Accommodation suggestions and reviews

[Kite159]

Travelodge, Welwyn Garden City

Stayed here last week for a railtour (picking up at Potters Bar). The hotel is located within a 5 minute walk from the station with a large Sainsburys close by. I suspect it's a hotel where the outside noise will depend which side of the building you get a room, and if the room faces outward or inwards to a car park.

The rooms/corridor was tired looking (carpet wise) and where my room had AC, I don't think it was working as there was a portable heater in the room (and I couldn't get it to operate). Shower is very powerful.

Would I use it again? If the price was right and I needed a hotel for another railtour picking up in Potters Bar/Finsbury Park

 

[richw]

As an alternative option I received an email offering Parkdean Shanklin off peak short breaks Friday to Monday or Monday to Friday for £79. It looks like this offer is available to all through their website.
Their Lower Hyde park is directly across the road from shanklin rail station.
I’ve booked a weekend in one of their caravans for a day on the steam railway and a day sampling the local scenic bus routes. They’ve followed up my booking and sent a discount link for the ferry from Portsmouth, foot passenger rate for my weekend came to £12 return out on the Friday back Monday.
£91 for a weekend on the Isle of Wight including ferry is an absolute bargain in my opinion. I couldn’t find a single night in a hotel for that price for the weekend I’m visiting.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

As an alternative option I received an email offering Parkdean Shanklin off peak short breaks Friday to Monday or Monday to Friday for £79. It looks like this offer is available to all through their website.
Their Lower Hyde park is directly across the road from shanklin rail station.
I’ve booked a weekend in one of their caravans for a day on the steam railway and a day sampling the local scenic bus routes. They’ve followed up my booking and sent a discount link for the ferry from Portsmouth, foot passenger rate for my weekend came to £12 return out on the Friday back Monday.
£91 for a weekend on the Isle of Wight including ferry is an absolute bargain in my opinion. I couldn’t find a single night in a hotel for that price for the weekend I’m visiting.

That does sound a very good deal, have a great time.

 

[Kite159]

Travelodge, Inverness City centre (the one close to the station, rather than the ones on the retail/industrial parks)

Located less than 5 minutes from both the train and even less from the bus station. Standard slightly tired room. Extractor fan in the bathroom was running all night with my room having something like an AC pump from a nearby building running in the evening (I had a room overlooking other buildings).

The window did open wider than other places but it's not somewhere I would want to be in the summer time if the temperature is hot. Managed to get it for £31 flexible rate (in one of the sales) so not that bad.

Heater was quite good though and shower was powerful

 

[Blindtraveler]

That one lists air-conditioning on its website, relatively recent build although I'm not surprised the room was tired as as it no doubt gets very busy

 

[Kite159]

That one lists air-conditioning on its website, relatively recent build although I'm not surprised the room was tired as as it no doubt gets very busy

No AC in the room I was in, had a fan covered up on top of a small open wardrobe

 

[Kite159]

Britannia Hotel, Charing Cross, Glasgow:
Stayed there back in January time, old Premier Inn which is quite tired inside. Friendly staff, located pretty much on top of Charing Cross station (I had a lovely view of the platforms from my bedroom window) with good sound proofing. Good thing is that it featured proper twin beds, rather than a double bed & a foldaway bed/sofa bed. I would probably use again if the price was right.

Only real negative was the lack of free WiFi, from memory it was something like £7 per device for 24 hours.

Travelodge, Salford Quays
A revisit from 2018, a modern Travelodge (USB sockets etc). Proper twin rooms (two single beds). Around 5 minutes from Salford Quays Metrolink with a handy Tesco Express along the way. Certainly one I would use again if the price was right and I needed to be overnight in the Manchester area. Noise-levels were decent enough, didn't keep all the road noise out but kept the majority of it out
Food place underneath does a nice burger (I was with mum and we decided to eat in rather than trying to find somewhere else on a day where football was on)

Armadale Guest House, Grieg Street, Inverness
Funny thing is that I didn't actually book into this particular guest house, I had booked in the Dunskaith Villa guest house next door, but got a text earlier in the day asking for my expected arrival time and a note to say "go to Armadale to check in" thinking it was simply a case of both guest houses run by the same person, with the Dunskaith villa being an annex building (similar to the Stockport Central Premier Inn). No idea what happened but I got given an upgrade to an ensuite room rather than shared bathroom. Room was quite hot as it was quite small, but perfectly functional for a simple base for the night. Decent quality Wi-Fi. At a guess, less than 10 minutes from the station, 5 minutes from Spoons.

Only slight negative was the location of the bed, I kicked the wall when I got up during the night, which hurt.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I was also in the Britannia this particular weekend, my stay was longer than tight and a conversation with the manager on the Friday evening revealed that some of the beds have recently been replaced and more are to be changed, furthermore apparently decorators and carpet fitters are due in the next few months also. On previous days I've had breakfast in this hotel and have found it excellent

 

[richw]

Currently at Novotel Reading centre. Excellent location, great facilities and comfortable room. £75 for a family room. Has a swimming pool and spa included in that price! 2 mins walk from the station.

 

[route101]

Was looking at hotels in Bristol for the middle of next month, very high prices. It is a Saturday night though.

 

[richw]

Was looking at hotels in Bristol for the middle of next month, very high prices. It is a Saturday night though.

Bristol always seems very high. I need a room on a Friday in October, and for where I need to be near is silly money

 

[boyaloud]

Was looking at hotels in Bristol for the middle of next month, very high prices. It is a Saturday night though.

Maybe sounds a bit crazy but try Cardiff, Cheltenham and Newport? All quite easy to get to with late trains.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Delta Marriott Milton Keynes.

Former Hilton, standard mid-range business hotel. Bathroom so had a semi decent refit although water pressure in my shower was appalling. One of the best hotel breakfast I've had for for a long time however and and decent Wi-Fi

Food expensive and drinks a little pricey but nowhere near as bad as it was once apparently. This was at work stay at someone else's expense and as such I had little to complain about. Station wise it's nearest to bletchley but definitely a taxi unless you enjoy roundabouts and dual carriageways to walk along

 

[route101]

Maybe sounds a bit crazy but try Cardiff, Cheltenham and Newport? All quite easy to get to with late trains.

Looking at Weston. Flying from Bristol Airport the next day.

 

[D6130]

Was looking at hotels in Bristol for the middle of next month, very high prices. It is a Saturday night though.

There is a very modern and comfortable B&B just on the other side of the airport car park from the terminal building. My wife and I stayed a night there prior to an early morning flight about 8-9 years ago. Our departure time was too early for breakfast, but they left some sandwiches for us in the room.....which already had tea and coffee-making facilities. Sorry....can't remember the name of the place, but I'm sure you'll find it through Google. We caught the airport bus from Temple Meads the night before after a reastaurant meal in the city centre.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Comfort Xpress Stockholm Central
Kungsbron 1, 111 22 Stockholm

Picked this one for a short Friday-overnight en route from Umeå to Karlskrona a few weeks ago. It's a super useful find, because it's a fairly reliable chain hotel close to Stockholm Central station and the Cityterminalen bus station (for national, international and airport buses).

(Two Nordic chains - Scandic and Nordic Choice - dominate the chain hotel market in Scandinavia. Whereas almost all Scandic hotels are branded Scandic, Nordic Choice have licensed sub-brands for their hotels from a US company, including Comfort Hotel and now Comfort Hotel Xpress. This is the closest you will get to a Premier Inn or Travelodge in Sweden. This property was formerly a Quality Hotel, and still appears on Apple Maps under that name.)

At the absolute cheapest, a single occupancy room in the Comfort Hotel Xpress Stockholm Central can be secured on sale from as little as 700SEK (€65) although normally you should expect to pay nearer 1000SEK (€90) for single/double occupancy. This is generally below the average nightly rate in Stockholm.

The hotel is on Kungsbron, an east-west street which spans the very northern end of Stockholm Central station. It's part of the large 'World Trade Center' complex, itself built on top of the north-eastern platforms of the station and the Cityterminalen bus station. The hotel has a small street-level lobby and part of two floors of the office and conference centre complex. The shortest route from the station is to take the escalators up from near the Arlanda Express platforms into the Cityterminalen. Then walk the full length of the bus station and exit via the last bus boarding gate onto Kungsbron. Turn right and the lobby is on the right.

Some rooms are internal, i.e. without windows. These will obviously be the quietest and darkest (which is worth thinking about in the long summer nights). Most rooms are small, with the bed oriented lengthwise across the full width of the room. Bathrooms are small but perfectly functional. TV has free-to-air channels and you can wirelessly cast from most smartphones.

Unlike most Scandics / Nordic Choice hotels, there is no breakfast buffet, only a self-service fridge with pre-packaged foods.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Scandic Continental
Vasagatan 22, 111 20 Stockholm

Having just reviewed the Comfort Xpress Stockholm Central above I thought I should write a few words about the more premium Scandic Continental.

As noted above. Scandic and Nordic Choice are the two dominant hotel chains in Scandinavia. The Scandic Continental is the closest hotel to Stockholm Central Station, accessed by exiting the front (east) entrance of the station and crossing the road, or by taking the pedestrian subway to T-Centralen and then exiting to street level via the escalators. The hotel is built on top of T-Centralen.

At the absolute cheapest, expect to pay no less than 1000SEK (€90) for a single/double occupancy "cabin" (i.e. a room without a window, or with a window only onto the internal atrium. Expect to pay between 1300SEK (€115) and 1500SEK (€135) at more normal rates.

The rooms are modern and comfortable. I include lots of photograps of the expansive breakfast buffet, because if you arrive in Stockholm with a first class sleeper train ticket on SJ, you can choose to eat breakfast here (see this list for all hotels offering this service). Both Scandic and Nordic Choice hotels are to be commended for always offering a good selection of gluten-free cereals and breads, and a dedicated fridge (pictured below) with non-dairy milks, yoghurts, cheeses and margarines.

 

[Kite159]

King Charles Hotel, Gillingham
One of @Blindtraveler favourite places, located around a 15 minute walk from Gillingham station but also on a frequent bus route linking the hotel to Chatham & Maidstone. Room was a bit tired (mainly with the bathroom floor) but had proper twin beds. An excellent breakfast, they even gave me an extra sausage instead of an egg.

OYO Marine Parade Hotel, Eastbourne
Stayed here for the 313 farewell tour from Brighton (to avoid an early morning replacement bus) as it was a lot cheaper than Brighton (£22 for a single room). Located around .75 miles from the station with a bus stop near enough outside. Located on the seafront near the pier. Friendly welcome from the gentleman on reception.
Room & building is a bit tired (in terms of interior wear & tear), the worst couple things I had was the window didn't want to stay open (one of those windows which lift up, I ended up using a bog roll to get it to stay open). A bit of outside noise from the sea (lots of waves crashing into the beach) and traffic (mainly idiots with modified cars trying to get girls to fall into them). Curtain was a bit hard to close but there was a window in the bathroom area which along with an internal window between bathroom & bedroom leaked light. Not an issue during winter but the room flooding with light at 6am isn't my idea of fun.

On the bright side, the bed was comfortable.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Yes the king Charles is a good shout. Really rather sorry that now I've moved to Chatham I can't really justify an excuse to stay there

 

[Kite159]

From my long weekend trip to the North East, 2 new Travelodges and a revisit.

Travelodge, Newcastle Quays
Arriving into Newcastle on the late night Lumo doesn't give that many options for accomodation (as realistically it needs to be within walking distance of the station). A modern(ish) Travelodge located by the riverside, although a steep climb back towards the station! The room I had featured AC, however it sounded like it needed a good service as it was quite noisy when running. Good sound proofing.

Dunes Hotel, Whitley Bay:
A 3rd time returning to this hotel in Whitley Bay, located around 5 minutes from the metro station and with bus stops for various bus routes for Newcastle + other places close by (along with a handy Spoons plus other takeaways close-by, including a B+M & Sainsburys Local). Comfortable bed, however the shower pressure was weak and the room I had was above a pub which had loud music until midnight (previous stays have been above the main hotel or a higher floor so I didn't notice the music). A bit of a novelty these days with the room getting serviced during the stay.

Travelodge, Twickenham
Located near enough outside Twickenham station (I reckon you could exit the hotel and be on the platforms within a minute) with plenty of options close by. Standard Travelodge rooms (although with USB sockets by the bed). The room I had didn't have AC and I wouldn't want to stay in there during the summer months when you needed the window open as it was quite noisy with the window open (all the door release buzzers and motor noise from accelerating trains). With the window closed, the noise was minimum. Certainly one I will use again if ever I need to stay in London and the price was right

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The view from the Leonardo at Glasgow Central ( formerly the Jury's Inn ).

Should suit a few people on here...

 

[railfan99]

From my long weekend trip to the North East, 2 new Travelodges and a revisit.

Travelodge, Newcastle Quays
Arriving into Newcastle on the late night Lumo doesn't give that many options for accomodation (as realistically it needs to be within walking distance of the station). A modern(ish) Travelodge located by the riverside, although a steep climb back towards the station! The room I had featured AC, however it sounded like it needed a good service as it was quite noisy when running. Good sound proofing.

Dunes Hotel, Whitley Bay:
A 3rd time returning to this hotel in Whitley Bay, located around 5 minutes from the metro station and with bus stops for various bus routes for Newcastle + other places close by (along with a handy Spoons plus other takeaways close-by, including a B+M & Sainsburys Local). Comfortable bed, however the shower pressure was weak and the room I had was above a pub which had loud music until midnight (previous stays have been above the main hotel or a higher floor so I didn't notice the music). A bit of a novelty these days with the room getting serviced during the stay.

Travelodge, Twickenham
Located near enough outside Twickenham station (I reckon you could exit the hotel and be on the platforms within a minute) with plenty of options close by. Standard Travelodge rooms (although with USB sockets by the bed). The room I had didn't have AC and I wouldn't want to stay in there during the summer months when you needed the window open as it was quite noisy with the window open (all the door release buzzers and motor noise from accelerating trains). With the window closed, the noise was minimum. Certainly one I will use again if ever I need to stay in London and the price was right

Could you and other also consider submitting TripAdvisor reviews, and specifically mention distance from the railway station(s) nearby?

This will reach an even wider audience. It's easy and free to join TA, and really helpful if you mention you are a railway enthusiast in the review.

 

[railfan99]

North Stafford Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent

I have not stayed yet but was considering during a forthcoming Eurailpass.

However having read TripAdvisor reviews and also Internet commentary that 'Brittania Hotels is the lowest ranked hotel chain in England' or similar, I decided against it and booked elsewhere, though further from the railway station.

What is 'so bad' about this chain, given the North Stafford looks to be (at least from exterior photos) an attractive heritage building?

Surely it should be a candidate to be renovated given its ideal location? Or is this chain just not interested?

Has anyone stayed at the North Stafford Hotel - are the comments above fair?

 

[Haywain]

North Stafford Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent

I have not stayed yet but was considering during a forthcoming Eurailpass.

However having read TripAdvisor reviews and also Internet commentary that 'Brittania Hotels is the lowest ranked hotel chain in England' or similar, I decided against it and booked elsewhere, though further from the railway station.

What is 'so bad' about this chain, given the North Stafford looks to be (at least from exterior photos) an attractive heritage building?

Surely it should be a candidate to be renovated given its ideal location? Or is this chain just not interested?

Has anyone stayed at the North Stafford Hotel - are the comments above fair?

I have stayed there. It's cheap and lives down to the price level. I didn't realise when booking that it was part of Brittania, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. Brittania are poor quality and on the occasions I have used them in the past have never failed to disappoint.

 

[railfan99]

I have stayed there. It's cheap and lives down to the price level.

Is it the sort of accommodation that attracts questionable individuals such as heavy substance users, or is it simply 'cheap and cheerful' but safe?

There's a marked difference between the two.

 

[Haywain]

Is it the sort of accommodation that attracts questionable individuals such as heavy substance users, or is it simply 'cheap and cheerful' but safe?

There's a marked difference between the two.

Neither of those things. Cheap but not terribly cheerful. Here's the negative part of my review on Booking.com:

The room - a single room a long way from reception - was cheap but lacked simple things. No bedside lamps or switches for lights by the bed. The bed wasn't the most comfortable and seemed to have a mattress a bit wider then than the bedframe. The room itself was a little scruffy and careworn, and the shower lacked water pressure. Sadly, much of this reflects previous stays in other hotels operated by the same Britannia Hotels chain.

The only plus was that it was cheap and there was a decent provision of tea and coffee in the room.

 

[D6130]

Has anyone stayed at the North Stafford Hotel - are the comments above fair?

I stayed at the North Stafford Hotel with my friend from France for one night last September, en route to the Churnet Valley Railway.

Is it the sort of accommodation that attracts questionable individuals such as heavy substance users, or is it simply 'cheap and cheerful' but safe?

No evidence of heavy substance users but, as it was a Friday night, there were several hen and stag parties staying. Despite this, the noise level was not too bad.

On the minus side, the lift wasn't working - a frequent occurrence at Britannia hotels - so we had to lug our cases up two flights of stairs.

On the plus side, the reception staff were courteous, friendly and helpful....and readily agreed to look after our large cases for the day while we went off to visit the CVR. We were able to collect them on our return to Stoke later in the day before catching our onward train Manchester.

The massive rooms exuded faded elegance and were a bit tatty around the edges, but were reasonably clean by normal Britannia standards....and everything in the bathrooms worked. We didn't try the breakfast as we thought it was rather expensive for the limited menu choice available.

In summary, I would say that it was OK for a one night stay.

 

[Haywain]

but were reasonably clean by normal Britannia standards

Damned with faint praise!!

 

[railfan99]

I stayed at the North Stafford Hotel with my friend from France for one night last September, en route to the Churnet Valley Railway.

As Haywain and you doubtless guessed, that's also my reason. Thnak you for prompt input with excellent information.

I booked Sutherland Arms Hotel, 1.5 kilometres from the station. It receives better reviews. There is a 'Potbank apartment hotel' closer receiving mixed reviews. I like historic accommodation, and can taxi on the first night as walking with a suitcase and backpack at night is tedious, though like many of us I've done it numerous times around the world including in so-called dodgy areas.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

North Stafford Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent

Has anyone stayed at the North Stafford Hotel - are the comments above fair?

I've posted about it in this thread after staying there... I'll see if I can find the post shortly unless someone else finds it for me first!