was indeed a bit longer than that, however wasnt aware off the discontinuation of sale of breakfast to non residents. I cant say Im surprised however, I find many of hiltons policies a tad un customer focused which is a shame as whilst I cant afford to stay with the group as a rule they have some good offers iether on their own website or as a result of other offers/promos, products and services.

Another good shout for early breaky in Edinburgh if your up for a walk or bus ride is the Toby Carvery at Kirstorphine, best station being haymarket.

 

[AlterEgo]

For those heading to Northern Ireland:

The Botanic Rest in Belfast is a reasonable budget option. Two minutes walk from Botanic station, rooms from £30, safe, clean and basic. It's in a safe part of town, fairly quiet, and plenty of takeaways and fast food outlets about. Would recommend if you can get a room at the headline price.

 

[Butts]

Royal Hotel Oban

A five minute walk from the Station ....old fashioned but the room I had was okay..bit pokey but a wonderful power shower (suprisingly)

£31 B&B ..a steal full Scottish Breakfast Included. (Buffet Style)

Plenty of eateries nearby and down by the Harbour. Subway and plenty of chippies close by. Big Tesco 5 mins away.

 

[palmersears]

Can anybody recommend a good 'base camp' hotel in London?

I’m planning a mega spotting trip spread over 3 nights/4 days in the middle of February and need somewhere to rest my aching bones at the end of each day. I had considered the Travelodge in Ilford as it’s only £100 for the three nights, but given I want to be heading across to the likes of Acton, Clapham and Marlybone on some days I’m mindful this location might eat into my spotting time unnecessarily as I traipse across central London.

Not fussed about breakfast, just need somewhere near to sleep and wash. No hostels though, done with them after my uni days!

 

[Kite159]

Can anybody recommend a good 'base camp' hotel in London?

I’m planning a mega spotting trip spread over 3 nights/4 days in the middle of February and need somewhere to rest my aching bones at the end of each day. I had considered the Travelodge in Ilford as it’s only £100 for the three nights, but given I want to be heading across to the likes of Acton, Clapham and Marlybone on some days I’m mindful this location might eat into my spotting time unnecessarily as I traipse across central London.

Not fussed about breakfast, just need somewhere near to sleep and wash. No hostels though, done with them after my uni days!

Croydon Easyhotel

 

[palmersears]

Croydon Easyhotel

I've heard about the infamous AC there, and not just from people on this forum!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Ny default go to location in the smoke is Easyhotel Croydon, clean, central, multiple travel options, good pub, sainsburys, takeaways and shops 2 min walk and good bed and shower.

 

[IanD]

Can anybody recommend a good 'base camp' hotel in London?

I’m planning a mega spotting trip spread over 3 nights/4 days in the middle of February and need somewhere to rest my aching bones at the end of each day. I had considered the Travelodge in Ilford as it’s only £100 for the three nights, but given I want to be heading across to the likes of Acton, Clapham and Marlybone on some days I’m mindful this location might eat into my spotting time unnecessarily as I traipse across central London.

Not fussed about breakfast, just need somewhere near to sleep and wash. No hostels though, done with them after my uni days!

Walthamstow Central Travelodge. Right above the station.

Or Wembley, just a short walk along the North Circular to Stonebridge Park/Hanger Lane not far from Alperton or Park Royal either.

Both around £110 for 3 nights in Feb.

 

[Techniquest]

I've heard about the infamous AC there, and not just from people on this forum!

The AC works just fine most of the time in fairness. If you don't mind the tiny rooms, try their hotel in Victoria to be more centrally located. Croydon is better for room size in my experience and I wouldn't go back to the Victoria hotel personally.

Talking of...

easyHotel, London Victoria

I had a bargain, fairly late notice, stay here last weekend. £29 plus £1.95 booking fee was about a fiver cheaper than Croydon, and I would be near the Tube, it just made sense.

Victoria LU is about a 10 minute walk away, and I discovered Pimlico LU was within an 8 minute walk. So anyway, I check in and I had to provide some photo ID which was unusual and I'm certain Croydon's hotel has never asked me for it before, and the staff was hardly friendly. Steep stairs and no lifts, which was a poor start. So I had a windowless room, my first stay in such a room, and I was dismayed by the room immediately.

The bed had zero room around it, bar a maximum of 2' of space to get in/out of it in one corner. The bathroom was only slightly bigger than the lavatory you'd find on a plane which was even more disgraceful. The floor was rather creaky too, so everytime I needed something out of my bag or had to get out of bed for anything it made a right proper noise.

I couldn't wait to get out of this place and will not return personally. All comments relate to room 205 by the way. Croydon, I can't wait to come back to you next weekend!