Accommodation suggestions and reviews

[Kite159]

Edinburgh Central Accommodation (Scottish Hosteling)

Located around 10 minutes walk from Waverley on Leith Walk, I had a private room which was basic but functional. En-suite but split up [shower in one cupboard, toilet in another].

Plenty of options for shops close by (Tesco Express, Sainsburys, 2x Co-Ops, plus other places).

Tiny bit of outside noise, but I suspect once the trams get going next year it could be a different story. Two other minor downsides is the bed had a footboard which I kicked a couple times during the night and I couldn't get the heating to work.

Not the worst view from my bedroom window either, certainly a place I will stay in again if I ever need to stay overnight in Edinburgh, it might be more expensive than places out of the city but sometimes it's a balancing act of room cost & the cost of any transport needed to reach it

Spoiler

 

[trainophile]

Can't seem to quote ^ without it including the hidden spoiler (not sure why you hid it, interesting picture!), but I find the several Travelodges near Waverley usually offer a good deal so long as you book a few days ahead. Rooms for £24.99 in some of them. Was your hostel room a lot cheaper than that?

 

[Blindtraveler]

All the chains and indeed quite a few of the independence wanted 3 figure sums for a bed for the night in Edinburgh city centre this weekend. Cop26, end of English half term and some Scottish ones still finishing off as well as the rugby are responsible. It's the same for the next couple of weekends as well.


Premier Inn London Sutton. Standard new style Premier Inn, nice staff and the bar and block steakhouse concept adjoining it. Not far from Sutton station if you have the time and patience for the train there. It is in the middle of the giant one-way system that buses seem to use in Sutton town centre with the nearest stop being some 2 minutes away. A lot of other stocks within 6 to 8 minutes walk

 

[Kite159]

Can't seem to quote ^ without it including the hidden spoiler (not sure why you hid it, interesting picture!), but I find the several Travelodges near Waverley usually offer a good deal so long as you book a few days ahead. Rooms for £24.99 in some of them. Was your hostel room a lot cheaper than that?

I paid £38.50 for the room, last Saturday night was quite expensive for Edinburgh (booked it when the Lumo tickets went on sale). From memory from booking dot com there was a couple guest houses out on the outskirts for £35/£36 but the cost saving would have been eaten up by the cost of buses. All the chains wanted at least £60+.

Also came with free WiFi, a luxury you don't get with Travelodge [other than the free 30 minutes]

 

[Blindtraveler]

Yes you really do have to weigh up the cost-benefit ratio with Travelodge sometimes, the fact that they charge for everything on top including Wi-Fi which in this day and age is just crazy does have a significant bearing on it, particularly if you are a heavy internet user or wants to be able to do things like uploading a hefty weight of photos to safe unbreakable cloud storage.

 

[185143]

Yes you really do have to weigh up the cost-benefit ratio with Travelodge sometimes, the fact that they charge for everything on top including Wi-Fi which in this day and age is just crazy does have a significant bearing on it, particularly if you are a heavy internet user or wants to be able to do things like uploading a hefty weight of photos to safe unbreakable cloud storage.

I was rather disappointed that the Super Rooms don't include free unlimited wifi!

Though, to be fair, I just needed somewhere to crash for a couple of days and the hot chocolate+kit kats was a nice welcome surprise when I arrived shortly before 2AM. And it was just £1 extra for each night so it seemed daft not to see what it was like.

 

[Kite159]

Premier Inn, Bradford Central

A bit of a revisit (last stay was in August 2014!) for me this last weekend. Usual Premier Inn standards, hard wired TV. Located less than 5 minutes from Interchange, around 10 minutes from Forster Square. Free WiFi didn't want to work in my room, but not the end of the world.

Small bit of outside noise (fireworks/idiots racing at nearby traffic lights) but not much indoor noise [although I was in a smaller area with only 4 rooms] Certainly a place I will stay in again if I'm in that general area, if the price was right.

 

[317 forever]

Premier Inn, Bradford Central

A bit of a revisit (last stay was in August 2014!) for me this last weekend. Usual Premier Inn standards, hard wired TV. Located less than 5 minutes from Interchange, around 10 minutes from Forster Square. Free WiFi didn't want to work in my room, but not the end of the world.

Small bit of outside noise (fireworks/idiots racing at nearby traffic lights) but not much indoor noise [although I was in a smaller area with only 4 rooms] Certainly a place I will stay in again if I'm in that general area, if the price was right.

I also stayed there the same month, for the Saturday & Sunday nights ahead of the August Bank Holiday! Saturday was really busy but Sunday fairly quiet.

I liked Holiday Inn Express in Bradford in July. The 3 nights averaged just under £40 per night bed and breakfast! Furthermore, only the 2st night was non-refundable. Admittedly the card took a few attempts to open the door to the landing after I got out of the lift, plus there were no breakfast trays so we had to go back for our next helping of anything. However it was worth these shortcomings for such a good value stay.

 

[Kite159]

I also stayed there the same month, for the Saturday & Sunday nights ahead of the August Bank Holiday! Saturday was really busy but Sunday fairly quiet.

I liked Holiday Inn Express in Bradford in July. The 3 nights averaged just under £40 per night bed and breakfast! Furthermore, only the 2st night was non-refundable. Admittedly the card took a few attempts to open the door to the landing after I got out of the lift, plus there were no breakfast trays so we had to go back for our next helping of anything. However it was worth these shortcomings for such a good value stay.

Think I was meant to stay in that place early last December, but had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions (When Bradford was tier 3 where hotels for leisure stays weren't allowed).

 

[ChrisC]

Premier Inn, Bradford Central

A bit of a revisit (last stay was in August 2014!) for me this last weekend. Usual Premier Inn standards, hard wired TV. Located less than 5 minutes from Interchange, around 10 minutes from Forster Square. Free WiFi didn't want to work in my room, but not the end of the world.

Small bit of outside noise (fireworks/idiots racing at nearby traffic lights) but not much indoor noise [although I was in a smaller area with only 4 rooms] Certainly a place I will stay in again if I'm in that general area, if the price was right.

I also haven’t stayed there since February 2016 but I remember that it was very reasonably priced. I think I stayed for 5 nights from Monday to Friday and it was so quiet midweek that the hot breakfasts were freshly cooked to order as there were not enough people in for the usual buffet style. It’s certainly one to consider as an alternative to Leeds as the prices are often less than half the price of similar hotels in Leeds. I remember having quite a large room and also how friendly the staff were. I visited the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for their Spring Gala whilst there. I find Bradford a strange city to be in at night with the central area very quiet and very few places around to eat. The city centre around the City Hall and square seemed very safe but I wouldn’t like to wander out of that central area after dark.

For somewhere a little bit more expensive, but still reasonable in comparison with Leeds, I have enjoyed a couple of stays at the Best Western Midland Hotel next to Forster Square Station. The rooms are very comfortable, although somewhat dated and in need of redecoration, but parts of the hotel including the main entrance and staircases and dining rooms are wonderful examples of a magnificent Victorian building.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I also haven’t stayed there since February 2016 but I remember that it was very reasonably priced. I think I stayed for 5 nights from Monday to Friday and it was so quiet midweek that the hot breakfasts were freshly cooked to order as there were not enough people in for the usual buffet style. It’s certainly one to consider as an alternative to Leeds as the prices are often less than half the price of similar hotels in Leeds. I remember having quite a large room and also how friendly the staff were. I visited the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for their Spring Gala whilst there. I find Bradford a strange city to be in at night with the central area very quiet and very few places around to eat. The city centre around the City Hall and square seemed very safe but I wouldn’t like to wander out of that central area after dark.

For somewhere a little bit more expensive, but still reasonable in comparison with Leeds, I have enjoyed a couple of stays at the Best Western Midland Hotel next to Forster Square Station. The rooms are very comfortable, although somewhat dated and in need of redecoration, but parts of the hotel including the main entrance and staircases and dining rooms are wonderful examples of a magnificent Victorian building.

Yes The Midland Hotel at Forster Square is great, they still have a walkway from the hotel to just behind the station were the luggage was bought along by the servants. You can still use it now although, oddly, there is a low chain you have to step over from the pavement to cross the road to get there.

 

[morrisobrien]

CREWE ARMS HOTEL.
I have just been informed that the above is now closed.Any suggestions where to go now
for accommodation or maybe a pint or two, which is very near to Crewe Station?

 

[Ash Bridge]

CREWE ARMS HOTEL.
I have just been informed that the above is now closed.Any suggestions where to go now
for accommodation or maybe a pint or two, which is very near to Crewe Station?

There is a Premier Inn which is handily located for the station, use the Weston Road entrance when leaving the station walk across the railway car park to your right, no more than 2/3 minutes door to door.

 

[Bungle965]

CREWE ARMS HOTEL.
I have just been informed that the above is now closed.Any suggestions where to go now
for accommodation or maybe a pint or two, which is very near to Crewe Station?

Not exactly closed but I believe that it’s currently being used to house refugees.
No idea if it’ll go back to being a hotel.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I suspect at the among all hotel providers places like this have been some of the hardest hit during the pandemic and so when the local council or indeed central government offers you what is probably pretty much a bottomless blank check for this sort of work you grab it with both hands or certainly I would should I be fortunate enough to own such a place


Still appears to be listed on best westerns website so I assume it will return to its normal function at some stage

 

[LA50041]

CREWE ARMS HOTEL.
I have just been informed that the above is now closed.Any suggestions where to go now
for accommodation or maybe a pint or two, which is very near to Crewe Station?

There is the Holiday inn express next door to the McDonalds just around the corner from the Crewe Arms which has a bar and a decent hot/cold buffet Breakfast.
Alternatively the Waverley used to be quite good, but last time I was there it was being used to house a number of homeless.

 

[185143]

I've done several recently:

Premier Inn Kidderminster
Pleasant enough, though the room was quite warm and no real way to make it cooler. It's an old mill, so an unusual building. The breakfast room is in the attic which is rather nice. Staff were friendly and helpful, as you'd always expect from PI. The breakfast however was a bit of a let down. You had to book the night before, which I never like doing. The buffet hadn't come back (late December) for hot food and the service was so slow we missed the first train at the Severn Valley! It was only a kettle but not the point.

Travelodge Maidenhead Central
Booked in the sale. No complaints here at all. Right opposite the station with a view of the railway. £37.49 for two nights was an absolute steal. Used it as a base for a Thames Rover, very good for that purpose. Only downside was I wanted a pint at the end of my first day, but was told at reception at that point they could only serve soft drinks and snacks as there was no one on site that had a liquor licence.

London Underground 92 Stock (Slighty tongue in cheek)
Yeah. Didn't plan this one. Moral of the story: don't drink, kids. Didn't do anything stupid like waking up at Paddington at 01:00 on the wrong train... it was more comfortable than I thought it might have been but wouldn't reccomend!

Travelodge Farnborough Central
Another good stay, not that you could moan about anything if you've paid less than £20/night. Right above the Wetherspoons too, which was handy for food. Not for from Farnborough Main station.

Travelodge Inverness City Centre
Probably the biggest standard Travelodge room I've ever had! Also, in a think a first for a Travelodge stay, plugs and USBs on each side of the bed. At last! Window was tiny, though the view was just down an alleyway so nothing exciting anyway. Very near the station, round the corner from the bus station. Plenty of pubs ect nearby, typical city centre location really.

Travelodge Aberdeen Central
Stayed here before, and was given a family room this time so had lots of space as well as the choice of three beds. Arrived to literally just sleep and head off again which I did very well. Round the corner from the station in a good location.

 

[Haywain]

First post here:

North Stafford Hotel, Stoke on Trent
Stayed there last week and it is very convenient for the station, being the old headquarters of the North Staffordshire Railway. It's part of the Britannia Hotels chain and you get what you pay for - it's pretty cheap. My room was further from reception than the station! Single room but the bed was wider than expected - in fact, the mattress was a few inches wider than the bed base. The room was a bit scruffy, and lacked things like a coat hook and a bedside light or light switch. On the plus side, there was a decent supply of tea and coffee in the room, although the only way of adding water to the kettle was by the cup full! En-suite facilities but low water pressure gave a difficult shower experience rather than a refreshing blast. Breakfast at additional cost was OK but no better, and may have explained why I had the breakfast room to myself.

 

[Blinkbonny]

Sounds dreadful - and well up to Brittania's usual standard!

It's a shame really as they have taken over some fine old buildings.

 

[Kite159]

Premier Inn, Longbridge

Advertised as "Birmingham South" on the website. Less than 5 minutes walk from Longbridge station, with a large Sainsbury's outside plus Greggs, Subway & a KFC near to the hotel as well.

Usual Premier Inn layout, although my room only had the soft pillows rather than having firm pillows available. Not much in the way of road noise. Certainly one I would stay at again if the price was right. AC was decent enough to cool the room down.

----

Also stayed in the Easy Hotel in Ipswich again, now has a benefit of a Tesco Express close by for supply raids

 

[03_179]

Travelodge, Lincoln Central.

Went to Lincoln in early February 2022.

IF you can get rooms 211, or thereabouts it overlook the station. (NOTE: some in the range 201-225 don't over look the station you should ask).
Google Maps said to come out of the station turn right and over the footbridge and across the Car Park. Whilst it is the fractionally quickest it is NOT the best (if you have luggage the steps are steep and it isn't the nicest route. Better to come out of the station, turn left, walk along and turn left and cross the level crossing.

Reception was clean, staffed and friendly. I suspect some of the staff are from the local Uni.

Room was the usual, Bed, desk (looked over the station and I managed photos and able to read passing loco number using my long lens), two chairs. Bed and sheets were clean and very tidy. One of the better Travelodges I've stayed in.

We didn't partake at the Travelodge restaurant for breakfast as there is a Toby Carvery just up the road and it was very good.

NOTE: There are NO left Luggage facilities at all in Lincoln.

 

[Blindtraveler]

In defence of the Britannia Hotels group much-maligned above, I must recommend the services of their establishment in Stockport. Not particularly close to the station but the bar prices were cheap and the bar staff always keen to recommend a better value option when there was for example a house product available and equally good at saying that the house product was no use and you should have something else. Breakfast was good as well. This was all pre pandemic so could have changed beyond recognition but what I enjoyed my stay and would use again. The other thing to note with Britannia is that the one in Edinburgh, which has been various things over the years has actually been improved under them compared to its previous incarnation which was as a Travelodge and and was truly terrible

 

[Haywain]

Sounds dreadful - and well up to Brittania's usual standard!

I wouldn't go as far as dreadful - I had a really good sleep and the location, for me, couldn't have been better. The staff were fine too. However, previous experience has put me off Britannia Hotels. Would I stay there again? Perhaps, although staying in Stoke on Trent isn't something I will choose to do again in a hurry!

 

[ChrisC]

Has anyone else noticed prices at the major budget to mid priced hotel chains rising rapidly. I’ve been looking at short breaks in various UK cities and finding prices very high in hotels like Premier Inn, Holiday Inn etc. In some cities it is difficult to find anything much below £100 a night for some dates. Hotels that I have stayed in for between £50-£70 a night are now asking £100-£120! I’ve found that independently owned hotels and even quite upmarket country inns are now much more reasonably priced as they tend to charge standard fixed rates and do not increase prices when there is high demand.

 

[Blindtraveler]

To be honest I think that just seasonal demand. Coming up to Easter holidays of course and we have missed to easter's because of the pandemic so as it is late this year and the weather could potentially be decent a lot of people will be taking advantage of family get-togethers and breaks away in in city centre or coastal or rural areas.

 

[03_179]

Noticed recently the same thing.

We were in York a while ago and there trains were all up the swanny and we considered sating an extra night (same happened on the wy back from Lincoln)
They jumped to almost double!

 

[Haywain]

Has anyone else noticed prices at the major budget to mid priced hotel chains rising rapidly. I’ve been looking at short breaks in various UK cities and finding prices very high in hotels like Premier Inn, Holiday Inn etc. In some cities it is difficult to find anything much below £100 a night for some dates. Hotels that I have stayed in for between £50-£70 a night are now asking £100-£120! I’ve found that independently owned hotels and even quite upmarket country inns are now much more reasonably priced as they tend to charge standard fixed rates and do not increase prices when there is high demand.

Have you noticed the prices of pretty much everything increasing? Energy costs in particular will have a major impact but there isn't much you'll find where prices aren't increasing. Even labour costs, following Brexit. And demand will be on the rise as more people are travelling than in the last couple of years and those places that have survived will probably have debts to service and repay from the last couple of years.

 

[ChrisC]

Have you noticed the prices of pretty much everything increasing? Energy costs in particular will have a major impact but there isn't much you'll find where prices aren't increasing. Even labour costs, following Brexit. And demand will be on the rise as more people are travelling than in the last couple of years and those places that have survived will probably have debts to service and repay from the last couple of years.

Totally understand all of that and was expecting hotel prices to rise quite significantly. Hotel prices in many city centres have been very low for the past 2 years. It’s the fact that in many cases prices are more than double what they were that I was drawing peoples attention to, and also the fact that it’s the big chains with demand led flexible pricing which have increased the most.

 

[Kite159]

Remember hotels have benefited from a lower VAT rate for the last year or so (5% at the start before going up to 12.5%). That ends at the end of this month where it goes up to 20%.

So that's an extra 7.5% to pay (as some hotels might have not passed on the savings from the reduced rate, you can be sure they will pass on the extra cost to the customers)

 

[Blindtraveler]

I'm aware that we're straying a little off topic here but one of the hotels that I use quite regularly for work has maintained its pre pandemic prices and and has committed to doing so for at least the next 6 to 9 months because they've not passed on the VAT saving but are in quite a good position to not have to pass on the increase either